Author's Notes:

'A Shepherd's Crook' is the fourth book in the Chronicles of Ben Shepherd. The chronological order of the stories is:

• The Shepherd of Ashburn Court - Parts 1 - 5
• A Shepherd in France - Parts 1 & 2
• A Shepherd Afield - Parts 1 - 5
• The Shepherd's Crook - Parts 1 - 5

Updated versions of The Shepherds Crook Parts 1 - 4 were submitted to Literotica, but after a month of waiting, they were NOT published. Why? I've no idea. A glitch in the Matrix, perhaps?

Some character names have changed in Part 5, so the updates would have helped.

Here is a legend of the changed names to watch for:

Phil DeMonte --> Paul Giamatti

Lawrence Manning --> Hugh Jackman

Ron Leopold --> Ryan Renolds

Sir Ryan McKann --> Sir Ian McKellen

The collected Parts 1 - 5 have been published as a single book on Amazon should you wish to see the proper version.

Minimal effort is made in this tale to explain the backstory, so please read the other stories first.

All characters engaging in sexual relationships or activities are 18 years old or older.

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A Shepherd's Crook - Part 5

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Chapter 51

Marion Spencer scowled at the document he'd received from the State Prosecutor. He would be taken into custody in the morning to be tried for the murder of the bitches they found in the hidden cells of his old home. They knew he wasn't a flight risk as he was essentially chained to his dialysis machine these days.

He recalled the French slut who'd confronted him about his guilt. He knew she'd follow through, but he was disappointed to find he was the sole name on the warrant.

None of the other club participants had been named in the case.

It had to be that rat bastard Reissman who ensured he and the others were protected. They'd always treated him as their servant, as he'd done most of the work of arranging to buy the home, building the hidden rooms, acquiring the sacrifices, and hosting their ceremonies.

The bloody work of killing the bitches after the group had their fun went to the winner of the draw, with previous winners abstaining until they'd all had their chance. He recalled his turn with a slow smile. Her terror had been delicious, and seeing hope die in her eyes made him so fucking hard.

He sighed as his years of getting a stiffy were long over.

A sudden chill ran down his spine as a blast of wintery wind gusted through his room.

Confused, he twisted in his chair to look toward the window. The floor lamp next to his chair wasn't lighting up that side of the room, so all he saw was a tall, broad-shouldered man standing next to the closed window.

"Who the fuck are you?" he snapped as the icy chill remained in his spine.

Now, it was fear.

The brute moved forward quickly, and a huge fist slammed into Marion's nose, rocking him backward to fall completely out of his chair. Stars filled his vision, and the terrible pain centered on his crushed nose. He couldn't breathe through it and had to resort to gasping for air through his mouth.

Fists grabbed the front of his dressing robe and effortlessly lifted him from the ground to slam him onto his bed. Strong hands gripped his arms and zip-tied his wrists to the headboard above his head. Next, his ankles were spread open and tied to the footboard.

Marion sucked in a breath to scream for help, and a gag was forced into his mouth. His eyes flew wide as this made it harder to breathe!

He was doing something to his headboard, and when he pulled back, Marion saw a knife in his big hand.

He tried to get a look at his assailant's face. He was wearing a ski mask, so only the man's eyes were visible. They were cold and emotionless. For all the violence he'd inflicted, there was no sign of the expected rage-filled expression. Marion felt his bladder release a little as he was looking at death itself.

Reissman! It had to be the judge who sent this assassin to ensure he didn't talk at the trial.

When the brute pulled a syringe from inside his jacket and jabbed it into one of the many needle marks on his arm, Marion sucked in a quick breath before his eyes rolled back.

Liquid fire and ground glass crawled through his veins and up his arm. By the time it reached his shoulder, his body was jolting and thrashing as it tried to escape the excruciating agony.

He wanted to scream, but he couldn't as his muscles locked up. He soiled himself, and still the agony spread through his body.

He had a brief respite as another chilling blast of air rushed across his burning limbs, then he was consumed by the internal inferno as it reached his brain.

Marion Spencer tasted the flames of hell before he left this mortal plane.

Chapter 52

Nguyêt woke as she heard a gentle sigh.

She blinked her eyes open to take in the unfamiliar room and the enormous bed she was lying in the center of. She glanced left and right, seeing the sleeping faces of Tina and Lucy.

Memories of the night before rushed through her mind.

She thought it was amusing that these memories began with being in Ben's arms as he hugged her and told her to enjoy herself.

A smile tugged at her lips as it had been a cheeky thing to say, but she knew he'd meant it in the most way. She didn't doubt for a second that he loved the two women she was currently between. She also knew they were completely in love with him--and with each other. There was an overwhelming sense of love and compassion in this home. It made her heart ache, as she wished she were part of it.

Her childhood home life rarely exposed her to such feelings. Youngest of eight children, she was an afterthought, a mistake her parents had no time for. If it weren't for two of her older sisters who chose to take over the role of parent, she wouldn't have known what love was at all.

As she was often overlooked, she honed that ability and learned other complementary skills. She would have become a master criminal except for the moral guidance from her sisters once more. But when they left the household and moved overseas to start their own families, Moon found she'd become invisible once more.

Her decision to take a job with the CIA severed the remaining ties she had with her family. Her relationship with Russo had been exciting and completely new territory for her, but she knew Russo never completely exposed her heart and hid behind countless lies. That was no way to build or maintain a relationship.

Tina and Lucy were a breath of fresh air. Their hearts were laid bare, completely open to her. It had been a little overwhelming at first.

She recalled their expressions when they heard Ben was being summoned to Washington. Moon knew they were disappointed, but they refused to let Ben see this on their faces. As he'd endured so much recently, they wouldn't add to his stress. They demonstrated their love for him as they eased his way toward his next challenge. Witnessing that instance of unified and selfless action took Moon's breath away.

Once Ben and the guests had left, Tina and Lucy turned to tidying up after dinner with Moon's willing assistance. Then the two ladies got their children all settled into bed while she relaxed in the living room.

The home was quiet as the ladies returned. Tina sat next to their guest on the couch and took Nguyêt's hand between hers.

She smiled at Moon, who was peeking at her through her hair with a nervous smile on her lips.

"Thank you again for your efforts in helping Ben on the yacht," Tina said sincerely. "Ben mentioned you enlisted the aid of others to help as well."

Moon dipped her face. "It wasn't completely selfless. I was praying he would save us from Kaan and his men. I didn't know how he would do it, but our circumstances were so desperate, I took a chance. I didn't know he was such a highly trained fighter."

Lucy grinned. "Ben has been training with Liliya, Evelyn, and Trish, but that just began recently. While they're all expert level, Ben says he's an intermediate on his best day. He's just stronger and faster than most."

Nguyêt's eyes moved between the faces of the two beauties to gauge if they were teasing. She only saw open expressions of pride.

"Do you have someone in your life?" Tina asked.

The question caught her by surprise, and she shook her head before the image of Stephanie Russo's face appeared in her mind. She paused, then shook it again.

"Who was that for?" Tina asked.

Nguyêt looked into Tina's perceptive eyes and saw she wasn't judging. "I was in a relationship with Stephanie Russo, but it ended after the mission prior to our going after Sadik. Stephanie couldn't fully trust anyone, and I realized that while I was working as a spy, having a serious relationship would be impossible. She wasn't happy about my decision to call it off."

Lucy stared at her. "She kidnapped Ben to save you. She obviously still has feelings for you." She shook her head. "Don't get me wrong. I hate what she did, but I can understand her motivation."

Moon gave Lucy a sweet smile but tipped her head down. "I'm grateful Ben rescued me and gave me a new and better future, but I would have stopped Stephanie if I could have. She put his life at risk for a group of strangers. I can't forgive her for that."

Tina nodded, and Lucy watched this before settling herself.

Moon watched the interplay between the two women and recalled how they were with Ben. He was the dominant member of their relationship, but she got the impression that Tina fulfilled this role for Lucy when Ben wasn't present.

Tina was watching her face and smiled at her expression of concentration.

"You are submissive like us?" she asked Moon.

After a moment of surprise, she smiled shyly. "I think I may be. I've only been in one serious relationship before. Russo was very dominant... and it felt... right. I haven't had good experiences with men, but I enjoyed Ben's hug. He is so strong yet gentle--"

"Until you don't want him to be!" Lucy chuckled as her face lit up with a thrilled grin.

Tina smiled gently, but her eyes twinkled as well. "Ben is a most excellent Dom, but I was his first, and he wasn't sure if he could be what I needed. I had faith, and he discovered that strength within himself. Lucy joined us in Paris, and she showed me I could be what she needed."

She shared a look with Lucy, and Moon saw something silent but meaningful pass between them.

Tina turned her face back to Moon. "We would like you to stay with us tonight. We cannot make promises for Ben as he is already in many relationships, but Lucy and I would very much like to get to know you better."

Nguyêt gazed into their eyes and saw their honest interest and excitement. She thought they were both beautiful, but what she found even more exciting was how in tune they were with each other. They were so much in love! She yearned for such a relationship. Nguyêt nodded. "I-I would like that very much." She felt the heat on her face as she saw their smiles grow.

Tina stood, as did Lucy, and they turned to help her to her feet.

Smiling, she took their hands in hers and let them lead her to the bedroom.

Once they entered, Tina led Moon next to the bed as Lucy closed the door.

Tina gently took Moon's face between her hands and kissed her lips tenderly.

A second pair of lips touched the side of her neck, and sparks jumped between the kisses. Lucy's hands landed on her waist, then slid under her top, her fingertips trailing across the sensitive skin of her stomach.

As Tina was still kissing her sweetly, Moon's mind was overwhelmed by the tender kisses and the sensual bliss of Lucy's touch.

Lucy worked her kisses around the back of Moon's neck as her hands kept busy, touching, tugging, and stroking, drawing coos and sighs from the petite woman.

Tina gently tugged the bottom hem of her blouse upwards as Lucy slid her hands down the outside of Moon's thighs until she was suddenly naked before them. Their eyes drank in her beauty, and Moon was pulled into a kiss with both of them.

When she pulled back, she was surprised to see they were now naked as well. It felt like magic!

Tina guided Moon onto the bed and laid her back in the middle before stretching out along her left side. She captured Moon's mouth for a deeper kiss, her tongue skillfully caressing Moon's.

When Lucy's lips began caressing her right hip bone, it shocked a gasp from Moon, and she sucked on Tina's tongue almost feverishly. Lucy slowed the kiss once more and maintained her sensual pace.

A delicate hand cupped Moon's breast and gently tugged on her nipple as Lucy's clever tongue and lips found their way from the hipbone to the cleanly shaved mound between Moon's trembling legs.

Moon was whimpering with need as Lucy's fingers gently parted her lower lips, and her tongue became much more demanding.

"MMmmm! Ahhh!" Moon cried out as she pulled back from Tina's mouth, which moved to Moon's free nipple.

"Oh my God!" Moon gasped as Lucy's talented mouth brought her to a state of bliss faster than she expected. Tina's caresses, squeezes, and tugs on Moon's stiff nipples were the final element that pushed her over the top.

"AAAAhhhhhhhhhh!" Moons cried out as waves of bliss crashed through her nerves.

When she finally came down from Heaven, she opened her eyes and saw Tina kneeling on the bed next to her with a sexy smile on her face. Lucy was right behind her with a hungry expression on hers.

Moon licked her lips in anticipation as Tina swung her leg over her and positioned herself over Moon's face.

Then she felt Lucy's legs sliding across hers as she pressed her hot pussy against Moon's wet lower lips.

The bliss she felt next was like nothing she'd ever experienced, and Russo was no beginner.

The difference was, these ladies wanted all of her, including her heart.

A tingle ran down Nguyêt's spine, returning her to the present. She turned her head again and saw Tina watching her with a little smile on her lips.

She looked at Lucy and saw that she was awake as well, grinning at her.

"Good morning!" Moon said.

"Good morning!" they returned in unison.

"Would you care to join us in the shower?" Tina asked, and Moon's eyes widened with delight. She nodded her head, not trusting herself to speak.

Could this get any better?

-=-

Zama woke and stretched, yawning. She was feeling quite lazy this morning, so she knew she had to get up and work out that laziness. After she slipped from under the cozy blankets, she made her bed. This was one of the first skills she learned. Keeping her room tidy was expected, as there were no maids in this home. Everyone did their part!

She glanced around and saw that the room was neat and clean, so she moved on to her next task.

Zama did her exercise routine vigorously until she felt her blood pumping and was gasping for air. A quick shower, and she slipped on the outfit she'd refreshed with Trish's washer and dryer when she got home last night.

She was thrilled to go shopping for new clothes with the twins and Moon today. She could afford to buy her own clothes, but Ben had insisted on paying for them.

She smiled to herself as she recalled Ben's warm hug and his kiss last night. Tingles rushed through her body as she recalled the sensations. His large body matched hers so well!

Leaving her bedroom, she saw that the door to Trish's gym was open, and she heard the sounds of someone working out. She peeked inside and saw that Trish was practicing with two fighting sticks. It was thrilling to see her spin and thrust the weapons with such precision.

Trish came out of the zone and smiled at Zama as she caught her breath. "Did they train you how to fight at the palace?"

Zama shook her head with a grin. "Princesses are forbidden to do anything like that! My father would have me beaten if he heard I was acting like a soldier!"

Trish made a rude sound.

A sly smile appeared on Zama's lips. "That said, I used to watch the soldiers on the parade ground from my bedroom window as they drilled with their weapons. I particularly enjoyed watching them spin, strike, and jab with their tall fighting staffs. I didn't have one of these, but I was able to get my hands on a broom handle. I'd use this and match their movements until I was synchronized with them. I was obviously not as dangerous as they were--"

"Don't knock broomsticks as a deadly weapon. I know from firsthand experience how good a weapon it can be," Trish said with a nod.

Zama's eyes widened. "You have used these skills in actual combat?"

Trish nodded. "Yeah, I've gotten into a few scraps. It's far more intense than practicing or sparring. When you know your opponent wants you dead, there's no room for doubt or mistakes."

The redhead eyed Zama, then gestured for her to enter the gym. She turned and walked to the side of the room, returning with a fighting staff. She tossed it to Zama.

Catching the weapon in one hand, she immediately noticed the difference from a broom handle.

"It's heavier than my old broom handle. Stiffer, too!" Zama noted.

"Try the movements you learned, but do them slowly. Get a feel for how the extra weight makes a difference in the balance and effort," Trish said.

Zama nodded as she concentrated on the feel of the staff in her hand. She began with very slow sweeps forward and back, recalling how it felt with the broom handle. She preferred the fighting stick because it felt far more solid. It was also more difficult to control, but she just concentrated harder.

Gradually, she accelerated her movements as she went through the program the soldiers had drilled.

She was getting tired and making a mistake with a staff this heavy would be bad, so she slowed to a stop and smiled shyly at Trish.

The woman was grinning at her. "Damn! That was pretty good! I noticed a few areas where you could improve your control over the weapon, but you have a solid foundation to build upon. If you'd like, I could train you."

Zama was breathing hard from the effort. "I would like that very much!"

"You need gym clothes--"

Zama nodded. "Lisa and Lori are taking Moon and me to get clothes tonight."

"Excellent! Make sure they know you need workout clothes, too," Trish said.

"I will!"

Trish nodded. "I've got to start my day, so I'll talk to you later."

Zama grinned at the happy redhead, who nodded and rushed upstairs.

Putting the fighting staff away, she smiled and went upstairs as well. Her tummy was rumbling for food, and breakfast wasn't going to be made by the palace chef or served by palace servants.

She was getting better at cooking, and this meal was one she felt comfortable making.

One day, she hoped to make it for Ben!

Chapter 53

Ben leaned back in his chair, his expression stern, and ran through his breathing exercises to calm himself. While the glacier-paced administrative proceeding made it feel like he'd been in this room for ages, this was just day two, and nothing was being achieved outside of letting these blowhards grandstand and posture before the press' cameras in the committee meeting room.

Currently, the congressman from Kentucky was focusing his bleary glare at Liliya, who listened to the grey-haired curmudgeon with an attentive expression.

"Is it not true that you worked for the Russian government as an assassin, just as this... Tatiana Pushkin did?" he spat.

"Yes. We worked under the control of Colonel Vasiliev."

"This is the same colonel that Pushkin mentioned in her little movie on the Internet? The colonel you murdered?" he snapped.

She smiled at him, and Ben saw the man's expression freeze, dazzled by Liliya's charm. "I killed him, yes. He was a very bad man who ordered his team of assassins to kill many people. Killing him was a good thing, yes?" she asked with a sweet smile.

The congressman's lips trembled as he struggled for a way to respond that didn't make him sound weak. He'd lost focus, and Liliya's beauty was defeating him. Flustered, he thumped back in his seat, granting Florida Congresswoman Francis Denata her turn to speak.

"General Davis, how can you justify the expenditure of directing one of our aircraft carriers to rescue one man, Mr. Shepherd?" she asked with a sneering tone.

The General glanced at Ben and saw he was reaching his limit. He sighed, then turned back to the congresswoman. "I can answer that by asking you, how much value do you place on the lives of our soldiers who face danger every day while protecting our country and people. I can honestly say that in the short time I've worked with him, Mr. Shepherd has done more to protect them than any of you. Between ensuring their weapons no longer jam from overheating, reducing their load with new, strong, and lightweight backpacks, and inventing body armor that shows exceptional promise in protecting them from harm far better than anything we currently have, Ben has established his reputation as a brilliant engineer. This one man has more potential value than most in this room."

That elicited deep frowns from the politicians on the raised podium.

Ben was done. He'd been here for two days, and he'd not been asked one question. It was like they were purposefully ignoring him.

He reached forward and tapped his mic, which sent loud thumps through the speakers. When he had everyone's attention, he leaned closer. "Just confirming my microphone is working. I thought maybe I wasn't being asked questions because you thought my mic was dead." More uncomfortable scowls from the front table. "Listen, why is no one addressing the greatest benefit of General Davis' actions?"

"Your rescue--" Denata began.

"No, dammit! The children!" he shouted in frustration. "Twenty-six innocent children won't be forced into the sex trade! That's far more significant than my rescue. For that matter, recovering the anti-aircraft missiles is more significant, and preventing the drugs they confiscated from reaching the streets is more important. Kaan Sadik was a monster of epic proportions. He was an arms dealer, a drug dealer, and worse, a human trafficker. I was told many governments were after him, but he continued to slip through everyone's fingers. Some of those fingers took bribes to look the other way. Now there's information available to hunt down his entire network. If people dare to step up and hold the guilty bastards accountable for their actions, we may see actual justice and a reduction of corrupt officials!"

He shook his head in confusion. "I don't get why you're wasting our time here. The mission of the Truman's crew is to protect our interests. They accomplished that brilliantly because General Davis and the CIA placed them at the right place and the right time to intercept Sadik's ship. Isn't that how it's supposed to work? Take out the bad guys, rescue the innocent, make the world a safer place?"

"You say take out the bad guys like it's some game. It's my understanding that Kaan Sadik is no longer alive, nor are any of his crew, the ones responsible for these criminal activities. It's also my understanding you were the one who killed them," the fellow from Kentucky insisted belligerently.

"Have you ever been in a kill-or-be-killed situation, sir?" Ben asked him bluntly, locking eyes with the man.

The congressman's lips trembled indignantly once more, and Ben shook his head in disgust. "You haven't. Feel free to judge me after you've experienced it yourself."

"Are you in the military?" Denata chirped.

Ben gave her a weary look. "No, I'm a mechanical engineer. I've never served in the military. I do some engineering projects for them."

"How did you manage to take control of the ship if you haven't had any military training?" the Florida congresswoman asked.

Ben scowled at the woman. "I never said I had no training. If it wasn't for the sparring I did with Sergeant Killcade and my security expert, Liliya Sokolov, and my neighbor, Trish Campbell, I wouldn't have survived. They trained me very diligently, at times brutally, and I thank them for it."

A small white-haired gentleman in a grey suit raised a question. "Congressman Travis Pike from Texas. Mr. Shepherd, as you seem willing to answer questions, in this deal you worked out with General Davis for your engineering wizardry, why did you make it a requirement of General Davis to assign you two known murderers as your personal security instead of properly sending them to prison for life?"

Ben looked into the politician's passionless eyes and knew there was nothing he could say that would change their calcified opinions. Still, he couldn't leave the question unanswered, so he spoke to the others, ignoring the small-minded man.

"Everyone deserves a second chance. Free from the colonel's control, Tatiana and Liliya were finally able to choose a life that didn't require them to kill. Tatiana discovered too late that she no longer knew how to live that way. Giving her that second chance almost killed me, but I don't regret trying. Liliya was stronger than Tatiana. She was able to separate who she was from what she was forced to do. It didn't define her. She's a good person and a great mother. She deserves this second chance."

When the assembled congresspeople began to protest, the General spoke up.

"Ben initially rejected the idea of working with the army as he didn't want to be involved in creating weapons, and I assured him we wouldn't ask him to. However, the Russians believed he was already making weapons and had already made attempts on his life. I argued he was still at risk from them and could use our assistance in protecting his family. The only request he made was to allow these two women to work as his bodyguards. It should be noted that the CIA wanted them kept out of jail for their own purposes. Having them under house arrest when not accompanying Ben on his outings was working until Ms. Pushkin's mental stability failed. That wasn't Ben's fault. It wasn't our fault. It was the programming she received from Colonel Vasiliev. She finally recognized that after she attacked Ben. This ultimately led her to return to her masters, to inflict her vengeance upon them, using a plan Vasiliev himself devised should his masters turn on him."

He looked each member of this committee in the eye. "Not. Our. Fault."

When they still looked like they were going to argue, he held up his hands for quiet.

"We've been at this for two days, and aside from everyone publicly expressing their dismay regarding the unfortunate events that transpired in Moscow, I have yet to hear any issues that need to be addressed. We all have lives we need to get back to, so if there is nothing else, we're done here," Davis said firmly.

Travis wasn't finished. "General Davis, now that Ms. Pushkin has clearly demonstrated the lack of control you had over her, I believe I speak for the others when I say we must re-evaluate the deal you made with Mr. Shepherd regarding Ms. Sokolov's freedom. She must be punished for the crimes she committed."

Davis gave the Texas congressman a baleful look and took a deep breath. "You'll need to take that up with the President, as he's signed an executive order granting Ms. Sokolov a pardon conditional on her following the terms of her deal." Travis' smug smile dropped away, and he looked like he'd swallowed his tongue.

"Why is this the first we're hearing of this?" Denata demanded.

Davis gave the woman a weary glance. "Perhaps your attention was focused on someone else's business at the time. The President signed the order two days ago after he conferred with and received agreement from the Supreme Court." He cast his gaze across the surprised and outraged expressions. "Is there anything else?"

None had anything to add after the General's bombshell announcement cut off their final vengeful act.

The congressional hearing ended with a fizzle, and Ben pushed himself to his feet and shook the General's hand. Liliya hugged him, and Evelyn saluted him with a proud smile.

"Can we go home now?" Ben asked.

General Davis smiled. "Yes, Ben. Go home and hug your family."

Ben nodded and followed Evelyn and Liliya out of the room as quickly as they could without looking like they were fleeing. The General had business elsewhere in the building.

Once they were outside, Ben checked his messages and saw he'd missed a call from Walter. "I have to make a quick call," he said to the ladies, then moved to a quieter spot on the steps. He dialed, and Walter picked up on the third ring.

"Hi Ben! You're done in Washington?" the lawyer asked with a smile in his voice.

"Hey, Walter. Yeah, we've been sprung by the General. What an enormous waste of time!" Ben grumbled.

"Sorry to hear that, but I'm glad you're free. I called earlier to say that you have a new fan club in Düsseldorf, Germany," Walter said.

Ben paused as he didn't connect the dots. "Düsseldorf?"

"I spoke with the owners of the business that Ulrich Huber embezzled. I let them know what you're going to do for them. They were very happy to say the least. You have a standing invitation to visit. They're contacting their employees to let them know their pensions are intact and they'll have their jobs back shortly," Walter explained.

"That's wonderful! Thanks, Walter!" Ben smiled.

"I really enjoy making calls like that," Walter agreed. "The company, Brickmann GmbH, makes construction materials. From what I've read about the company, it sounds like there could be some engineering puzzles available for you if you're interested. They're an older company trying to compete with the newer generation, and while they have an excellent reputation, they might benefit from a little engineering review."

Ben's grin widened as this piqued his interest. "That does sound interesting!"

Walter chuckled. "Should I tell them you'll take them up on their offer of a visit?"

Ben snorted. "Let me have a week at home first. I miss my family."

"Of course! Let me know when and I'll give them a call," the lawyer said.

"Thanks, Walter. I'll speak to you soon." Ben hung up and smiled at Evelyn and Liliya. "Let's go home."

Before he headed down the stairs, Ben caught motion in the corner of his eye and looked up the stairs to a man standing by one of the pillars. He stopped as recognition sank in, and the man nodded to him. Ben looked to Liliya and gestured for her and Evelyn to wait a moment. They wanted to follow, but he held their eyes for a moment with a brief shake of his head, and they stepped back.

Ben climbed back up the stairs and stepped behind a pillar, where the man was waiting for him.

The last time they'd met was in a hospital in LA.

"Hello, Hal."

That earned him a smile. "Hello, Ben."

"I'm glad to see you up and about," Ben said.

Hal nodded. "Yes, I healed up well. I see you did, too."

Ben just nodded, and Hal glanced around, confirming they were alone and out of sight of any security cameras. Ben's eyebrows rose.

"When I heard you were here, I felt the need to speak to you," Hal began. Seeing Ben was listening, he continued. "What I'm about to tell you must remain between us. Can you do that?"

Ben looked into Hal's eyes and saw he honestly needed to share something. "Yes. Just between us."

Hal nodded and took a breath. "I was in Moscow. Assigned to end Tatiana Pushkin before she could be sent out against American assets again."

Ben's chest tightened, and Hal stopped, seeing his discomfort. Ben shook his head. "No, it's all right. I knew that was going to happen... had to happen. I just... wasn't expecting it to be you."

Hal nodded and scanned their location once more. "I saw her taken into Sergey Zhdankov's office. He was Colonel Vasiliev's replacement. The one who would be sending her out in the field again to kill."

Ben watched Hal, who seemed... uncomfortable.

"I knew she'd let herself get caught, but I didn't know why. I didn't know what she had planned." Hal locked eyes with Ben. "I didn't kill her. I was supposed to, and I could have, but I didn't. I killed Zhdankov and his guards instead, and she would have known it was me. I think... I think I was trying to give her the option to escape."

Ben's emotional equilibrium took a hit as he heard proof of Tatiana's state of mind at the end. She knew she wouldn't be leaving the building alive. She didn't believe she could be saved. His throat tightened, and he fought for control as Tatiana's face from her video returned to him.

When he could speak again, he looked into Hal's concerned eyes and gave the man a small nod and a stiff smile. "Thank you, Hal. As painful as it was to hear, I'm grateful you told me." Ben frowned in confusion. "But I'm not clear on why you did."

Hal smiled faintly. "I didn't do what I did with any expectations. It was as I described. I want you to know that." Ben nodded, so Hal continued. "My career doesn't lend itself to longevity. Before, that didn't matter, but now I have Sam. I love her more than I thought I could. I worry about what will happen to her if something were to happen to me. You and your friends got along so well with Sam that night in Las Vegas. I was hoping you might consider looking after her, being her friend, should I not make it home one day."

Ben looked at him in concern. "Have you considered retiring?"

Hal smiled sadly. "That's not an option for me." He held up his hand as he saw Ben's sense of justice flare up. "I can't explain why. Please don't ask me to. I can't leave my job. Ever."

Ben watched Hal and finally nodded. He didn't understand, but Hal had been straight with him, so he'd take him at his word. He considered the request and realized how traumatic it might be for Sam. There might be a way to ease that transition. "When the weather gets better, come visit my family and me with Sam. Let her get comfortable with everyone. Please make plans to visit periodically so she feels like she's part of the group. That will help, should something happen, as you say it might. Make sure someone notifies me. She'd be welcome with us."

Hal relaxed, and he smiled gratefully as he shook Ben's hand. "Thank you. We'll visit when it gets warmer."

"Good. I look forward to it," Ben said.

Before he left, Hal paused, then looked at Ben. "I heard you faced off against Kaan Sadik. I asked my handler some time ago if they would send me after him, but it never happened."

Ben frowned. "I wish they had. Removing that monster earlier would have saved many lives and protected many children. When I got the chance, I ended that bastard's life with a fire axe... but I took my time."

Hal nodded to him, but Ben got the oddest impression he wasn't seeing Hal in those cold, dispassionate eyes.

"Ben?" Liliya called out. Ben leaned out from behind the pillar.

"I'll be there in a moment," he said and turned back to Hal, but the man was gone. A noisy group of students was climbing down the steps, so Ben waited for them to pass, then walked down to join Evelyn and Liliya, who watched him curiously. His sadness over Tatiana's decision returned, but he knew he had to let that go.

"Are you okay?" Liliya asked.

"Yes, I just needed a minute," he said, and she nodded.

They were going home.

Chapter 54

After their light lunch, Chanel reviewed her calendar for the opening of the first Shepherd Foundation and was pleased to see that she was ahead of schedule on her deliverables. When she'd left the police, she'd been concerned that her career change would leave her unfulfilled. She was delighted to discover she was fitting into her new role easily and looked forward to the challenges each day presented. She was able to fall back on many of the skills she'd developed as a detective, and as her senior officers' egos no longer constrained her, she had significantly more freedom.

It didn't hurt that she had a beautiful blonde massaging her feet as she did her homework.

She smiled at Catherine, and the woman smiled back.

The sharp knock on the door made her instantly alert, and she slipped from the couch to pad over to the door to peer through the peephole. She immediately relaxed and lifted a hand to calm Cat, who'd remained on the sofa.

Chanel opened the door and gestured for the two men to enter, then closed it behind her.

"Barton. Krispin," she said in greeting.

The two police detectives seemed a little uncomfortable as they nodded to her.

"We've been assigned to look into the murder of Marion Spencer," Barton said bluntly.

Chanel's eyebrows rose. "He's dead? When did that happen?"

Krispin's discomfort increased. "The night of the twenty-first. Listen. We need to ask you about the case file."

Chanel looked at him curiously as she waited.

"Where is it?" Krispin finally asked.

"What?" Chanel blurted in shock.

Now, both detectives were scowling. "We requested it from the records department, and the docket wasn't in records storage."

"I handed in all my case dockets when I left. Wojcik signed off for them in the records department! You can confirm the docket IDs from his inventory document. Maybe someone signed the docket out after I left? The captain was particularly interested in seeing the case closed. Talk to him," Chanel suggested. She paused when she saw their expressions. "You've already confirmed all this."

They nodded.

Chanel shook her head. "I made no copies and never took files home, so unless you can find the docket or whoever took it, you'll have to start from scratch." She saw their frustration and felt a wave of relief pass over her as she suddenly realized their disorganized mess was no longer her problem. "It was signed in, so between that time and now, someone removed it from the records department. Start your hunt there."

The two men shared a look, then nodded to her and stepped back outside as she closed the door behind them.

Chanel watched them walk down the driveway and head towards Ben's house.

Cat hugged her from behind as she watched them, too. "Should we warn Ben?"

Chanel snorted softly. "No. He'll send them on their way quickly enough."

She turned in the blonde's arms and kissed her tenderly. Cat's eyes flashed happily, and Chanel relaxed with a contented sigh. "I no longer care about their mess. I have better things to focus my energies on right here."

"Focus away!" Catherine said with a grin.

Chanel took her hand and tugged her up the stairs toward the bedroom. They needed a better location to focus those energies properly, and Cat grinned excitedly all the way.

-=-

The knock against Ben's front door had an aggressive tone.

He raised an eyebrow at Tina and Lucy, sitting on the sofa across from him. He raised his hand to prevent them from answering it as he stood to go himself. Liliya reached the door before him and quickly glanced through the peephole, evaluating the men waiting outside. She stepped back from the door and nodded to Ben as he moved to take a look.

He saw two men in heavy coats standing there, their faces scowling. He spotted Evelyn running over to confront them, so he timed his opening of the door to match her arrival.

The men took in her military garb, and the large man standing in the doorway. They seemed indecisive about which way to look.

"Yes?" Ben said stiffly.

They glanced at each other, then one turned to face Ben. "Detectives Barton and Krispin. We need to speak to you regarding a case we're working on."

Ben frowned. "You couldn't have just called me on the phone?"

"This needs to be in person," Barton insisted.

"Badges? Gently. We've had enough drama in this neighborhood," Ben insisted as he locked eyes with the men.

They froze as they glanced at Evelyn, her hand's proximity to her weapon, and the icy cool in her gaze. The two men slowly pulled out their badges, and Ben nodded once he'd reviewed them.

"Come inside. You too, Sergeant," Ben said and stepped back.

Ben stood with his arms crossed before the entrance to the living room with Liliya at his back as the detectives stood between him and Evelyn.

"Can you tell us your whereabouts on the evening of the twenty-first, from eight PM until five AM the following morning?" Barton asked bluntly.

Ben thought for a moment, then nodded. "I was flying to Washington, DC, aboard an Air Force transport plane from Fort Kortridge Air Base. I flew with the Sergeant and my personal security agent, Liliya Sokolov," he replied, gesturing to the two women.

"Take off was at nineteen-forty-eight," Evelyn confirmed.

"What's this about?" Ben asked.

"Do you know a Marion Spencer?" Detective Krispin asked.

Ben frowned. "I know of him. He was one of twelve people who once owned fourteen Ashburn Court. It's my understanding he and his group were involved in the murders of young women in that house."

"None of that has been proven in a court of law," Krispin said tersely.

"So, arrest them and put them on trial," Ben insisted.

"The only individual charged, Marion Spencer, has been murdered," Barton said. "Evidence at the scene indicates he was tortured then killed, and the assailant was a large man who wore boots similar in size to yours."

Ben stared at them and waited, but they were finished. "That's it? A large man?"

"Ben was on a plane during the time interval you mentioned. You'll need to find another large man to question," Evelyn stated with a frown.

Detective Barton wasn't finished. "We also have evidence that you obtained a list of the twelve names linked to the purchase of the property."

"Legally, and?" Ben asked.

The detective fixed his eyes on Ben. "It is no secret that you are a man of significant means. Means that would enable you to make this happen. There is also your reputation for taking the law into your own hands."

"That reputation is based on incidents of self-defence or the protection of others. Otherwise, no. I won't cry any tears over the death of Marion Spencer, but I had nothing to do with it. I have the list of names that needs to exist and not be forgotten, but I've done nothing with it and have no plans to. Good luck with your investigation, gentlemen. If you have any further questions, please direct them to my lawyer, Walter Greyson. Good night," he said with a finality that clearly indicated the interview was over.

The two detectives shared a look, then left through the door Evelyn held open for them.

When she closed and locked the door, she turned to look at Ben with wide eyes. "Who killed Marion Spencer?"

Ben frowned. "Did someone silence him?" He pulled his cell out and followed Liliya back into the living room with Evelyn at his back. He dialed Walter and put his phone on speaker.

"Good evening, Ben!"

"Hi, Walter! I have you on speaker and have Evelyn, Liliya, Tina, and Lucy with me. Is that okay?" he asked.

"Sure. What's up?"

"I just wanted to inform you that I've had a visit from two local police detectives, Barton and Krispin. Apparently, Marion Spencer has been murdered, and the evidence indicates it was done by a man wearing large boots. This incident occurred while I was on a plane flying to Washington, D.C. As that line of questioning failed, they mentioned that they knew I had the list of the twelve previous owners of fourteen Ashburn Court. They accused me rather blatantly of paying someone to take Marion out. As I've done nothing with the list, I told them this and sent them on their way."

"Who would kill Marion Spencer?" Walter said aloud.

"We were wondering the same thing," Ben sighed. "It might have been one of the twelve. They certainly have reason to silence him. Unfortunately, the detectives seem to be focusing their efforts on me."

"If they give you any more trouble, please direct them to speak to me," Walter said.

"Thanks, Walter!"

Ben hung up and paused as a thought went through his mind. He glanced at Evelyn. "I don't know how these things are arranged, but could this have possibly been a contracted hit from a covert operative?"

Evelyn stared at him in surprise, then blinked as the same thought popped into her mind. "You think this might have been someone like Demmon?"

Ben frowned as he shook his head uncertainly. "I don't want to believe he was involved, and it doesn't make sense to me for him to have been ordered to do it, but it is the kind of thing he does, yes? There are likely others."

Evelyn gave him a doubtful expression. "Yes, he could have, but I agree that it's extremely unlikely he was involved in this. I'll call the General to see if there might have been a contract."

Ben nodded. "Thank you."

"These detectives don't seem very good at their job," Lucy said with a frown.

Ben snorted softly in amusement and pulled Lucy against his side in a one-armed hug. "No, I agree. I can see why Chanel wasn't too sad to retire from the force if this is the caliber of her colleagues."

A soft crash of building blocks falling was followed by tears.

Liliya looked back as that was Rose. Gretchen started as well, as she quickly picked up on the emotions of others.

"Time to deal with another kind of crisis," Lucy said with a smile as the adults went to see what the kids had gotten up to.

Ben smiled as this was the extent of the trouble he wanted today.

-=-

A big man entered the dumpy rental he'd booked for three months and stripped off his outerwear. He was tired from a day of driving the little sidewalk plow, but it was decent money and paid for this bachelor palace, but little else.

He had minimal needs as the trappings of wealth held no appeal for him. He preferred his freedom with the ability to pick up and go at any moment, with nothing to hold him down.

All he needed was his mission. There were bad people out there who needed to be hunted and killed.

Recently, he'd crossed the country to get close to his next potential target, and he'd done his due diligence to confirm the presence of evil in the man. It was his opinion that anyone who presented such a righteous image was hiding a core riddled with rot and corruption.

A degenerate.

He wasn't sure if he was pleased or disappointed to be proven wrong in this instance, as for the first time, he personally knew his target.

Long ago, when he was just a tall but scrawny punk of fifteen years, he'd gone by the name Roy Weston. A name he'd since left behind.

At that time, he lived in a foster home run by Louis and Margarite LeParre with five other boys and four girls.

He knew Louis visited the girls at night, and he hated him for that.

But Roy was also deathly afraid of the man, as he had a violent temper.

The bastard's bitch-wife sexually abused Roy, which left him confused and feeling unclean. He needed to get back at them.

One day, he found a way.

The LeParres were doing renovations on the home, so he silently damaged the new baseboard heaters LeParre had just installed.

Unfortunately, Louis caught him when he was about to start on the last one. The bastard beat him, breaking his arm and punching him in the throat, which left Roy with damaged vocal cords.

The bitch took Roy to the hospital and told the doctor he'd been roughhousing with the other boys. Roy kept his mouth shut because he knew Louis would kill him if he didn't.

Later that night, as they waited in the hospital to be discharged, ambulances brought in the girls and one surviving boy.

The home had burned down.

Louis LeParre was dead with four boys, and Roy knew what caused the fire.

It was his fault, but he realized he didn't feel the slightest bit bad about it.

Louis needed to die. The boys were just... collateral damage.

That didn't mean he was going to stick around and take the blame.

Roy saw that the only remaining boy to survive was Ben, whose hands were bandaged, probably from when he'd saved the girls.

Fucking white knight.

Roy made his escape. He slipped out of the building and hitchhiked to the next town, where he found a job working at an auto body shop, keeping the place clean and learning skills from the mechanics. He was a large man who rarely spoke, his voice raspy and whisper-quiet. He did heavy labor in the shop, which helped build up his muscles.

The owner and his wife lived upstairs and let Roy sleep in a back room on the ground floor.

One night, he heard someone breaking into the upstairs apartment. As he quietly followed them, he saw there were three punks, and only one had a gun. Roy killed them with a crowbar.

Again, he felt no remorse for their deaths.

The owner was grateful he'd saved their lives, so he gave Roy cash, keys to his old truck, and their small cottage in Florida to hide out for a month. He gave him a map to find the place and told him to budget his money so he would have enough to return with.

Roy did as he was told and returned a month later to see the charred remains of the shop being bulldozed. There was no sign of the old couple. He found one of the mechanics at the man's favorite bar and got the story from him, as he was very drunk.

The three punks were just the first attempt to get the owner to sell his shop. Roy learned that one of the dead home invaders had been the nephew of a competitor two blocks over, who was jealous of his business and wanted the old man and his wife gone.

Just a week after the first break-in, a fire broke out in the garage and burned the place to the ground. The owner and his wife didn't escape the blaze. The fire marshal ruled that the fire was caused by negligence, specifically due to improperly stored stock and a faulty space heater left on in the back room.

Roy staked out the competitor's garage, observed his work patterns, and conducted research on the building's security system. Once he had a plan, he made his preparations and put it into effect.

He showed up at the shop just as the owner was closing. He knocked him unconscious and tied him up. After removing the security system's hard drives, he returned to the garage to find the man awake and in a state of panic. Then he put the man's car on the hoist in the garage and tied the man to the floor under it.

Puncturing the gas tank, he watched it soak the floor around the man who was screaming into his gag. He flipped the hoist's release control, and the car began to drop slowly. He'd left two lit candles on the floor where the lowering tires would knock them over.

As he walked to the exit, he fully opened the valves on the shop's three acetylene tanks.

He slipped outside and hustled over to the next street, where he climbed into his truck. An enormous boom rattled his vehicle and the nearby houses. Lights began to come on, so he drove away. In his mirror, he saw a fireball rising into the sky.

Roy returned to the cottage in Florida and got a job at another mom-and-pop garage. He worked hard and kept a lookout for the police, but they never came for him.

Watching the news at night, Roy began to realize there were a lot of bad people out there who weren't receiving the punishment they deserved. He could do something about that. If he was extremely careful and meticulous with his preparations and exit strategies, he could eliminate a significant number of these degenerates.

He began his work in Florida, where he refined his research process for identifying targets and perfected his hunting and exit techniques. After a few years of successful hunts, he headed to Texas, then Colorado, California, Oklahoma, Michigan, West Virginia, and New York.

One day, as he was leaving the site where he buried a child molester, he heard a story on the radio about Ben Shepherd. A rags-to-riches tale of a man who was making a difference in the world. His Shepherd Foundation would help young people rise above poverty and find their place.

He decided to drop in on an old friend. He'd heard too many of these philanthropy stories, which hid a rotten core of abuse. He'd find out for himself if it was true.

After he moved to Ben's locale, his careful examination of the man's life brought the frustrating conclusion that Ben wasn't like the degenerates Roy hunted down. While Ben had killed people, they were the same kind of monsters Roy hunted.

For the first time in Roy's life, he experienced an affinity for another human being. They were both hunters, but they had a key difference. Ben hid his nature behind his virtuous armor. Roy was free to act on his need to kill.

Roy was well-versed in becoming one of the invisible people in the background. He took a job as a night cleaner, joining the crew that worked at the local police precinct where one of Ben's bitches was employed. He learned the locations of the security cameras and, more importantly, how to disable them. After bitch-cop left the force, Roy took the necessary steps to get access to her case files in the storage room. He stole a docket referencing an address in Ben's neighborhood. He struck gold as it was a list of names.

These were degenerates Ben helped uncover. His righteous hands were tied, but Roy's weren't.

The first target was the simplest to deal with. The man was an invalid. He was also the one the police would target, so Roy had to reach him first.

It had been deeply satisfying to see him twist in agony, tied to his bed.

Roy found it equally satisfying to do what Ben couldn't. This was a different kind of pleasure he'd never experienced before.

Ben was such a fuckin' hypocrite!

Going back to the list, he saw many of them were local. That presented extra danger for Roy, who'd left the vicinity after striking on previous hunts.

Then he saw that one was a bitch who owned an equestrian center a few miles outside the city.

She had to be next. He recalled that Margarite LeParre loved horses and treated them with more care than the kids she and Louis kept under their roof.

Her screams, as he gutted her, had been delicious.

Pulling his mind from that sloppy effort, he focused on his plans for his next victim.

Her death would be no less brutal, but Roy was far better at killing now.

Chapter 55

Christmas in Ashburn Court was a pocket community affair. All the homes (except for the two in a state of destruction) were cheerfully lit up with Christmas lights. On the night of the twenty-fourth, everyone available bundled up and walked around the court to admire the decorations.

Even the Spa was festively lit, but the permanent, built-in lighting could also serve as floodlights for the property. Currently, they were twinkling in a festive red-and-green pattern.

Some families had their own Christmas Eve traditions, and after viewing the lights, they said their goodnights and returned home.

A large group gathered at Penny and Karen's place for refreshments and lively conversation. Catherine's girls were back, and Ben got hugs and kisses from Sophia, Rachel, and Megan.

Gabriella's, Trish's, Hannah's, and Ashley's kids immediately rushed downstairs to have a gaming tournament, which Rose and Christopher delighted in watching. Penny, Karen, Jayden, and Frank were also there to supervise and possibly join a game or two.

On the main floor, the adults traded stories of their childhood Christmas memories. Ben smiled and listened, but didn't add to the conversation, as his memories wouldn't enhance the warmth of the evening.

Walter was there with Daphne, snuggled up against his side on a couch. He'd noticed Ben was quiet and asked a question to draw him out of his silence.

"Ben, have you had a chance to read the story Ms. Wood wrote about you? Am I going to need to start chasing down publishing houses?" he asked with a small smile.

Chuckling, Ben glanced over to Walter and saw Daphne's contented smile. He thought they made a lovely couple. Then he sighed. "I read it. Robin was very thorough, and I was surprised by how many people in my life she identified as sources for the book. It's clear she's an excellent researcher, but her writing skills aren't very strong. I assume an editor at whatever publishing house she found will be assigned to make it more readable."

Walter nodded but held Ben's eyes. "Was there anything you wanted me to deal with?"

Ben frowned. "There was a fair amount of exaggeration and sensationalism, which I assume was to make the story more entertaining." He glanced to ensure his girls were downstairs. "I don't like how she portrayed Karen and Penny. She never spoke with them or got to know them, so it's surface-level only and not accurate." He raised his hand and shook his head. "Robin wasn't stupid. She didn't use any defamatory language, but it wasn't flattering."

"How did she treat you in the book?" Gabriella asked.

Ben's frown returned. "She painted me larger than life, like some action hero. Not accurate at all. That sensational exaggeration may help her book sales, but I found it... unsettling."

Walter returned to his point. "Is there anything in the book I should be addressing with legal measures?"

Ben rubbed his face as he tried to restrain his urge to tell Walter to go after them, guns blazing.

"No."

Walter chuckled. "That was the least convincing reply I've ever heard, but no means no."

Ben grinned weakly and nodded. "I'm going to privately reach out to everyone she interfered with in her quest for her story and personally apologize for her disruption. I think going after her might boost its sales."

"Yes, that's a definite possibility. Unless we find the publisher and get them not to publish it," Walter agreed.

Ben shook his head. "As much as I hate what she did to the people she interviewed and hate the invasion of my privacy this book represents, maybe... maybe getting this out there will ease the hunger of the rabidly curious. I mean, the book isn't very good and doesn't accurately describe anyone in its pages. Maybe that's the best scenario I could hope for."

Daphne read the room, then patted Walter's leg. "Enough business-talk!" She looked in the man's eye with a mischievous little smile on her lips. Ben saw Walter give her a small smile and a nod before she looked to the group.

"Walter and I have a little Christmas message to share with you," she said with a wide smile.

Ben felt his scalp tingle as he watched Daphne's face light up.

"We're getting married!"

A cheer went up from everyone in the room, and Ben glanced at Lisa and Lori, who wore happy grins as they watched everyone else. This told him they'd already received the news.

Everyone stood to give the couple hugs and handshakes. Daniel and Miriam rushed upstairs, followed by the others with Christopher and Rose in the arms of Penny and Karen. Everyone wanted to know what the commotion was about. Once they heard, Daniel marched over and shook Walter's hand, then hugged Daphne to congratulate them.

When everyone returned to their seats, Ben looked at Daphne. "That's the best news! We're all thrilled for you. Picked a date and venue yet?"

"We're going to have a simple civil ceremony at City Hall, then host a small party afterwards. Walter will be selling his home and moving in with me."

He glanced over at Lisa and Lori, who looked at him curiously.

Ben confirmed everyone was present before moving to stand by the dining room table, where he had his laptop and a projector set up. Then he faced the group. He was looking for specific individuals. Rain Palomo, Shelly Spencer, and Princess Zama were watching him as he sought them out with his eyes.

He noted that Zama was wearing a lovely party dress, so her shopping excursion with the twins had been successful. For that matter, Moon looked very sweet in her new outfit as well.

Ben powered up his laptop on the dining room table and turned on the portable projector, projecting the image onto the bare wall opposite the table. "As this is Christmas Eve, I thought I'd put on a little slide show to bring everyone up to speed on the new homes I'm going to build at Six and Fourteen Ashburn Court. I've been working with Dan Bishop and Ed Walters on these to make them as seamlessly integrated into their natural setting as possible. Let's start with Six."

He displayed the existing home floor plan over the property. "This is what the home used to be." Giving them a moment to absorb this, he switched to the slide showing the new floor plan. The home was much larger, covering more of the lot, but it was a ranch-style design with the living room, dining room, media room, and kitchen located up front, and the bedrooms spread out along the back of the home. There were four large bedroom suites, each with a luxurious en-suite bathroom and a walk-in closet. Each bedroom was separated from the next by a private sundeck that faced the woods. Each space was large enough to be considered a one-bedroom apartment minus a kitchen.

In the backyard was an inground pool inside a glass enclosure.

"Oh my god! It's huge!" Jayden gasped as he mentally compared it to the not-so-little home it was replacing.

"Dan produced a walk-through for me so I could get a feel for the scale. He hasn't added any furniture to the model, so you'll have to use the doorways to grasp the scale," Ben suggested. He switched to the 3D rendering app and loaded the file for Six Ashburn Court. The display lit up with a view from the road. This allowed everyone to see that the home didn't dominate the property. The trees before and behind it were still the largest features of the property, as seen from this angle. From above, yes, the home went deep into the property, but the lots were huge, so why not?

"It's lovely, Ben! The home really blends into the forest around it," Gabriella sighed.

Ben smiled as he and Dan borrowed the exterior materials-- wood, stone, and glass--that Ed's home used. He moved the camera forward and heard exclamations from many of the viewers, who thought they were looking at a still photo. He grinned at them. "Don't you want to see what it looks like inside?"

"Yes!" they called out cheerfully.

The view glided up the driveway to the front door and into the house.

"Oh, that's beautiful!" Catherine exclaimed as they gazed at the open design, which flowed from room to room.

"It will look much better when we add in the furniture and wall art," Ben said as he moved the view through the open space and into the kitchen. There was a door on the side of the home that led to a walkway along the side to the backyard. A wide deck with an outdoor grill kitchen was situated next to the pool enclosure. "These panels can slide open in the summer on hot days, and the enclosure is connected to the home by a tunnel from the basement as well, so it can be used all year round." The glassed-in pool stood apart from the home, so the tunnel was hidden under the lawn.

Ben faced the camera toward the back of the home, and they could see the four bedrooms, each with French doors and floor-to-ceiling windows, designed to let in as much southern light as possible. A short climb up five steps led to a door that opened onto their own private, elevated sundeck, which was also enclosed by retractable glass panels. At the back of these was a smaller room that could be used as an office or just a private space.

"These are awesome!" Jayden said, and Karen nodded with excitement.

Ben smiled at the couple. "I'm glad you approve. Would you like to see your bedroom?"

Jayden and Karen froze, staring at Ben in shock. "Our bedroom?" she squeaked.

Ben nodded and floated the camera through the French doors into the first room. He slowly panned the camera around so they could see the dimensions of the large bedroom and sitting area with the attached bathroom and walk-in closets.

"Actually, any of the four can be yours, as they're all the same. You can work it out with Penny and Frank, as one is set aside for them." He turned to look at the two engaged couples who were staring back at him in surprise. "If you'd like to live here, that is."

Karen and Penny rushed to his side and threw their arms around him, crying for joy, and he chuckled as he hugged them in return.

Jayden was close behind and threw his arms around Ben and Karen. His eyes weren't dry either.

Frank moved closer, but Ben saw he wasn't sure what to do. Ben gestured for him to join, so with an embarrassed smile, he hugged Penny and Ben, too.

When they managed to dry their eyes, Ben smiled and nodded to his friends, who were watching them with grins.

He cleared his throat. "Let's continue the tour," he said, and flew the camera through the rest of the property. Karen and Jayden were hugging each other as they watched in awe. Frank had his arms around Penny as he whispered lovingly into her ear as they watched.

"So that's what I can show you of Six Ashburn so far. There will be lots of ecologically friendly features, which Ed and Dan will talk about for hours, but the point is, the house will be very comfortable." Seeing he had everyone's attention, he switched from the 3D render program back to a still of the floor plan of Beth's house. "Fourteen Ashburn is an entirely different challenge. This is what Dan and I came up with for it."

He switched to the new blueprint, and everyone made some form of exclamation as the new home was extensive and went deep into the large property. This one had more vertical presence, with the bedrooms in lofts and their sundecks accessible through sliding glass doors from the sitting area in each bedroom.

"There are six bedrooms in this home, as you can see, each of them has southern exposure as well. There are two corridors, each leading to three bedrooms, with a lovely garden between the wings. The front of the home has roughly the same amenities as Six Ashburn. Shall we look inside?"

Eager nods came back, so he loaded the file for Fourteen Ashburn into the 3D rendering program. From the street, the building had a very intriguing profile. It also utilized natural building materials and a significant amount of glass to allow for natural light. The elevated bedrooms at the back of the structure were expansive and drew the eye, but their warm tones blended into the surrounding forest setting. They also included a private space just off each bedroom.

He flew the camera up to the front door and took everyone through the features of the extensive home.

"Again, the house is loaded with ecologically supportive technology, but it's going to be a very comfortable home all year," Ben suggested.

"The garden?" Shelly asked timidly.

Ben smiled at her. "Yes. That's for Patty. I was hoping you might consider moving into our neighborhood. You'd be closer to Trish. One of these bedroom suites could be yours."

Shelly leaped to her feet and rushed over to hug Ben with tears in her eyes.

He held her tight, then glanced down at her once she got control of herself. "Is that yes?"

"Yes, you sweet man! Yes!" she gushed with a smile.

"What are you planning to do with the other five rooms?" Trish asked with a huge grin on her face. She was delighted her cousin would be so nearby.

Ben nodded. "With Karen and Penny moving to their new home, I was going to ask Rain and Evelyn if they'd like to move into Fourteen, and I'd convert Twelve into a community guest house for visitors or events like this."

Rain smiled happily. "I'd love to live in the new home! It looks gorgeous!"

Evelyn looked uncomfortable, and Ben gave her a concerned look. "I'm not going to force anyone to move."

"The new home is lovely, but I really like where I am now. It's perfect for my needs and configured for rapid response to threats on this side of the court. It's also fully networked with the Spa--" she said in a rush.

Ben raised his hands. "That's fine, but if you're the only one living in it, you'll take your meals with us."

Evelyn's face glowed with a blush, but she nodded with a small smile on her lips.

"That leaves four rooms," Trish said.

Ben looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Did you want--"

"No! Mason and I are happy in our home," Trish chuckled. "Lily?"

The petite beauty smiled but shook her head. "I'll be heading off to San Francisco after I graduate in the spring, so I won't get to see it built."

Ben shared a curious look with the young woman, and she smiled bashfully at him. "I was offered a position at the head office of a company I've been hoping to work for."

Everyone congratulated her on the good news.

Trish picked up the point. "Maybe Zama would like to move out of my basement into swankier digs."

Ben looked at the Princess, and she looked embarrassed. "I have not complained! I am pleased even to be here at all!"

"I'm sure Trish wasn't implying otherwise. I have no issues with it, but you should speak with Shelly and Rain," Ben assured her.

"Ben, do you think Lori and I might move into the new home as well?" Lisa asked. Ben nodded, but Daphne looked at her daughters in surprise. Lisa smiled at her mother. "We're not leaving the daycare, but we think you two should have a love nest to yourselves."

The mom seemed conflicted, but she accepted that her daughters were no longer children. She nodded shakily, so Lisa and Lori went over to her and hugged her.

"The build won't even begin until the spring, so they'll still be at home for some time," Ben reminded Daphne, and she gave him a thankful little smile.

"Speaking of builds, the first Shepherd Foundation will be opening in just a week," Trish added.

"Nice segue!" Catherine said with a grin, and Trish flashed a smile back.

"Are you going to have any special celebrity guests come to the grand opening?" Gabriella asked.

Ben glanced at the lovely brunette and shook his head. "I hadn't intended to."

"You should invite Paul!" Ashley gushed excitedly.

"Yes! It's the perfect tie-in for his new movie!" Trish exclaimed, suddenly thinking of the marketing potential.

Ben leaned back to sit against the edge of the table and considered this. "It's Christmas Eve. The opening is only a week away. It's a bad time to call him, and on short notice, don't you think?"

"It's the best time to make a brief call, and I believe he'll appreciate the opportunity to promote the movie!" Trish responded.

His eyebrow rose at her enthusiasm, so he pulled out his cell and looked up Paul's number. Glancing back at the expectant faces, he put his phone on speaker, and they listened as it rang.

"Ben?"

"Hi Paul! Merry Christmas!"

Paul's voice was relaxed and happy. "Merry Christmas to you as well!"

Ben got to the point, as Trish was right about keeping the call brief. "I won't take up too much of your time, but I wanted to see if you'd be interested in joining us for the grand opening of the first Shepherd Foundation. My marketing director, Trish Campbell, thinks it might be an excellent tie-in for your movie--"

"Yes! That would be wonderful!" Paul gushed.

Ben smiled, then winced. "I'm sorry we didn't think of it earlier, as the opening is a week from now. I know that's very short notice--"

"It's fine! Trish sounds like a very savvy marketer. It's a perfect movie tie-in. Can I bring Eric?" Paul asked.

"Sure! Eric is welcome too! That would be great! I'll ask Trish to make the arrangements and send you the details," Ben said in relief, and a cheer went up around him.

"We love you, Paul!" Gabriella called out.

That surprised a chuckle out of the actor. "Who was that?"

Ben grinned and looked at the blush on Gabriella's face. "That was none other than the Goddess of Love herself, Gabriella." The woman's face reddened further, and she put her hands over her cheeks as the laughter began.

"Oh! I'm honored! I can't wait to meet everyone!" Paul said happily.

"See you next week," Ben said.

"See you then!" Paul said and hung up.

Ben locked eyes with Trish. "You started this ball rolling, so it's up to you to make it work."

"Yes, sir!" Trish said with a salute. "Send me Paul's deets, and I'll arrange to get them hotel reservations and a flight to and from."

Ben sent her a quick text, then looked up to smile at the group. "Merry Christmas, everyone!"

A cheer went up, and the kids raced back downstairs as the games weren't going to play themselves.

Karen and Penny stopped by on their way to kiss Ben on the cheek once more for making it possible for them to live together with their spouses. Jayden had a question. "If the building starts in the spring, when do you expect the home to be completed?"

"Ed assures me they learned a great deal building his home, so he believes it will be ready by the end of August at the latest," Ben said.

Jayden nodded with a surprised expression. "You're building both at the same time?"

Ben nodded. "Far more cost-effective that way, and this should expedite the builds as well," Ben explained. He glanced over at the others so they could hear the next part. "Dan and Willow will be staying in the neighborhood for the duration of the project. Willow will be creating some art for the contemplation garden while she's here."

"She's an artist?" Jayden asked.

Ben smiled. "Just like you, though your medium is glass and ceramic tile. Willow works in steel."

Jayden smiled at the compliment, then his eyes widened. "Hey! Does this mean I can do custom designs in the tile work in the new homes?"

"Well, duh," Ben teased.

Jayden retaliated for this by punching Ben's arm lightly, then he looked at the bicep in question. "Shit, your muscles are hard for an old guy."

Frank snorted in amusement, then blushed when he saw Ben watching his reaction.

Ben grinned and checked out Frank's guns. The young man had been steadily building muscle with his diligent exercise. He raised an eyebrow in challenge. "You think an old man like me can't have muscles?"

Frank immediately began to apologize, but Ben wasn't finished teasing him. He shut down the laptop and projector and pushed them aside. Then he sat at the end of the table and planted his elbow on the table in the classic arm-wrestling position.

Penny was grinning excitedly as she looked into Frank's eyes hopefully.

"Uh, okay," Frank said, taking a seat facing Ben. When he took a grip on Ben's hand, they locked eyes. "Don't expect mercy," Frank said with a little smile. It was the boldest thing the man had ever said to Ben, and it forced a surprised laugh from him.

Ben shook his head with a grin. "I wouldn't dream of it... or give it."

Frank nodded.

Everyone was on their feet, crowding around the table to witness the epic battle of Ben versus younger Ben, not that anyone was making this comparison out loud.

Evelyn placed her hand on top of theirs and looked into their eyes. "No broken bones or torn ligaments tonight, please." They nodded but never looked away from their opponent's eyes.

Ben knew Frank was strong already, as he could feel it in his muscles. He knew Frank would go for the kill right from the start. He also knew he had endurance on his side and speed, but he agreed with Evelyn's warning. He wouldn't injure the man.

The second Evelyn lifted her hand away, both men's muscles surged, and their grip swayed only a slight amount. Both grunted with the effort, then began to suck in deep breaths to power their muscles.

Ben was marveling at the power in the younger man's arm, but it was time to get this done before someone got hurt. He added more power into his arm and saw the moment Frank realized he wasn't going to win. Ben's arm began to move forward as Frank's face showed the strain. His arm moved from ninety degrees to eighty-five, then eighty, and seventy.

"Yield!" Frank suddenly gasped and released Ben's hand as he leaped to his feet.

Ben let go and smiled at him. "Good effort! You're pretty damn strong!"

"I have a way to go to reach your level, sir--Ben!" he said, correcting himself.

"Sir Ben! I like the sound of that!" Trish teased, but Ben just gave her a frown.

"That looked like mercy to me. Ben was seconds away from slamming your arm against the table," Jayden said to Frank, who nodded with a grin.

"More likely through the table," he returned.

They headed downstairs with Karen and Penny clinging to them happily.

Rachel smirked at her grinning sisters. "Aww! After that display of testosterone, I thought they'd be whipping their dicks out! That's something I'd like to see!" she whispered.

Cat, standing just behind her daughter, swatted the back of her head.

Unaware of this commentary, Ben was watching Rose and Christopher sleeping on a pile of throw pillows next to one of the sofas. The sight of their innocent sleeping faces filled him with peace and contentment. He glanced up to see Liliya watching him hungrily. He raised an eyebrow, and her face flushed as she looked away. He glanced at Tina, who'd watched the interchange with interest. She looked at Ben and tilted her head toward the Russian blonde. Ben immediately knew what she was suggesting. He paused for a moment, then nodded.

Ben wondered how Tina had evolved their relationship to the point where she managed his social calendar.

He saw her whispering to Lucy, whose face lit up with excitement. Then the blonde moved nonchalantly next to Moon to whisper in her ear. Her eyes also lit up, and she nodded to Lucy.

Arrangements made.

Ben smiled to himself as everyone moved back to the chairs to discuss the new housing arrangements in the new year. Zama was speaking with Shelly and Rain, who were all smiles, so that wasn't going to be a problem. The twins joined them, and quiet giggling erupted.

He had to agree. This was a lovely way to celebrate Christmas Eve.

-=-

Eventually, everyone was talked out, and they began to make their way to the door. Liliya was one of the first, as she needed to put Rose to bed. When Liliya collected Rose's snowsuit, Ben helped her stuff the sleeping girl into the warm outerwear.

"Would you mind if I walked you home?" Ben asked Liliya quietly.

She looked at him in surprise, then nodded. She glanced over at Nguyêt and saw she was comfortably sitting between Tina and Lucy. The Vietnamese beauty gave her a shy smile, which was all Liliya needed to know she wasn't coming home. The blonde was very quick to catch on, and her hands trembled slightly.

Ben finished zipping the snowsuit closed for Rose and saw they hadn't woken the girl at all.

He said his Merry Christmases and gave out many kisses and hugs before he was able to walk out the door with Rose in his arms.

The night was cold, but the air was very still, so it was a pleasant enough walk to the entrance to the court. Liliya fumbled with her key to open the door, then Ben removed his boots and carried Rose up the stairs to her bedroom. He helped get the snowsuit off, kissed the girl's forehead goodnight, then stepped into the hallway to wait for Liliya. He took off his winter coat and draped it over the banister.

Liliya rushed out into the hall, and her smile spread across her lips as she saw Ben was still there.

"You will stay?" she asked nervously, her accent returning.

"I'd like to if you'd like me to," he said honestly.

"I would like that very much!" she said.

He reached out and took her hands in his, and he felt her tremble once more. He looked into her eyes curiously, and she blushed.

"It has been a while since I took such a risk," she said quietly.

Ben couldn't help a small chuckle as the words seemed so bizarre coming from the lips of the assassin, but he shook his head. "Sorry, I know what you meant. Please know my heart is open for you. I don't do... casual flings."

Standing in the hall next to the stairs, Liliya moved into Ben's arms and clung to his large body as he wrapped his arms around her.

"I did not think I would ever feel this way again," Liliya whispered to him.

Ben gently pulled back until he could look into her lovely eyes. "I'm so grateful you opened your heart to me." He kissed her then, and she gasped slightly as his mouth fit hers so well.

Then she realized she was being carried effortlessly in his arms. She felt like she was drifting along like a cloud.

They entered her room, closed the door, and then he set her back on her feet next to the bed.

She suddenly looked away from his loving gaze as a thought intruded. "I have been with many and used sex as a weapon to hunt my prey. Only once before did I allow myself to fall in love freely. The outcome of that, you know. I'm not worthy--"

Ben gently tilted her face up so he could hold her eyes with his. "Stop. I'm fully aware of your circumstances, and I would never judge you for what you had to do to survive. I'm glad you were able to experience the joy of love before. The product of that love, Rose, has a treasured place in my heart as well."

She gasped and pulled his face to hers as she kissed him deeply. When they finished, they rested their foreheads together as they clung to each other.

Ben's smile was brittle. "If anyone is unworthy, it's me. You deserve so much more than I'm able to offer. My heart is yours, but my time is divided amongst so many. I feel unworthy of all of them. They deserve better."

Liliya leaned back to smile up at him. "It is my turn to say we're aware of your circumstance. You've never lied to us or tried to hide your feelings for the others. When I'm with you, I can feel the intensity of your love, and it takes my breath away."

Ben pulled her to him, and they lost themselves in another kiss.

Liliya assisted Ben with removing his clothes, while he assisted her with hers.

She tugged on his arm to get him to follow her onto the bed, and he did.

He covered her body with his and did his best not to crush her.

"You may rest your body on mine. I'm made of stronger stuff than most," she teased, so he gradually lowered himself onto her body.

Her eyes flashed at him in amusement. "Okay, perhaps a little less."

Ben chuckled and rested on his elbows so he could take Liliya's face between his big hands and kiss her.

Her arms wrapped around his broad chest as she clung to him. It took some effort to keep herself from digging her fingers into the slabs of muscle. He felt so powerful, yet he took care not to hurt her.

That was a significant difference between him and the men she'd been sent to seduce and kill. They'd all acted like she was a prize to be taken after breaking through any resistance she showed. Many had been rough, thinking to subdue her with their strength. While she'd frequently pretended to match their desires and expectations, allowing them to believe they'd won, none had truly ever come close.

But Ben could do it, and she knew she would have accepted his dominance.

Except he didn't need to. He wanted her as she was, and she couldn't thank him enough for his acceptance.

He cupped a breast in his palm, and she gasped against his mouth. Her body was so eager for his touch.

Speaking of eager, she felt Ben's cock pressing against her insistently and trembled at the feel of its heat and firmness. She'd had lovers with all sizes and shapes of endowments, but again, most used them poorly, and she'd learned how to act as they expected her to.

It was such a relief to simply be in the moment and allow herself to experience it honestly.

As she had with her husband.

But even with him, she'd held back so much. He didn't truly know her, and especially that she'd been ordered to kill him. She'd hidden the truth from him, and it eventually destroyed what they had.

Ben knew all her secrets, yet he accepted her into his heart.

She didn't know if she deserved the second chance he'd given her, but she promised she would do everything in her power to get it right this time.

Ben rocked his hips forward, and Liliya gasped in surprise as his hot cock stroked against her sensitive lower lips and clit. She was becoming so wet, yet he kept up the long, slow thrusts until she thought she might go mad.

"Please, Ben, inside," she begged softly, and he pulled his hips back a little further this time to slip the thick head against her opening, rocking it around to lubricate himself with her juices.

Her first instinct was to pull him down quickly, but she let him set the pace as it was so deliciously good.

When he suddenly pressed against her opening and felt her accept him inside, he didn't drive himself in deep as most had, but instead, let her adjust to this new sensation. He eased himself deeper and deeper in increments as she shook and trembled through the process. Each push forward felt like she had it all until she relaxed, and she'd get more.

Little cries of bliss were leaking from her lips as he gently kissed her face between each thrust.

Finally, he rested his pelvis on hers, and she realized she had it all. He hugged her and tenderly kissed her cheeks as she struggled to catch her breath. She was so full, and he was throbbing! Each pulse sent her mind heavenward.

"Are you okay?" he asked in concern as her eyes were tightly closed.

"Yes! Oh, Ben, yes!" she gasped as her eyes opened when she smiled at him.

His concern became a smile, and he pulled back slightly.

"Oh! Oh! Oh!" she gasped softly as her body trembled with the surges of bliss.

He pushed deep once more, and her legs wrapped around his ass, pulling him tight.

Ben looked deeply into her eyes. "I love you, Liliya."

Her mouth was on his instantly as her tongue danced across his. Wrapping her arms around Ben's back, she moaned sweetly as he began to move, stroking in and out of her in a steady rhythm, her pleasure rocketing ever closer to its crest.

She finally released his kiss to gulp down some air as she raced up on her release. "I love you, too, Ben!"

Ben's hips began to rock faster, and this threatened to obliterate Liliya's mind.

"Oh, Ben! I'm there! Like that!" she cried out. Her senses felt like they might white out as her orgasm struck.

He kept his pelvis pressed to hers, rocking against her, and she felt his heat surging inside.

His gentle kisses against her temples sent a wave of contentment through her, and she pulled him close.

Once they'd caught their breath, Ben moved to lie next to her, and she cuddled against him to listen to his heart beating strong and steady in a chest that proudly displayed its war wounds.

He was a survivor, as she was.

And he loved her! It was more than she deserved, but she'd be grateful for every day.

-=-

Christmas morning, Detectives Barton and Krispin stood in the wide aisle outside the breeding pen at Charroux Equestrian Center. They were deeply uncomfortable and desperately trying not to show it.

Their captain sent them to the scene of a hideous murder as the victim was one of the people linked to the ritual killings at fourteen Ashburn Court. Apparently, the captain had a copy of the list of owners and finally shared it with them. Three of the twelve names had a date beside them, indicating they'd passed away years ago. With Marion Spencer's murder and now this, only seven remained.

Their crime scene had been thoroughly trampled by the stallion, which the stable hands had removed from the pen prior to the arrival of the police.

These workers arrived early to discover the center's owner, Vivienne Charroux, inside the pen with the animal, which was still highly excited. After they removed the stallion, they further contaminated the scene by untying, moving, and partially dressing the body. The men were emotionally distraught at finding her in the state they did.

Barton was escorted by one of the less emotional workers to the security office, where they discovered the hard drives had been removed from the computers. As there was no off-site streaming backup, they had no video of the assailant or the crime being committed, though the detective was secretly grateful for the latter.

The forensic crew was pissed at how badly the scene had been disturbed. They said finding evidence of the assailant would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, so the detectives had to return to the station to report this to their captain.

One murder was suspicious, but two felt like the beginning of a pattern.

Chapter 56

The grand opening of the first Shepherd Foundation drew the local press, as Ben had expected, but he was surprised by the presence of major networks and media outlets. Once more, he was faced with a large bank of cameras. The podium on the stage was bristling with microphones as well.

The air was brisk, but thankfully, the sun was shining, lending its warmth to the people watching the show and those on stage.

Paul and Eric stood next to Ben, Catherine, Chanel, and Trish. Liliya and Evelyn were on either side of the stage, keeping a vigilant eye on the proceedings.

Those from his neighborhood who didn't have other obligations, such as work or school, were standing in the front row by the stage. Ben insisted no one should skip more important activities just to watch him open the Foundation's first site.

To the right of the stage was a massive display featuring the movie poster for Paul and Eric's upcoming film. The marketing machinery was running at full steam, and Trish's smile was from ear to ear.

Cat moved forward to address the gathered crowd. Chanel's eyes were on the mass of people, and her team was circulating, watching for threats.

In addition, a few members of a military squad were positioned at intervals around the stage.

The gorgeous blonde hit the crowd with her brilliant smile as she leaned slightly toward the microphones.

"Good afternoon and welcome to the grand opening of the first Shepherd Foundation Campus," she said, and the crowd clapped and whistled. The joy in her smile intensified.

"My name is Catherine McGovern. I'm the Executive Director of the Shepherd Foundation, a role I'm very proud to fulfill. When Ben offered me the opportunity to head up his incredible enterprise, I was deeply moved by his faith in me. It made an incredible impact on my life to have someone believe in me so strongly. Support is a core principle of the Shepherd Foundation."

There was a burst of applause from the crowd, then Cat continued.

"The world becomes more difficult to navigate every day, and our young people fall further behind, struggling to find their place. They need someone to believe in them. The Shepherd Foundation wants to assist these people in reaching their goals, as everyone benefits from ensuring the next generation lives to their highest potential."

Another round of applause swept over them, and Catherine gestured for Ben to take the podium.

He did his best to keep his distaste for public speaking from his face. That said, he didn't bother attempting to smile. The press was used to his scowls, so maintaining an impassive expression was likely seen as an improvement.

He stood before the podium and looked out at the cameras and the faces in the crowd. He could see a large group of younger people he'd been told were the first candidates selected for the program. He remembered the initial expressions of the two ladies as they filmed their last segment for Paul's movie. Many of the young people in the crowd had the same expressions of distaste and resentment. He took a deep breath as he would have preferred to have a one-on-one conversation with them, but that wasn't possible. Perhaps he could draw on his previous experience to defuse the situation.

"I recently visited the set of the brilliant movie that Paul Giamatti and Eric Thompson are producing," he said as he gestured to the large poster, "and I got to meet some of the amazing young people taking control of their lives. Two were initially critical of my being there as they said they were struggling and didn't appreciate me showing up with all my money and hot bitches hanging off my arms."

This caused a burst of surprised laughter from the crowd.

Ben shook his head. "First off, the women in my life are not hot bitches. They are beautiful and intelligent women I have the great privilege to know." He glared at the cameras before he continued.

"I know I've been silent about my life as it's nobody's business but my own. That just led the media to portray me as some fictional, larger-than-life character. In truth, I lost my parents early, disappeared into an uncaring foster system, and went through struggles of my own in those early years. I lucked out and met some positive influences who helped me focus my mind on my education and guided me to pull myself out of the mire. As I explained to the two young ladies on the set, I just did what they're doing. I identified an issue, developed a solution, and then moved on to the next one. Small incremental steps with failures along the way. It's not glamorous or magic. It was difficult but fulfilling as it was through my efforts."

He saw he'd gotten through to a few of them, and that would have to be enough. "I'm not here to be a shining example to anyone. Everyone must make it on their own, but I believe the Foundation can be a positive influence on the lives of those it supports as they embark on their own journeys. I believe in the potential in each and every one of you," he said as he gestured to the selected candidates. Ben stood back from the podium as the audience applauded. They weren't delirious with excitement, but at least they weren't booing.

A ribbon was then stretched across the left side of the stage next to the podium. Catherine held one end, Trish the other, as Ben moved to the middle with a large pair of scissors. He glanced at the excited grin on Trish's face and sighed to himself.

"I hereby declare the first Shepherd Foundation to be open!" he shouted as he wasn't close to the microphones. He cut the ribbon, and a cheer went up.

The after-party was fairly tame, even with the press shouting rude questions at Ben after he left the stage. When that became too tiresome, Ben moved away and made a point of spending time with the people supported by his foundation. He found most of them were very grateful to have the opportunity, though a few were still carrying a chip on their shoulder. They'd have to grow up quick, or no level of support would help them achieve success.

Ben found his way back to Paul and Eric, the latter shaking Ben's hand with great enthusiasm.

"It was wonderful for you to include a reference to the movie in your speech!" Eric gushed.

Ben chuckled and smiled at the two men.

When Ashley arrived after her last class of the day, Paul's eyes lit up happily, and they were soon in deep conversation.

Ben took a tour of the facility with his people. Catherine and Trish pointed out the many features of the campus.

"I caught that reference. Are we calling it a campus?" Ben asked in surprise.

Catherine smiled. "We have the early childhood education center, the trades graduate program, and the night school facilities amongst the buildings that make up the Foundation. This allows us to call ourselves, unofficially at least, a campus. We also have relationships with several local colleges to assist with supporting our members."

Ben's ears caught another term he hadn't heard. "Members? Is that what we're calling the people in the program?"

Trish frowned. "It's better than calling them the Flock."

Ben gave her a startled look. "Who's calling them that?"

Trish shook her head wearily. "That clown over at Channel Twelve news. Barkly, Bensley, something like that. He's the anchorman, and he's critical of the Foundation. He has likened it to a religious cult.

"What the hell does he have against helping these people?" Ben growled.

Chanel spoke softly so others wouldn't hear. "The Foundation turned down his son's application."

Ben paused, and Catherine nodded as she picked up the explanation. "He just didn't meet the requirements. His family income was too high. He comes from a stable home, and his interview raised some red flags. His school transcript suggests that he's coasting through life. We had more worthy candidates. He doesn't need the Foundation's support."

Ben pulled out his cell and called a number. "Walter? Could I ask you to have someone investigate the statements the news anchor at Channel Twelve is making about the Shepherd Foundation? Normally, I wouldn't care about a little bellyaching, but he's referring to the Shepherd Foundation as a religious cult and the members as the Flock."

The lawyer made an uncomfortable noise. "Oh, that's a step over the line. I'll get someone on it. Do you know why he's taking this stance?"

"I'm told his son didn't qualify for one of the limited spots we had. It's possibly due to that," Ben sighed.

"Okay. Thanks, Ben."

"Thanks, Walter." He hung up and looked hopefully at Trish. "Can I go home now?"

She snorted in amusement. "I think you ticked all the necessary boxes, so you should be good to go."

Ben smiled and gestured for her to get closer for a hug. Then he caught Cat's eye and Chanel's as well. All three joined him for a group hug. They enjoyed the closeness for a moment, then he stepped back to smile at them.

"I just want to say how incredibly proud I am of your incredible efforts to take this project from concept to reality so quickly and so professionally. My faith in you has been fully justified."

Cat had tears of happiness in her eyes and rushed back into his arms for a kiss.

The moment she stepped back, Trish was squeezing her body against his and taking a deep kiss from him.

"Wow," he said softly as she moved back. "How many more campuses are we opening?"

Trish chuckled as her face flushed with her heightened passion.

"The next one to open will be in London on Valentine's Day. So, you have more than a month until your next public speaking gig," she teased.

Ben smiled in relief. "I look forward to it."

He collected his security detail, and Moon emerged from the crowd where she'd been circulating. He shook hands with Paul and Eric as he said his goodbyes and slipped away from the crowds to head home with no fuss. It felt like a successful opening to him, but he'd wait to hear back from Catherine, Channel, and Trish once they got through the first few weeks of operating. He fully expected a few hiccups but was confident they could handle whatever was thrown at them.

That returned his thoughts to the news anchor's slanderous comments about the Foundation being a cult. He rubbed his face wearily as he was really tired of small-minded morons.

As Evelyn drove them back to the neighborhood, he saw her contented smile and realized he owed this woman a date. As he'd been informed that he had nothing planned until February, he decided he should make some time for her sooner rather than later.

Glancing into the back seat, he saw Liliya quietly getting a report from Moon. He smiled as their new addition to the team seemed to be fitting in quite well.

They were dropped off first, then Evelyn continued onward to park in his driveway. She handed him his keys, but he snagged her sleeve before she could leave the truck.

Blue eyes glanced back to lock on his, as she smiled at him curiously.

He cleared his throat. "I was wondering if you had an evening free--"

"All my evenings are free. Did you have another project idea?" she asked enthusiastically.

He smiled. "No, no project. I just thought it might be nice for us to have a date night."

Her smile disappeared as her eyes widened. Then the smile returned tenfold. "Y-yes! That would be great!"

"What would make a... dream date for you? I mean, Tina loves dancing. Gabriella enjoys romantic strolls in scenic places we travel to. Trish enjoys... well, I'm not at liberty to discuss that. We haven't really spoken too much about your interests. What's a good date for you?" he asked, his face heating up.

Her face was looking a little warm as well. "I've never gone on a date," she admitted.

"Ah, okay." He glanced outside at the snow. "Well, what was the most fun you've had in winter conditions--ziplining from the tower to take out the bad guys doesn't count!"

A small smile showed up on her lips. "My brother and I used to snowshoe to the family cabin in the woods. We'd open it up, chop wood, then get the fireplace going. When it was warm enough, we'd make dinner and talk... about everything."

Ben watched her eyes glowing happily as she recalled the time. "I wasn't aware you have a brother."

She nodded. "Yeah, Bradley. He's two years younger than me. He didn't follow the family career path. He wanted to be a veterinarian."

Ben smiled. "Everyone finds their own way."

She nodded with a smile, but it looked a little sad.

"Do you still get together?" he asked gently.

She shook her head. "Bradley had a big falling out with my parents and moved away. He lives in Cape Town, South Africa. He wasn't speaking with me when he left, and I move around a lot, so I haven't heard from him since then.

Ben watched her and wanted to do something for her, but she caught the look and shook her head. "Don't get any ideas. I'll work this out on my own," she said as she held his eye.

He saw her conviction, so he nodded. "The offer is there if you want it. The world isn't as big as it used to be."

She smiled at him. "Thank you."

Ben nodded, then sighed. "I've always wanted to go camping in the woods--in the summer or fall, not winter. This year, I need to make that happen, but it may be too soon for the kids. Roughing it isn't an activity I'll be able to interest too many in. Except Trish, of course." He thought about it some more and had an idea. Being alone with Evelyn in a cabin in the woods sounded like a perfect little getaway, providing the privacy she needed as a private person.

"How difficult do you think it would be to find a nice cabin in the woods for a weekend? We could drive up on Friday night and come back Sunday night. Just you and me, if possible. What do you think?" he asked.

Evelyn was trembling with excitement. "Let... let me work out the details, and I'll get back to you. Okay?" she asked.

He smiled and leaned closer, and she met him halfway with a kiss that surprised Ben with its intensity. She pulled back and quickly slipped from the truck. With a final wave, she ran back to her place to get started on the logistics of their weekend getaway.

Ben decided to move the truck into the garage as it was going to snow again tonight.

When he stepped inside his home, he breathed a sigh of relief. The first Foundation opening went far smoother than he'd hoped.

He walked into the kitchen, and Lucy and Tina rushed into his arms to get his warm hugs and kisses. He'd spotted them in the front row for the event, but they must have returned home directly afterward.

"I think it went well," Tina said as she held his eyes. Lucy nodded as she agreed.

Ben smiled. "Yes, it certainly felt that way to me as well. I'm just happy there was so little drama involved."

Tina grinned. "That was Chanel's first priority. No drama."

Ben nodded. "Then I must thank her for being so successful."

He took a seat at the kitchen table, and the ladies sat as well.

"I'm trying to arrange a date with Evelyn--" he began but stopped when Tina and Lucy squealed happily. He looked at them wide-eyed.

"Sorry, Ben, but we have been wondering when it would happen. She is so much in love with you!" Tina sighed.

He frowned in dismay. "And now I feel worse for not making it happen sooner."

Lucy and Tina reached out to touch Ben's arms. "No! We didn't mean it like that! We know how busy your schedule is," Lucy insisted. "It's not like you ignore her. She's thrilled to work so closely with you, but moving forward with the physical side of the relationship is wonderful!"

Ben still felt a little out of sorts about his neglect of the woman's needs, but he tried to shake that off as he was going to do something about it. "She is looking into booking us a mountain cabin in the woods for a weekend."

"Eeeeee!" the ladies squealed excitedly.

He blinked at them again.

"Ben! This is perfect for her! She is a very private person, so a weekend away is such a thoughtful idea."

"Hopefully, I'll get to know a little bit more about the woman. She doesn't offer too many personal details. I mean, I just learned tonight that she has a brother," he said with a smile. They nodded.

"You knew?" he asked, gaping at them, and they glanced at each other before nodding hesitantly.

Ben's face dropped. "Damn. Okay, this is a big wake-up call for me. I've spread myself too thin. I'm failing at the relationships I'm in if I'm not communicating with my partners."

He held up his hands before they could protest. "No more. I can't bring any more people into a relationship. I want your help with this. You've been very inclusive, but that must stop. It's going to affect my mental health if I'm disappointing my partners this way."

Tina shared a look with Lucy, then nodded to Ben. "We understand and will do our best to protect you from overextending yourself in this manner."

Ben sighed in relief. "Thank you!" He gave them both sweet kisses. "As I don't have any scheduled events until the middle of next month, we should plan something for us as well."

That put smiles on their faces quickly.

All Ben had to do was keep the smiles there.

Chapter 57

Ben had never driven a snowmobile before, but he quickly got the hang of it, and he loved the experience!

He was following the track Evelyn was creating in the fresh powder snow as they climbed a mountain road to a cabin she'd rented for them. The road had been roughly plowed before the storm, but was now closed, and there wasn't another soul up here in the rugged country. Evelyn used her contact with the General to get special permission to be on the mountain. Ben understood that to mean there would be a commando team doing a winter survival exercise in the area as well. Out of sight but on guard, just in case.

The couple who owned the cabin were delighted to get a rental when no one else could.

Ben and Evelyn were pulling sleds that contained their bags, food, water, extra fuel, survival gear, and any other necessary supplies. While the machines they were riding were powerful and fast, they kept their speed down because the snow was deep and the mountain road had treacherous curves with sharp drop-offs. Mostly, the road twisted and turned between the tall pines, and the scenery was breathtaking.

So was the frigid air. A storm had struck the mountain two days before, dumping another foot of snow on the already deep base, and a deep freeze came in behind it. They just bundled up and proceeded as planned. Ben was concerned about the commandos' well-being, but Evelyn laughed that off as they'd done these maneuvers in far worse conditions.

Almost too soon, Evelyn signalled they'd reached their turn off and left the road into a tunnel of trees. The dense trees largely sheltered the lane they were following, but the drifts took some skill to navigate. Ben was grinning like a kid when they finally burst out of the treed lane into an open area before the lovely cabin. The last stretch was mostly uphill through very deep snow, but they managed to reach a sheltered parking spot next to the main building.

The owners had put their sweat equity into making this small but cozy cabin as updated as they could without losing its charm. As they walked around the front of the building, they admired the large, west-facing window overlooking the valley below. It was midafternoon now, but Ben could tell the sunset view would be incredible.

Evelyn unlocked the front door, and they carried their bags inside. They returned to the sleds a few times to bring everything they'd need inside.

"Could you bring some kindling and a few logs inside? I'll get the fireplace going," Evelyn said, and Ben nodded. He'd seen a cord of wood stacked on the far side of the parking shelter. This must keep it dry.

He grabbed an armload of kindling and brought it inside, then went back out to bring in an armload of logs. These were placed in a holder next to the two-sided fireplace. The heat would be felt in the main living space and the smaller bedroom area on its opposite side.

Ben lit a few lanterns to add some extra light to the interior.

While Evelyn worked on building the fire, Ben looked around at the homey touches. The couple who owned it spent a month or two in the cabin every year, but they rented it out for the rest of the season. No electricity meant no appliances or TV. There was no cellular service, landline phone, or internet either. The Sergeant had a satellite phone for emergencies, but otherwise they'd have to make their own entertainment.

Ben smiled. It felt great to be off the grid like this.

He finished unpacking the food into the cupboards and confirmed the kitchen was stocked with the required cookware for the meals they'd cook on the wood-burning stove over the next few days. Two dinners, two breakfasts, and three lunches.

Since it was lunchtime, Ben got a fire going and whipped up some soup and sandwiches for them, which they enjoyed at the large window. The hot soup was especially welcome as the cabin was still warming up from its chilly vacancy.

He looked around at the space and wondered what it might be like to build his own. "Apparently, Dan Bishop lives in a much larger version of this during the winter. His has electricity, but he's otherwise cut off from the world by a closed mountain road and deep snow. His friend Wally airdrops supplies to him if required, but he and Willow are otherwise by themselves for months," Ben said as he admired the snowy vista.

"He has telephone and internet service?" Evelyn asked.

Ben nodded. "Yes. He also has a radio transmitter and receiver, but from what I understand, he doesn't contact many people while they're on the mountain. It's their private time." He smiled at the Major. "Not sure if I could convince everyone I'd want to join me to do the same."

Evelyn laughed as she imagined their responses. "If it was a tropical island, you might have better luck!"

Ben grinned as he nodded. "Should I buy an island?" he asked thoughtfully as if he were actually considering it. He watched the Sergeant's eyes widen, then he grinned to let her off the hook.

"You tease!" she huffed.

He held his hands up in surrender. "Sorry, it's still weird to me to think I could afford to do it, and people might believe I would." He shook his head. "I'm not going to buy an island. I don't mind visiting them, but they're at the mercy of the sea, which I've heard is a harsh mistress."

Evelyn nodded. "If you're following the news, you'd be looking for an island with a good amount of elevation and nothing built near the shoreline.

Ben nodded. "The same could be said for buying a place this far up in the mountains. Getting snowed in can be pretty dangerous, too. Then there's forest fires and rockslides, not to mention bears." He sighed. "The world is just a risky place."

"Enjoy but be prepared," Evelyn said with a smile.

He nodded as he picked up their dishes and returned them to the kitchen, where he washed, and Evelyn dried them.

He turned to look at her. "Wanna go play in the snow?"

Evelyn shook her head and stepped closer to press her body against his. Blue eyes looked up into his as she wrapped her arms around him.

"Playing inside it is," Ben said with a smile.

A spark lit up in Evelyn's eyes as she stepped back from Ben and tugged on his hands to guide him toward the bedroom.

He followed willingly, enjoying the excitement on her face.

Once they were next to the bed, Evelyn immediately dropped to her knees before Ben and undid his pants.

He thought she might be rushing, but he didn't want to ruin the moment for her, so he pulled his sweater and shirt up and over his head as he felt his pants and underwear quickly sliding down to his feet.

Once he had a clear view again, he saw her gawking at his cock and balls like she'd discovered hidden treasure. Ben stifled his chuckle, which became a surprised gasp as her hands wrapped around the swelling appendage.

"Oh my god! It's amazing!" Evelyn cooed.

"Uh, thank you?" Ben said with a grin, then gasped once more as Evelyn pressed the flat of her tongue against the base of his cock and stroked it all the way to the tip.

"Wow!" Ben managed to exclaim once her tongue stopped to enjoy the texture of the head.

She swirled her tongue around the head, making it slick with her spit, then plunged it into her mouth.

"Fuck!" he gasped at the intense sensation, and his hands landed on both sides of her head.

She purred when she felt his grip and struggled to get more into her mouth.

There wasn't much subtlety with her technique, but plenty of enthusiasm. That was very sexy as it was very much her.

She cupped his heavy balls and purred once more with him deep in her mouth. That triggered Ben's moan of pleasure. Evelyn grinned at him once she pulled back to release his cock from her lips.

Ben quickly bent down and lifted Evelyn to toss her onto the bed. Then he was tugging her clothes off as frantically as she was. He had her lower body naked as she struggled to untangle herself from her turtleneck. He gave her no time as his mouth found her wet lower lips, and he thrashed her with his tongue.

"FFFUUUCCKKK!!!!" she cried out as her body jolted from the bliss. His big hands were cupping and squeezing her ass cheeks as he brought her pussy bliss with his lips and tongue.

She was getting further tangled in her sweater as her brain wouldn't cooperate under the onslaught of the intense pleasure. His hands were so freaking strong, too! Fuck!

Suddenly, Ben pulled back, and Evelyn had a moment to clear her mind and pulled the sweater up and off. She just had time to see Ben position himself as he knelt between her legs. He pulled her hips up onto his thighs as her shoulders fell back onto the bed.

Then the thick, hot head of his cock slapped against her pussy, and she gasped from the sensations ripping through her. Fuck! She'd dreamed of this for so long, but it was so much better than she'd imagined.

When the tip parted her lips and slipped inside, Evelyn threw her head back as she sucked in a lungful of air. Ben's hands moved to her hips and took a grip as her eyes rolled back from the overwhelming sensations.

Ben's cock had little difficulty slipping into her depths as she was very wet. She was also tight, so he took his time to make her gradually accept his entire length. Her hands clung to his wrists as she pulled and pushed herself onto his cock.

When he slid his hands under her back and lifted her into a seated position on him, this drove his cock deeper into her than he'd been. Her mouth dropped open as the feeling of being full was almost too much!

He kissed her deeply, thrusting his tongue into her mouth to caress hers.

Evelyn's brain was sending her too much information as multiple places on her body screamed for attention.

Her pussy was so full! She could feel the head of his cock pressing against the mouth of her womb.

Her ass cheeks tingled from where his fingers had been squeezing.

Those hands were now slipping her bra down her arms to toss it aside. Then they cupped her modest breasts and squeezed them playfully, pulling another gasp from the woman as she pulled back from the kiss.

Ben began to bounce her on his thighs, driving his cock into her depths repeatedly.

"Ben! Oh fuck! Ben! I can't hold it in!" she cried as she frantically pressed herself against his body.

"Let it happen," he said quietly in her ear, then gently nipped on her earlobe.

That triggered her orgasm as lightning raced through her nerves.

"BEEEEENNNNNNN!" Evelyn screamed as her orgasm crashed through her over-sensitized body.

Wave after wave of bliss washed over her mind as she clung to him and twitched.

Eventually, she realized she was still sitting on Ben's hard cock as she rested her cheek on his shoulder.

She pulled back to smile shyly at him.

He returned the smile, then leaned forward to carry her down to the mattress.

She sucked in a breath as she could still feel him deep inside her. When her back was pressed against the bed, she looked up into his eyes and saw his hunger there.

When he began to stroke his cock in and out of her pussy, her eyes threatened to roll back in her head. It was almost too good.

Ben's hips accelerated, and he was soon pounding her against the mattress, their bodies slapping together with sharp jolts of ecstasy.

She was about to lose her mind when Ben moaned and shot his hot cum into her depths. Her next release was right behind his.

They caught their breath, and Ben pulled free and rested next to her.

Moments later, Evelyn pushed herself up on her elbow to look at him with a mischievous little smile. She wasn't done yet and was delighted to discover that Ben wasn't either.

-=-

Much later, as they relaxed, Evelyn tucked herself up against his side, practically purring with contentment. He smiled at her, and her eyes twinkled as she smiled back.

"I had no idea it was going to feel that good," she sighed.

Ben chuckled softly. "It felt pretty awesome for me, too."

They were quiet for a moment, just enjoying the cabin's and the surrounding wilderness' silence.

Evelyn glanced up at him and saw he was awake. "When I started working with you, I thought I'd reached the highest peak I'd ever achieve in my life. I wanted to get closer to witness your brilliance firsthand, and I wasn't disappointed. It's such a thrill to see the innovations spring from your mind into real, physical solutions. I never thought... you were so--"

"Don't put me on a pedestal," he warned as his eyes held concern.

"No! I mean, I didn't believe someone like you would be attracted to someone like me," she finally managed to say.

Ben gently stroked her bottom lip with his fingertip, and her eyelids fluttered. "Now you know how wrong that thought was. I believe you are brilliant and beautiful inside and out, and incredibly desirable. I'm still concerned about our age difference--as I'd be with someone so much younger who wants to be in a relationship with me. I'm the one who doesn't feel worthy."

"Age doesn't concern me in the slightest!" she insisted with worry in her eyes now.

He nodded and smiled at her. "If it ever does, please know I won't hold it against you. I'm sure there are men out there far more worthy of you than me."

"If there are, they are making themselves exceptionally difficult to find," she said with a frown. Then she looked into his eyes. "You know I'm awkward with people and miss social cues. That makes it so much harder, as most bail after the first bad impression. Few are willing to endure my mistakes, weird silences, and miscommunications to get to know who I am. You did."

"My weird matched yours?" he asked with a smile.

She rubbed her face against his chest affectionately, then locked her lovely blue eyes on his. "I love you." Her cheeks reddened.

Ben smiled as he saw how stiffly she was holding herself. "I love you, too, Evelyn."

"Oh god, that was the scariest five seconds of my life!" she gasped as she rested her face on his chest.

"Says the woman who engages armed terrorists in dark forests with a knife!" Ben exclaimed.

"Risking physical injury is frightening, but emotional wounds to the heart are far worse," she insisted.

He pulled her into a hug, then took her face between his hands and kissed her tenderly. When he pulled back, he held her gaze. "I won't give you those. You're safe with me."

She rested on his chest a little longer, then she lifted her face. "You hungry?"

"I could eat a moose," he said.

Evelyn laughed, and it was a joyful sound.

"We don't have that, but I'll see what's available in the cooler."

They slipped out of bed and quickly put on some clothes, as the air still held a slight chill.

As Evelyn went to the kitchen, Ben added some logs to the fire and ensured they caught.

They worked side by side in the small kitchen, and Ben grilled up some steaks while Evelyn made a quick salad--a simple meal.

As they ate, they discussed the requests they'd seen posted on the bulletin boards. The work was a common interest, and Ben noticed that Evelyn was getting better at recognizing the kind of puzzles he liked best.

There'd been a lull in intriguing puzzles in recent days.

"How often do you find yourself in this situation?" Evelyn asked.

Ben cast his mind back and recalled too many times when he had no puzzles to play with. "Actually, it happens far more frequently than having too many things to do. I used to review only the public boards, and it was worse then. Now, with the military boards, it happens less frequently. We're definitely in a trough now, though."

"Are there any more sources we could find?" she asked.

Ben shook his head. "Old-style online bulletin boards are dinosaurs kept alive by a dedicated bunch of seniors. These people are a dying breed. In some cases, literally. No one is left to take over a board when the operator retires, or worse, passes away. There are online Engineering Forums like the one on Reddit, but I haven't found many puzzles to work on there." He sighed. "Maybe, I'm a dinosaur, too."

"Hunkasaurus," Evelyn said, then immediately blushed as he looked at her with a grin.

"Heh, thanks, I guess."

She put her hands over her face. "I knew I couldn't pull off a line like that and be cool."

Ben chuckled, and they cleaned up after dinner, then stretched out on the couch to watch the sunset.

"I'll bet you there are universities and private companies that are struggling with engineering issues. How do we reach them?" Evelyn asked.

"The university requests sometimes show up on the bulletin boards I review. Private companies hire engineers to design solutions but retain the rights to them. I like solving puzzles, but I prefer being able to make the solutions available to any who needs them," Ben said, then looked at the Sergeant. "US Military solutions excluded."

She grinned at him with a nod.

They watched as the sun dipped behind the mountain across the valley, and slowly the stars began to emerge.

"What about NASA?" she asked quietly.

Ben had been drifting when Evelyn's voice brought him back. "I heard their budget was slashed, so they rely on the private companies to get their payloads into space now."

"Yes, but they still do a lot of projects," she said.

Ben nodded, but he hadn't seen any requests from them.

"I wanted to get into the astronaut program, but I didn't make it," Evelyn said quietly.

Ben looked at her in surprise. "You're certainly brilliant enough, not to mention incredibly fit, and you have the pilot skills--"

"But not the social skills to fit in with a mixed crew. I made people uneasy. That's not good in space," she sighed.

"Their loss and our gain," Ben said firmly and got a happy smile for that.

"So, what's our plan for tomorrow?" he asked.

Evelyn's smile became playful. "We could... not play in the snow some more."

Ben scooped her into his arms, and she squeaked in delight as he carried her into the bedroom. He got more squeaks as he tossed her onto the bed.

Adding a few larger logs onto the fire, Ben joined Evelyn on the bed to make some heat of their own.

-=-

While they spent much of the next day not playing in the snow as Evelyn suggested, they did manage to squeeze in a few hours of exploring the nearby trails on the snowmobiles. Then they went back inside to warm themselves by the fire, where they discussed travel and projects, followed by a delicious dinner they prepared together. They shared childhood stories as they ate and learned more intimate details about each other's lives. Then it was more tumbling in the sheets before collapsing in blissful exhaustion.

This morning, as they returned the cabin to its pristine state in preparation for closing it up, Ben was pleased to see how happy Evelyn was. There was a calmness in her that he hadn't seen before. Her smiles were broader, and her gaze didn't flick away nervously. She maintained eye contact when he looked at her. These were excellent signs of her improved confidence. She finally accepted that someone loved her, despite her social awkwardness.

As they rode the snowmobiles back down the mountain roads, they took their time. There were no pressing deadlines to cut their time together short, and the scenery was breathtaking.

Finally, they arrived at the secure lot, where Ben's truck was waiting. They loaded their items into the vehicle and returned the snowmobiles to the rental office.

The drive home was quiet as they listened to music and enjoyed each other's company. Ben was thankful their escort had been so discreet that he saw no sign of them the entire time they'd been on the mountain, even during their travels on the trails.

As they pulled into Ashburn Court, they spotted a soldier attempting to flag them down before the Spa. Evelyn pulled into the driveway and rolled down the window.

"Sergeant Killcade, the General has been trying to reach you all weekend," the man said.

She frowned, pulled her sat phone from her pocket, and checked the device. "It's showing seventy percent battery and a good signal. I also confirmed the signal when we were on the mountain."

The soldier dialed the number on a second satellite phone, but nothing happened.

"It's defective?" Evelyn gasped. Then she turned her angry gaze on the soldier. "I was given a defective satellite phone?" The man's expression showed his discomfort.

Her head whipped around to look at Ben apologetically. "I'm so sorry for this, Ben."

He held up his hand to calm her. "It's not a problem. The weekend was perfect. Besides, we had the team watching over us."

"That's the other thing," the soldier said stiffly. "The team chosen for the assignment experienced technical difficulties and never made it to the destination."

Ben blinked at the man in surprise. "So... we actually were alone on the mountain?"

"The General deployed two Reaper drones to run surveillance sweeps over the mountain while they attempted to deploy a second team to be on the ground. The second team experienced technical difficulties as well."

Evelyn was steaming, so Ben touched her arm. "Aside from that, the weekend was perfect." He leaned forward to look at the soldier directly. "Thank you for letting us know. We'll contact the General when we get home. Go inside and get warm."

"Yes, sir! Thank you, sir!" the soldier said quickly with a salute and rushed back to the building.

Ben blinked in surprise. "Why did he salute me?"

"He was just grateful to get away," Evelyn griped as she raised the window.

"Hey! Look at me," Ben said gently, and she turned her head to look him in the eye. "Nothing we learned right now has any bearing on how wonderful our weekend was. They'll figure it out and take steps to do better next time, right?"

She nodded, and her smile returned.

"Let's go home," he said.

She nodded and drove them to his driveway.

Once the car was off, she turned to Ben with a smile. "I had a wonderful time, Ben. Thank you!"

He nodded in agreement. "Will you come inside?" he asked, noticing she was about to run back to her place.

Nervous eyes flicked toward his front door.

"What are you worried about? Nothing has really changed for them over the weekend. I'm sure Tina and Lucy will just be happy we finally took the time to be together," Ben said as he watched her struggle with something.

"I-I'm just not sure how to behave about this. With you, it's easy. But with others, I'm a bundle of awkward nerves," she admitted. "I messed up so badly the first time I met them."

"Which they accepted as a simple miscommunication. It's done. They really like you!" Ben assured her.

Evelyn took a deep breath and nodded, smiling nervously.

They got out and grabbed their bags from the truck. "I'll unload the rest later," Ben said as he closed the back. They climbed the stairs, and the door opened to show Tina smiling from inside. They quickly joined her and closed the door. She and Lucy helped them with their coats, and then they took turns hugging Ben and Evelyn.

When they pulled back, the ladies smiled at Evelyn. "We are so pleased you and Ben have finally made time to be together. Was the mountain retreat everything you hoped it would be?" Tina asked.

Evelyn was smiling with glassy eyes. "It was! Thank you for sharing Ben's time with me."

Tina and Lucy smiled at her. "You are part of our family now. We all share Ben's time but never jealously." They pulled her into a group hug as Ben watched them with love in his eyes.

"Will you stay for supper?" Tina asked.

"I would, but I need to speak with the General. He was unable to reach me all weekend," Evelyn sighed, then her eyes widened as the ladies glanced at Ben in surprise.

"There was a technical issue with the sat phone, and the squad was unable to join us. The General kept an eye on us with drones, and everything went smoothly otherwise," Ben informed them.

Tina and Lucy nodded and smiled at the Sergeant. "Dinner tomorrow, then?" Tina asked, and Evelyn smiled, nodding in agreement.

Ben took Evelyn in his arms and gave her a tender kiss. When he pulled back, she gave him a dreamy look, which soon turned into a smile.

"Good night, Ben," she sighed.

"Good night, Evelyn. Go easy on the General, okay?"

She huffed in amusement. "Yes, sir!" she said, mimicking the soldier, salute and all. She tugged her jacket back on.

He raised his eyebrow at her teasing, but she just grinned and left with a wave.

Ben turned to the ladies. "What is for supper? I could eat a moose!"

Tina and Lucy grimaced distastefully at the idea.

"No moose, but we have a nice lasagna in the oven," Lucy offered.

"Yum! I'll go wash up and put away my stuff," he said, and they dipped forward to get kisses before they headed back to the kitchen.

Ben sighed happily. Aside from the unknown issue with the army, it truly had been a perfect weekend.

He had to do more of them.

Chapter 58

Richard Langley sat in his comfortable chair before his fireplace with a book in one hand and a brandy in the other. He'd eaten a good meal prepared by his cook and was looking forward to a little reading followed by sleeping in his bed, which the maid had put fresh sheets on that day.

Normally, these things would bring him comfort and ease his mind, but not today.

He was once the CEO of Langley Funeral Homes, a very successful business with branches in fifteen US cities. It began with his first here in his hometown and grew year after year.

He was now retired, having passed the role to his eldest son, and lived in a lovely mansion on the more affluent side of town.

His family was spending two weeks in Aruba for New Year's, and they still had a week left. He hadn't joined them as he detested the feel of sand between his toes and the heat. His wife was upset at him for staying behind, but truthfully, getting a little quiet time away from her was a blessing, too.

He heard the front door thump closed and knew that it was the housekeeper rushing home to be with her family. She'd been a little put out that he'd refused to let her take any time off over the holidays. What was he supposed to do for his meals and fresh daily linens?

He sighed, alone at last.

Richard enjoyed solitude. It was what drew him to the funeral home business in the first place. Walking through the mortuary at night when his only company was the dead was comforting.

The dead don't judge.

The years he'd spent with the club performing the ritual killing of young women rushed back to his mind, and he smiled. Those were some of the best years of his life. They were exciting and freed the primal beast inside his mind.

They knew they couldn't do it forever, but Spencer's idiotic mistake of involving his niece put an end to their fun long before it should have. The other members stepped back and blended into the banal society seamlessly, but Richard had been responsible for the disposal of the bodies in his funeral home's crematorium. With the extra attention on this last missing person case, he told Marion to seal the secret wing in the house and sell it.

He'd been on edge for an entire year, waiting for the knock on the door, but it never came.

They were safe.

Then, years later, the home's latest owner decided to tear it down and stumbled upon the secret wing.

Richard watched this activity with concern but knew enough to keep silent. He was certain the only one whose name was linked to the home was Spencer's, and he wasn't about to speak to the police, as his days were numbered as it was. He'd get tremendous satisfaction from denying the police.

Judge Reissman played his card and had the evidence the police collected suppressed.

Richard breathed a sigh of relief. When he read in the paper that Marion Spencer was dead, he saw the judge's hand in that. The man always ensured loose ends were dealt with, and he maintained contacts on both sides of the law.

Langley could relax once more, but something was denying him that peaceful feeling.

He took a sip of his brandy and stared at it moodily. Even this lovely vintage brought him no joy.

Richard realized he wanted to re-experience the thrill he'd felt in that underground room.

His eye caught motion to his left, then stars exploded across his vision as a big fist slammed into his nose, knocking him and his chair over.

He blacked out.

When he regained his faculties, he realized he was lying on his garage floor, bound at his chest, elbows, wrists, knees, and ankles in some wide black tape. He tried to speak, but his mouth was taped over, too. He struggled to breath through his bloody nose. He could only move his head and turn it when he heard a scraping noise.

That's when he saw the big man dressed in black. Even his face was covered. Only his eyes were visible, and they were cold and inhuman as they watched him squirming on the floor.

He tried to talk, but the man picked him up with ease and tossed him in the trunk of Richard's car. The space was large, but something poked him in the back, tipped over, and made sloshing and burping sounds. He noticed that the carpets made a squishing noise when he moved, as they were saturated with some liquid, and it was getting worse. The fumes quickly made his eyes water, and the scent sent a chill down his spine.

Gasoline.

Terror tore through his mind as he realized what the man intended to burn him alive in his trunk! He screamed, but the tape muffled the noise.

Another gas can was tossed in and began to noisily empty itself as well.

His throat was raw from screaming, but still the man's eyes showed no emotion.

He closed the trunk with a thump.

Richard's voice locked up as his mind raced. He hadn't seen any flames or sparks, so there shouldn't be anything to ignite the gas. His head was spinning due to the fumes.

He listened to hear if the man was still in the garage, but all he heard was a quiet... ticking?

His mind took him to a recurring nightmare he had of being locked in the cremation furnace.

Richard jumped when the ticking became a shrill ringing, and sparks shot out of an old clock by his feet.

The roar of the flames was the last thing he heard.

That and his muted screams.

-=-

Firetrucks lined the street before the burned-out husk of a mansion on a street filled with large homes. It was the space between the structures and the vigilant efforts of the firemen that spared the others.

Two frustrated detectives stood on the sidewalk speaking to the fire marshal.

"Do we know how many people were home at the time of the fire?" Krispin asked.

The marshal nodded. "When we arrived, we found Mrs. Wilson in the bushes next to the front door. She regained consciousness in the ambulance and informed us that only Richard Langley was at home, as his entire family was away on holiday. She was the housekeeper and was leaving to head home when she was struck from behind and thrown into the bushes. She was lucky to have avoided the burning debris falling from the building, which was fully engulfed when we arrived. She's been taken to the hospital with a nasty head wound, but she'll live."

"Did you find Mr. Langley?" Krispin asked.

"Yeah. He was in the trunk of his car in the garage. Burned alive. It's pretty grizzly," the marshal said and raised his hand. "Before you ask, no, we didn't open the trunk. Something inside exploded and blew it open."

"Is the garage clear for our team to look for evidence?" Krispin asked and got a nod, then the man was called away.

The two detectives looked at each other with grim expressions.

"That's three out of nine. We need to get the others under surveillance so we can catch this guy," Barton growled.

Krispin looked at his partner. "You're kidding, right? The captain won't assign us the resources for that. He wanted this done quietly."

Barton looked at the destroyed mansion. "I think the time for quiet is over."

Krispin followed his gaze and nodded. "Did the security guys get back to you on the internal surveillance for the records department?"

"Not yet. They weren't happy about having to scan through that many days' worth of footage to track the people entering the room," Barton said.

A van pulled up, and they saw it was the forensic team.

They walked over to speak to the lead tech.

"Good morning, Tom!" Barton said.

"Morning. Is this site in any better condition than the stable?" the man griped as he looked at the smouldering wreck of a house.

"The body is in the trunk of the car. He was burned alive in the trunk."

This startled a quick chuckle from Tom, and he got stares from the detectives.

"You knew he was a mortician, yeah? Death by cremation? Fuck!" the man explained and walked back to the van to get his team started.

Krispin looked at his partner. "Dialysis patient dies by lethal injection. Equestrian dies by... horse. The mortician dies by cremation. This certainly feels like a pattern."

"We got us a sick fuck playing games with his victims. What do we know about the others?" Barton asked.

"We'd know more with that goddamn docket! Let's go back to the office. Hey! Do you think the captain would let us hire Babineaux as a consultant on this case?" Krispin asked.

Barton snorted loudly in disbelief. "He practically kicked her out the door! Do you think she'd be willing to help us now? Get real."

Krispin sulked as they walked back to their car.

He hated this case.

Chapter 59

Ben was having dinner with Gabriella and her kids when she announced she was traveling to Düsseldorf to meet with the owners of a fashion design house.

Ben looked at her curiously. "Is Düsseldorf big on fashion design?"

She chuckled. "It's Germany's center for fashion and art!"

"We knew that," Miriam said, gesturing to Daniel as she rolled her eyes playfully at Ben. Daniel nodded smugly as he tried to hide his smile. Ben stuck his tongue out at them, and they burst into giggles.

He turned back to Gabriella, who was smiling joyfully at her kid's happiness. "When are you going?" he asked.

"I'm flying Thursday night to be there Friday morning. I'll be getting a tour of the design house, potentially working out a distribution deal with them, and that evening, they're debuting their new line of products. Following this, there will be the usual party for industry professionals and models. Would you like to join me?" she asked with a hopeful smile.

He nodded to himself as a plan formed in his mind. "We're going through a lean period of engineering puzzles at the moment. Plus, I promised a building materials company in Düsseldorf I'd visit them sometime. This sounds like an excellent opportunity to do it." He glanced at Miriam and Daniel. "Did you want to bring the comedians?" he said, gesturing to the kids whose eyes lit up immediately as they giggled.

"Oh!" Gabriella exclaimed. She glanced at her kids. "Any tests or assignments due on Friday? Anything you need to be here for?" she asked them.

Both shook their heads.

Gabriella looked back at Ben. "How would it work with the kids?"

"They could come with me during the day as I'm only doing a meet and greet, then we could do a little sightseeing and join you for the event and party."

Gabriella was grinning excitedly. "I'll have to reach out to Lina Aberbach, my contact at the design house. I take it you'd be traveling with your team?"

"Yes. Let me text Evelyn to see if it's just her and Liliya or if Moon will be coming as well," he said as he tapped out a text message.

Moments later, the response came back. "Moon will be staying here, so just the two." He received another message from Evelyn. "She needs to know how many people will be on the jet with us. She's going to book it and hotel rooms."

Gabriella texted Lina. "It's the middle of the night for Lina, so I'll get an answer in the morning. I've asked her if she can secure additional seats for us at the event." She gave him a grin. "I told her I'm bringing my boyfriend, Ben Shepherd, and his entourage," she said as she pointed to her kids, who grinned excitedly.

"Name-dropping?" Ben asked her with a little smile, and she gave him a coy smile.

"It opens doors."

There was a gentle ping sound from Gabriella's phone, and she looked at it in surprise.

"Oh, my goodness! She's still up?" She read the reply and grinned widely. "She said, for you, they'll make sure we have good seats!" She jumped up from her chair and moved to Ben's side. She handed her cell phone to Daniel and squeezed herself against Ben's side as they smiled at the camera.

When she got the cell back from her son, she grinned happily at the picture. She kissed Daniel's forehead, then sent the image to the woman in Germany.

"We're going by Sky Shepherd?" Gabriella asked.

"Yeah, I can't fly on commercial airlines anymore," Ben sighed.

"Thank you, Ben!" Gabriella said.

He smiled. "You'll make an excellent impression as well!" He tapped out another message to Evelyn. "So, we're coming back on Sunday, yes?" Gabriella smiled and nodded. He added that and sent the message. "Evelyn will get back to us."

Gabriella's cell made the ping sound once more. "It's Lina again. I think I've blown her mind. She seems very excited."

Ben gave her a pained look. "They aren't going to go media crazy with this, are they?"

Gabriella shook her head. "I'll let her know it should remain low-key and be a surprise for her other guests."

Ben nodded as Gabriella typed. "And away," she said as her reply was sent. She looked at Ben. "There will be press there, but most of them just cover the industry."

He nodded. "Well, let's see how it goes."

-=-

Dennis Thomasson once again made his premier aircraft available, and they flew in style. Ben and Gabriella got to sleep in the big comfy bed (after a little playtime), and everyone else slept on their luxurious fold-flat seats. No one was suffering from a lack of sleep when they arrived.

The day before they left, Ben contacted the owners of Brickmann GmbH to let them know he would be in town and would like to visit on Friday if they were available. They seemed excited as well. He told them not to go to any trouble as it was just a simple visit.

When they landed, Gabriella looked stunning in a lovely green and black dress, which complemented her curves and the emerald ring she wore proudly. Her matching emerald earrings, featuring smaller stones, completed the set. Ben had trouble looking away, which made her smile. The dark green heels she wore gave her a little height and accentuated her legs.

She patted his broad chest as she admired him in his dark suit.

Miriam and Daniel also looked very chic in the outfits their mother had picked out for them. They seemed completely at ease. Ben knew they were both more mature than their peers and were secure enough not to worry about how they looked or what others might think of them. He attributed this to Gabriella's parenting skills and her love for them.

The Sergeant was in her black combat fatigues, and Liliya was wearing her red leather.

As it was January, and they would need to cross the tarmac to enter the terminal, they pulled on their winter overcoats. At least it wasn't as brutally cold as it was at home.

Once they left the plane, they collected their suitcases and proceeded through the terminal to clear security.

"Is there going to be a local team watching over us?" Ben asked Evelyn, and she nodded.

"They'll be close but won't be seen unless needed," she said. "We have a driver waiting for us. He's with the team."

Gabriella made them pause before they entered the terminal building's reception hall. "Lina said she and her partners, Tanaka Keiko and Ilse Jaager, will be picking me up and taking me to their offices. They'd like to meet you first, of course." Ben nodded. "I sent you the address for the venue of the fashion show tonight. It starts promptly at seven, so please get there by six-thirty?" He nodded, and she continued. "They'll have your names at the door."

"We'll be there," Ben assured her, and she smiled.

They went through the doors, and Ben was relieved to see no reporters, only the usual group of people waiting for their loved ones. They walked closer, and Ben noticed three women standing in the center with huge smiles. They were looking at their group when Gabriella walked toward them, so he assumed these were the designers.

"Lina, Keiko, Ilse! Thank you so much for meeting us here," Gabriella said with a wide smile.

Lina spoke for them after the obligatory cheek presses. As she was tall and slim, she might have been a model herself in her younger years. Most notable was her straight, shoulder-length black hair, with two large white streaks from her temples, framing her face. It looked natural, and Ben was impressed she'd kept them.

"It was our pleasure, Gabriella. You came all this way to see us. It was the least we could do!" she said with a crisp German accent that tickled Ben's ears.

Keiko was the shortest of the three, but she must have been at least five-foot-eight. She wore her straight ebony hair loose to mid-back. She had a sweet smile and large, round glasses with thick black frames.

Ilse was the tallest, but had the frame of an Olympic swimmer, with wide shoulders, a narrow waist, and svelte musculature. She wasn't quite Ben's height, but she made her partners seem smaller than they were. Her close-cropped white hair resembled a swimming cap.

All three were grinning excitedly as Gabriella introduced them to her kids, then Ben. He shook their hands, exchanged hellos, and introduced his security team, who received impressed nods from the ladies. They immediately returned their gaze to him.

"I understand you're giving a fashion show tonight," he said, and they nodded. "I look forward to seeing it."

"Do you follow fashion?" Keiko asked.

"I appreciate beauty in all its forms, but I rely on Gabriella to make me look good," he said.

Gabriella chuckled, and the trio grinned widely.

Evelyn signalled to Ben that their ride was inbound. He nodded to her, then leaned in and gave Gabriella a sweet kiss. "Our ride is here. We'll see you tonight," he said as he pulled back.

"Have fun today!" she responded, and kissed her kids before they headed for the exit.

Ben had Gabriella's suitcase as well as his own, as they'd drop their bags at the hotel before visiting Brickmann.

Evelyn flagged down the stretch limo, and they quickly loaded their cases into it before hopping into the back.

It was just a fifteen-minute drive to the hotel. They were early for check-in, but the hotel stored their luggage for them.

Once that was handled, they returned to the limo and headed for Brickmann. Once more, the distance wasn't far, so they soon pulled into the parking lot before the building. The office space was located up front, with the manufacturing plant and warehouse situated behind.

As they exited the limo, two men stepped from the front door and walked toward them with smiles on their faces.

The older of the two held out his hand. "Mr. Shepherd! It's an honor to meet you! I'm Ernst Ziegler, President of Brickmann, and this is my son, Peter, my Vice President."

Ben smiled and shook the man's hand, then his son's. "It's good to meet you. It's good to hear you are operational as well."

"I will not lie. Those were some of the worst months of my life. I cannot thank you enough for finding Ulrich Huber and getting our money back from him," Ernst said with a sincere look of gratitude.

Ben smiled. "As for finding him, that was pure happenstance, as I was kidnapped and brought to the ship he was hiding on. A woman on the ship collected his journal after he died and gave it to me. It contained his account data. You've spoken with my lawyer, Walter Greyson, who followed Ulrich's trail and contacted you. So, it was a team effort."

"How did Ulrich die?" Peter blurted and blushed.

Ben would omit one detail to protect the innocent, but these men deserved to know the truth. He gave the two men a serious expression.

"Ulrich was a very unpleasant man. He certainly made no friends on the ship. There was an argument at dinner one night, and he took offence when he was reminded that his crime hurt people. He stood up too fast, tripped on his chair, and fell, breaking his neck on the foot of a neighboring table. I gave him a burial at sea." Ben knew it wasn't the complete truth, but a woman's freedom needed to be protected. He could live with that.

The two men gasped as they considered his words.

"I've dreamt of what I would have liked to have done to him, but it feels so much more satisfying to know he died foolishly and became fish food," Ernst said softly.

Daniel and Miriam chuckled, and this brought a smile to the old man's face as he suddenly realized the kids were there.

"And who have we here? Your children?" Ernst asked.

Ben smiled. "I should be so lucky. May I introduce Miriam and Daniel Wallace. They're my girlfriend Gabriella's children. She accompanied us to Düsseldorf for a business meeting. They're hanging out with me today."

"How wonderful!" Ernst said with a wide smile.

"And this is Evelyn Killcade and Liliya Sokolov, my security team," Ben finished. The two men smiled and nodded, though their eyes widened as they admired the ladies.

Ernst turned to Ben. "Please come inside, and we will give you a tour!"

As they stepped into the reception hall, they saw a wide banner against the back wall with 'Welcome Ben Shepherd' written on it. The room was filled with people who cheered upon seeing him.

He smiled and nodded to the happy employees, shaking many hands. He accepted a few hugs as well. Liliya and Evelyn kept a close eye on the group but didn't interfere.

Finally, they began the tour. The front building was all offices, and he'd met the people from there, so they donned hard hats, high-visibility vests, and ventured into the manufacturing plant.

Many times, Ben was greeted with smiles, handshakes, and hugs from workers who were not currently operating the machines.

Ben quickly saw what Walter had mentioned about the older technology in use. He asked the two men about that, and they admitted that they needed to update some equipment to remain competitive.

Daniel was fascinated, but Miriam just smiled politely.

When they were done, they returned to the front, and Ben asked to speak to Ernst and Peter privately for a few minutes. The ladies and kids waited in the lobby.

They entered the president's office, and Ben took a seat before the man's desk, while Ernst sat in his chair, and Peter sat in the chair next to Ben.

"I did my research before I came to visit. Walter also shared what he learned. You're a family-owned and operated business and have been so for generations. You make quality products, but your dependence on older technology means you're less able to keep up with your competition. You need upgrades and need to make them soon. I'd like to help you with that," Ben said.

"How much of the business do you want in return?" Peter asked with a cautious look.

Ben smiled but shook his head. "I don't want a controlling interest. You're doing an excellent job with what you have, but you'll do so much better with the upgrades. I didn't come here today to talk numbers. I'd like to invest in your company as I see its potential. If you're interested, please give me a call next week, and I'll have my team work with you to determine how much you'll need and what you're comfortable offering for it. Again, I don't need to own or control the company, but I'd like to see the company do well and earn a return on my investment in the long term. Think about it."

He stood, and they shook hands before returning to the lobby to meet up with the others.

"Let's do some sightseeing!" Ben said, and the kids grinned. He smiled at Evelyn and Liliya.

-=-

By mutual agreement, they held off on investigating the old town and the main shopping district as these were activities they wanted to share with Gabriella.

They visited the Rhine Tower to take in the view. Daniel took many pictures, then they headed over to a tourist area called Little Tokyo. Daniel filled Ben in on why there was a large Japanese community in Düsseldorf, the largest in Europe. That brought a smile to Ben's face. Daniel had done his research.

They found a lovely Japanese restaurant for lunch and took their time to enjoy their meals. Daniel found it amusing to travel all the way to Germany to have authentic Japanese food. Ben promised them they would find a good restaurant for traditional German food.

They spent a little more time mooching around the neighborhood and then went back to the hotel to freshen up for the evening.

The venue for the fashion show was buzzing with a crowd outside the doors. The beautiful people arrived in limousines and walked up the red carpet to enter the building, amid a burst of flashes. Then it was their turn. Liliya and Evelyn were out of the vehicle and immediately assessing the crowd. The woman in red leather opened Ben's door when she received the nod from her partner, and Daniel exited first. He waited for Ben, who turned and held his hand out to Miriam, who joined him on the sidewalk.

The paparazzi's shouts escalated into a frenzy as the flashes strobed almost constantly when they recognized Ben. This felt like confirmation that the designers hadn't informed the press, as they seemed genuinely surprised.

With Daniel on one side and Miriam on the other, Ben started for the doors only to feel a slight tug on his hand from Miriam. He paused to look at her, and she gave him a little hopeful smile. He returned it, then stopped to pose for the paparazzi. Daniel peeked around Ben to see Miriam smiling graciously at the cameras, then looked up at Ben, who gave him a little nod. The young man smiled for the cameras, too.

Another car pulled to the curb, so Miriam squeezed Ben's hand to let him know she was done. They continued to the door and ignored the rest of the shouting. Ben glanced at Miriam and saw the twinkle in her eyes. Another experience for the girl's bucket list? He smiled to himself. The kids were too young to have bucket lists! He certainly had enough of this experience to last a lifetime, but he wouldn't deny the kids their turn in the spotlight.

As they entered a reception area, they spotted a large group of people mingling, drinking cocktails, and nibbling on small hors d'oeuvres as waiters circulated trays through the room. One changed their course to head toward the tall man in the dark suit. Miriam and Daniel each picked up what looked like a crispy spring roll and a napkin as Ben shook his head with a smile for the server. He watched Daniel's eyes light up as he chewed the bite-sized treat. He managed to get a second one before the woman moved on.

Ben used his height to peer over the others' heads until he spotted his target. "I think I see your mother. Let's go say hello," he suggested, and they nodded excitedly. Liliya spotted her as well and led the way through the throng, bringing them to Gabriella's side.

Miriam and Daniel moved to her side and gave her hugs. They smiled and nodded to Lina, Keiko, and Ilse. Ben gave Gabriella a hug and a kiss, which lingered just a little, putting wide smiles on the faces of the three designers. They were very pleased to press cheeks with Ben once he released Gabriella.

One of the event photographers joined them to get some informal shots of the three women with Ben, Gabriella, and her children. They posed together until she thanked them and moved on.

"We are so pleased you were able to join us tonight for the showing of our new collection!" Lina gushed as Keiko and Ilse smiled and nodded.

"You are giving our event the Shepherd touch!" Keiko exclaimed, and Ben's eyebrows rose.

"What's that?" he asked.

Ilse grinned at him. "A boost of attention and a stamp of approval!"

Ben grinned. "I'm not the one who knows anything about fashion. That's Gabriella! If she believes it's worthy of attention, that's good enough for me."

Lina looked at him curiously. "But you invested so heavily in Brezza!"

"Because Gabriella believed in them, and I believe in Gabriella," he said.

The woman in question pulled Ben into a hug, and he kissed her tenderly.

When he turned back, the three women were staring at him curiously. He grinned. "I'm a Mechanical Engineer. That's where my expertise begins and ends. For everything else, I rely on people much smarter than me."

A delicate chime sounded, signaling it was time to take their seats. The designers guided them into the next room to their seats of honor, which were at the midpoint of the raised runway. This gave them the best view of the models as they came and went. Ben and Gabriella sat with her kids between them, Evelyn and Liliya taking the chairs next to them on either side.

Lina, Ilse, and Keiko left to go backstage to start their show.

The seats were quickly filling as the remaining guests filed into the long room. Evelyn and Liliya scanned the people sitting in the rows behind them and determined there would be no potential issues. They saw many curious glances and surprised looks of recognition, but nothing dangerous. A few people approached Ben to say hello before taking their seats. He graciously allowed a few selfies as well.

When the lights dimmed, he sent Gabriella a smile, and she returned it.

Ben enjoyed the show and thought most of the clothes were pretty. The models seemed happy to be there, and this energy improved the presentation, in Ben's opinion at least.

He watched Gabriella's expression, and she also seemed delighted with most of the outfits.

Daniel captured images of the models and their designer apparel from this excellent vantage point. Ben was once more impressed with the quality of the photos he was capturing. He also got a shot of Gabriella and Miriam smiling up at the stage as one of the models passed by. Ben was delighted by the candid shot as the look of joy on the mother and daughter's faces was beautiful.

He leaned closer to Daniel and praised him for catching the moment.

Finally, the models gathered on stage as the designers came out to take a bow, and everyone clapped. They stopped on the runway to blow kisses to Gabriella and Ben. He glanced at the lovely brunette before mirroring her by responding in kind. The trio looked delighted as the cameras captured this interaction between the designers and their special guests.

Ben did his best to keep a smile on his face while the cameras were on them. He felt it was ridiculous that his presence would mean anything here, but it made Gabriella happy.

When the lights came back on, Gabriella moved closer to Ben and gathered her kids. "Lina has asked us to join them for drinks at a bar in the Hyatt Regency hotel. We can take the kids back to their hotel room first, then join them. Would that be all right?"

"Can't we come?" Miriam asked.

Daniel was caught mid-yawn and sent his sister a guilty look as his mom smiled.

"No. Jet lag is kicking in, and we have a full day of shopping tomorrow," she said, looking into Miriam's eyes.

The kids nodded, and Gabriella got a nod from Ben as well.

He locked eyes with Evelyn. "Hotel to drop off Miriam and Daniel, then to the Hyatt Regency," he said, and she gave him a nod as she spoke into her mic and led them through the crowd to the exit, Liliya following.

People made way when they saw the stern expression on the Sergeant's face. Or perhaps it was the thin white scar running across her face that made eyes widen, and feet step back.

Their ride was at the curb when they arrived, so they slipped inside and pulled away from the venue. It only took minutes to reach the hotel, tuck the kids into their room, and return to the limo.

"We have two men in the hall watching the room," Evelyn said quietly. "They're safe."

Gabriella smiled at her and held Ben's hand.

"I'm sorry my situation has added so much trouble for others," Ben said to her contritely.

"It's not a hardship, Ben. We have a good life," she said gently with a smile.

He looked over to Liliya and Evelyn. "Anything we should be aware of in terms of dangers?"

Liliya smiled and shook her head. "Our intelligence agencies and those of our allies all report that no current threats are being tracked for you, foreign or domestic. The aftermath of the FSB's destruction is keeping them busy. The fact that one of FSB's creations brought it down and took out almost all its leadership cast considerable doubt on its practices, eroding its support. Something else will take its place eventually, and we'll be watching."

"We'll remain vigilant," Evelyn added.

Ben nodded his thanks to them.

-=-

"What does a mechanic know about fashion?"

Standing next to the bar, Ben blinked at Felix Becker, a slim man in his thirties who'd just introduced himself at the after-party. The man was wearing a sparkly silver dinner jacket, black tights, and shiny, black leather shoes. His shaved head reflected the lovely amber lights above the hotel bar, but his frustration flushed his pale skin even more. The drink in his unsteady hand might also explain the reddening.

"It's Mechanical Engineer, and the answer to your question is nothing. Gabriella Wallace is the brilliant mind I call upon for advice on that subject. She's also my girlfriend. I just came along as her date," Ben explained to the irritated man. He gave him a closer look. "Was there a problem with my attending the event?"

Ilse appeared at Felix's back with a frown. She must have overheard the man's words. "Felix, you are making a fool of yourself. Drink some water and go home."

The man turned to face Ilse and frowned. "This bar is open to the public, so I have every right to be here!" She leaned back from the gust of boozy breath.

"Mr. Shepherd was our guest at the show--" Ilse began.

"I'm told he was your guest of honor! The press is in a frenzy!" Felix snapped.

"Gabriella was the guest of honor. I was her date," Ben insisted, and Ilse nodded. He saw the slightest hesitation in the woman, but pushed that aside as he addressed the man. "I ask again, why does this matter?"

"You know nothing of the fashion industry and its dependence on media attention!" Felix spat.

Ben looked at Ilse wearily. "I think I've already admitted that."

Ilse's expression showed her dislike for Felix. "Your jealousy is not welcome here tonight. Read the room, Felix. Throwing a tantrum will not yield a beneficial outcome for your design house. You don't need that kind of media attention."

Ben noticed two people approaching who appeared to be members of the press.

Felix suddenly threw back the last swallow of his drink and slammed it onto the bar top. Then he surprisingly launched himself at Ben with a battle cry that sounded more like a pained squeal.

Ben leaned back to avoid the slapping hands, and the smaller man bounced off his broad chest. Felix tried to keep his feet under himself but tripped and crashed to the floor on his back, thumping his head against the floor.

Then he vomited on himself.

Ben leaned down and rolled Felix onto his side to keep him from choking.

He stood up as the reporters began taking pictures.

"Is this really something that needs to be reported on?" Ben asked as he stood.

"Why wouldn't this be newsworthy? We just saw him attack you!" one of the reporters asked as the other got his shots.

Ben shook his head sadly. "I've faced attackers before. This was a cry for help." He saw that the man was recording him, so he assumed he had gotten his sound bite.

He glanced at Liliya, who was now by his side. She nodded to him as she'd evaluated that Felix posed no threat and de-escalated by allowing Ben to deal with him.

Ben asked the bartender to call an ambulance for Mr. Becker. Then he picked up the wine glass and water he'd ordered from the bar. They returned to join Gabriella, Lina, and Keiko as Ilse spoke with the press.

Lina looked at Ben with concern. "What happened?"

He handed the wine to Gabriella with a smile, then looked at the other women. "A gentleman by the name of Felix Becker was upset that I attended your show. He drank to excess and tried to attack me."

"Did you hit him?" Keiko gasped with a twinkle in her eyes.

Ben shook his head. "No. Mr. Becker isn't a fighter. He managed to fall on his own, bumped his head, and threw up."

Disgusted expressions appeared on their faces.

Ilse joined them with the reporters in tow. They took some pictures of the group, and Ben ensured he was behind Gabriella in each shot. The designers answered a few questions, and Ben indicated he had nothing to add. The reporters moved on to speak to the other guests.

Keiko watched Ben closely. "You really are hesitant to speak to reporters."

Ben sighed softly. "I don't have a good rapport with the media in general." He tried to change the subject. "Did you have a successful day?"

The designers and Gabriella smiled widely and nodded.

He returned the smiles. "That's excellent news."

"How was your visit to Brickmann?" Gabriella asked.

"Very good as well. They're a good bunch of people!" Ben enthused.

Lina looked at him curiously. "What is Brickmann?" Her partners were also curious.

Ben nodded. "They're a manufacturer of construction materials."

"This is what you do?" Ilse asked.

Gabriella chuckled. "In a way. When Ben was kidnapped and taken aboard a human trafficker's ship, he met a man who stole Brickmann's pension funds and working capital. Ben got the money back to them once he got free."

Now the trio of designers was watching Ben with wide eyes.

"How did you get free?" Lina asked.

Ben looked at them and sighed quietly. "I killed the guards and the kidnapper."

Now their eyes were extra wide. "How... how did you do that?" Ilse asked breathily.

"One at a time... mostly," he replied, recalling he'd faced multiple goons at the beginning.

"You went after them like an American action hero with guns blazing?" Keiko asked with another gleam in her eyes.

"No gun. I only had a fire axe," Ben admitted.

The trio stared at Ben in awe.

He didn't bother trying to tell them he hadn't been trying to be a hero. It would fall on deaf ears.

Gabriella hugged him, aware of how uncomfortable this hero-worship made him. He smiled and kissed the top of her head. That tender gesture seemed to break the ladies from their frozen state.

"You have lived through some intense dangers!" Ilse said, still a little breathless

"Yeah, but I'd rather be hanging out with my kids," he replied.

That brought smiles to their faces.

Over the next hour, they were visited by other guests, and Ben found himself introduced to each of them. He saw how delighted the ladies were to show off their relationship to him, and he had to admit it was drawing them a lot of attention.

The ladies who had walked the runway at the show were also in attendance and came forward to press their cheeks with the team and say hello to Ben. Some were very bold, firmly pressing their slim bodies against him, hoping to entice him. He smiled and returned to Gabriella's side after their embrace. Thankfully, they were gracious about his failure to respond to their attempts.

Finally, Gabriella squeezed his hand, and he glanced down at her.

"I think we should head back to the hotel. We have a full day tomorrow," she said with a sweet smile.

Ben nodded and gave her a grateful smile. She turned to the ladies. "Thank you for inviting us to your show! It was wonderful, and I look forward to working with you. Your new collection is brilliant!"

The ladies pressed their cheeks to Gabriella's, and then it was Ben's turn.

"I was very impressed with your work. I look forward to its success," he said, and they grinned happily as they pressed their cheeks to his.

They said their goodnights and headed for the exit, Evelyn and Liliya quickly taking their places to guide and follow.

The drive back to the hotel was short, and soon they were safely inside their room. Gabriella checked on her kids and then returned with a happy smile.

"It's so nice to have them with me on these trips," she sighed as she pulled Ben into a hug.

He sighed happily, feeling her soft curves squishing against his hard muscles.

She tilted her face up, and he kissed her lips tenderly.

"Mmm! I like that too. Let's get ready for bed," she said sweetly.

They undressed, brushed their teeth, and slipped under the covers.

Ben felt Gabriella's fingers slip under the waistband of the light shorts he was wearing to bed, in case the kids visited, and sucked in a breath as her hand gripped his cock.

"It's so nice to have this with me on these trips," Gabriella said with a cheeky smile.

Ben kissed her deeply, and she made needful sounds into his mouth as his hand slipped into her panties. His fingers caressed her wet lips, and her gasps became urgent. He wasted no time in sliding her panties down her legs as she tugged at his shorts.

Then Ben pulled her nightie up and over her head until he was gazing in awe at her amazing breasts. He squeezed one in his hand as she stroked his hard cock.

"I'm not just a great set of boobs to you, am I?" she teased.

He gave her a mock look of outrage. "Great? They're magnificent!"

She grinned and swatted him playfully.

He retaliated by pulling her over his body and taking a grip on her ass. As she kissed him, he rubbed her pussy over his growing erection until she began to pant. Then he adjusted his hips and slid himself into her wetness.

"Oh my god, Ben!" she said breathily.

His need for her was growing rapidly, so he pushed himself deep until she had it all.

"So good!" she gasped.

Her hips assisted with the movements needed to drive his cock like a piston until she was twitching and gasping at the edge of her release.

Ben felt his rushing up on him, so he began to rock his hips more aggressively until their bodies were slapping together.

Gabriella pressed her face into his neck to stifle her scream as her orgasm struck. Ben was only seconds behind. They squeezed each other tight to get every bit of bliss out of their fun.

As they rested together, enjoying the afterglow, Ben kissed the top of Gabriella's head.

She purred in satisfaction. "That was a lovely way to end a great day!" she sighed happily.

Ben chuckled softly. "I completely agree."

"The kids are looking forward to tomorrow," Gabriella said, and Ben made a sound of agreement.

She pulled back to look into his eyes in the dim light of the room. "I hope you didn't mind all the attention you received tonight at the show and the afterparty."

He shook his head slightly. "No, it was fairly low-key tonight, and I appreciated that. I didn't think my attending a fashion show would stir up any controversy, then that drunk guy came at me."

Gabriella chuckled. "What did Keiko call it? Oh, yes. The Shepherd Touch!"

"I'll give you the Shepherd Touch!" Ben teased and ran his fingertips over Gabriella's breasts, making her squeak as tingles shot through her.

"I surrender! No more!" she begged as she giggled, desperately squirming away from his sensual tickling.

He pulled her to his side.

"I love you, Gabriella," he said.

She smiled at him in the dark, tears of happiness in her eyes. "I love you, too, Ben."

Sleep found them in each other's arms.

Chapter 60

Ben was going over his calculations in his home office one more time.

He'd had a dream on their flight home from Düsseldorf. An a cappella song was being sung by a parade ground full of soldiers, both men and women, singing the line Bullets, Beans, and Bandages in beautiful harmony. He'd been standing on a raised stage before them with General Davis and Evelyn at his side. The two were smiling at him as he gazed out over the young men and women.

He was frustrated as he wanted to help them survive their missions. His recent productivity slump was tormenting him.

As the song continued, he turned to face the back of the stage, and he saw the long row of display cases in his office containing all his patented inventions from his career.

The lighting in the cases began to fade, leaving some objects in darkness but highlighting others on the shelves. His mind went to each as he recalled how he'd solved the puzzle for it.

Something was niggling at the back of his mind as he reviewed each of the inventions still being lit up. There was something intensely important about these items, but the connection between them wasn't clear.

In frustration, he turned away and looked at the workbench in the space Evelyn rented for him as they investigated the exploding battery.

He'd woken on the flight with a loud gasp and frantically pulled out his laptop to write down the names of all the components in his display case that had been highlighted. As he looked at the list, an idea began to form in his mind about how they could all be used together.

Evelyn stood next to his chair and looked at the list. She recognized the names, but she didn't see how they related.

Ben didn't want to raise anyone's hopes until he had run the calculations and modeled it in his software test bench.

He spent the next week working on the new project. Evelyn could see that his latest puzzle completely absorbed his mind, so she did her best to limit his distractions.

Finally, she drove him to his custom milling house to get some new components created. They were given the design specs and a list of the materials to be used for each. It was the largest order he'd ever requested from them, and it'd be the most expensive, but they were excited to get started. It would take almost a month before the order would be ready.

As they got back into his truck, Ben turned to face Evelyn, who was behind the wheel, and looked over his shoulder at Liliya in the backseat.

"Thank you for being so supportive of me since I got this idea in my mind. I know I've been silent about it, and I beg your indulgence for just a little while longer. This is the most complex thing I've ever built, and while my calculations tell me it will work, I need to hang on until I've built and tested the prototype."

Evelyn shook her head. "Ben, you don't need to explain anything to me. I'm here to assist you however you need. If you need silence and secrecy, you'll have it."

Liliya smiled at Ben. "It's fascinating to see you so charged up about something you're creating from an idea. I look forward to the big reveal."

Ben nodded his thanks to them. "Let's go home. I need to decompress."

He spent the next two days playing with Sam and Gretchen, pushing all thoughts of his invention out of his mind.

-=-

General Davis looked at the most recent report from his niece and raised his bushy eyebrows. Ben was working on a secret project?

It involved many of his previous creations, and she believed it was going to be significant from the meager clues she'd received. The components were being created at the milling shop and would take at least a month to complete.

He wasn't happy that Ben was keeping Evelyn in the dark. After all, that was one of her assigned duties. He frowned as he thought about making a call to his favorite inventor.

Then he read the Sergeant's notes added to the end of the report. She said Ben had been absentmindedly humming a tune all week as he worked, and she'd overheard him muttering the following lyrics:

Bullets, Beans, and Bandages.

The General leaned back in his chair as he smiled widely. He immediately felt a burst of relief and anticipation. It was a military logistics phrase. He knew it might just be a nonsense song, but his gut was telling him Ben was working on something he'd be able to rub in the faces of those useless committee members in Washington.

He'd be patient.

Besides, he'd received news from Captain Kendricks that the new body armor Ben invented had passed their most stringent testing. It had been approved for mass production and deployment. This was a juicy little bit of news he could use to keep the sharks at bay for a while.

-=-

The police captain glared across his desk at the two detectives. "What do you mean you have no leads?" he barked. "He's killed five people! He must have left a clue or been caught on camera somewhere!"

Barton shifted in his chair. "The guy is exceptionally cautious and meticulous. He may be a professional. He ensures the security systems are shut down or disabled and leaves the scene spotless. No fingerprints and not so much as a hair!" He paused for a moment before continuing. "That's likely how he got into our records department to pull the case files--"

"Not a word! I don't want you two repeating that outside of this office! It would destroy the credibility of the police force and create a nightmare for our courts," he snapped angrily.

"Yes, sir," they responded.

Krispin cleared his throat. "He got into a refinery and carried the fourth victim up to the catwalks to suspend him by his ankles above a cradle of molten metal! No one saw anything! None of the cameras caught more than a glimpse of a large shadow!"

"Lawrence Billington owned the refinery. We think he was in his on-site office when the assailant captured him and strung him up," Barton clarified. "His secretary was at lunch, and no one witnessed him leaving or any strangers entering the office building. Many people were moving around the property in small carts and trucks. One more wouldn't have been noticed."

The captain stared at the two men, then glanced at the sheet on his desk. "This-this Julia Fosterson! Asphyxiated in the back seat of one of her cars in the showroom--"

Barton jumped in. "After hours, sir. It's her luxury car dealership. She worked late--if we could have set up surveillance on these people--"

"It's a little too late for that now!" the captain shouted, and the detectives just stared at him. It was his decision to block their request, and he knew that.

The man's eyes were on the papers on his desk as his mind scrambled for a way to come out of this with his career intact. The media outlets were hounding him for answers. Big shadows. "These victims are all tied to the Ashburn Court case. Ben Shepherd is a big man who's taken the law into his own hands--"

"We've questioned him and spoken with his lawyer. He has a verified alibi for each event. His house is under constant surveillance, and records indicate he was at home on most of the dates in question. On other occasions, he was out of the state or with one of his neighbors. The only evidence we have is that he has the list of names," Barton responded.

The captain scowled, as this looked very bad for him. "Who's left?"

Krispin looked at his notes. "Vincent Galiazzo owns an Import/Export house that deals with art. Eric Dietz is an architect specializing in expensive mansions. Mallory Prentice owns a media company and publishing house. Finally, there's Judge Reissman, but he's left the country."

The captain nodded his head. "I'll assign some officers to watch over the three who are still local. Reissman can deal with his own security." He looked at the Detectives. "Go check on these three now."

"Yes, sir," the detectives said and left his office.

The captain stared out his window as his mind spun in circles, trying to find a way to distance himself from this. Maybe he could blame it on the two detectives, as they weren't the sharpest knives in the drawer.

He hated this case and wished he'd never heard of Chanel Babineaux.

Or Ben Shepherd.

-=-

Krispin looked around the large room and frowned. There were many pieces of art on display in the gallery, potentially representing a significant amount of money that the wealthy were using for tax write-offs. Not that he'd ever see that kind of money.

They were waiting for Galiazzo's secretary to complete an urgent shipment of a large crate being sent to Italy. The Vatican, in fact. They watched the courier wheel it out of the building, then the woman had time for them. She checked her boss' schedule and noted he'd added an entry the night before. All it said was vacation villa.

"Where does Mr. Galiazzo have a villa?" Barton asked.

"In Lecce, Italy," she responded.

Barton raised an eyebrow. "Do you have an address and perhaps a number we could call?"

The secretary looked seriously put out, but walked to the corner office with the detectives following. "He keeps his address book in his office. Oh!"

The woman stopped dead in the doorway. The two men looked past her and saw a wall safe with its door open. Inside were a few bits of paper.

"He's taken all the cash!" she said in surprise.

Krispin looked at his partner, then back at the secretary. "How much?"

Now, she looked nervous. "Close to nine hundred and fifty thousand."

Now it was the detective's turn to look surprised. "Who keeps close to a million dollars in a wall safe? That's what banks are for!" Krispin exclaimed.

"This is the art business!" the woman snapped as if it explained everything.

"Maybe Mr. Galiazzo is taking more than a vacation," Barton suggested.

There wasn't much else they could do if the man fled the country, so they got the address and left the gallery.

"Who's next?" Krispin asked his partner.

"Let's go drop in on Mallory Prentice. I've always wanted to visit the television studio," Barton said with a smile.

"Maybe we can get an acting gig on a new crime drama!" Krispin teased and got a chuckle.

It took them half an hour to reach the studio and another twenty minutes to find out that he hadn't shown up for work.

By the time they got to Prentice's place, a police cruiser was already in the driveway. It was the officer that the captain ordered to keep watch over the man. They parked and walked up to the house. The officer on the scene met them on the steps.

The forensic team van rushed up the drive, and the lead tech immediately jumped out and hustled over to join them.

"Good morning, Tom!" Barton said, not expecting a response.

"Who's been inside?" Tom asked after the briefest nod, and the officer raised a hand.

"Did you touch anything?" the tech asked.

"No. Upon arrival, I noticed the front door had been forced open, so I entered and checked upstairs, but the home was empty. All the doors had been opened, and I saw extensive damage. There's blood on a carpet in an office upstairs and an open wall safe. The computer monitor is turned around to face the door, and a slide show of some terrible images is being displayed," the office reported.

"Facing the door? Like someone wanted it to be seen?" Krispin asked, and the cop nodded.

"Has anyone checked the garage?" Barton asked, thinking of Richard Langley's demise.

"The garage door is open, and the space closest to the interior door is empty," the officer said.

"We'll see if we can't track the location of his car. It may have a transponder," Krispin said.

"We need the scene," Tom said before rushing back to the van to get suited up.

Krispin and Barton moved back to let the forensic team begin their work. They looked at each other.

"What do you think?" Barton asked his partner quietly.

"If the body isn't here, then it's an abduction. If he follows his pattern, he's going to do something awful to the man in a way that relates to what he does," Krispin theorized.

"Push him into a printing press? Hang him from a broadcast tower?" Barton suggested.

"Fuck! No one reads anymore, so I doubt it will be death by printing press," Krispin snorted.

They saw Tom returning with a grim expression. "The officer was right about the horrific images on that screen. It's snuff stuff and underage porn. The laptop is connected to a portable hard drive, and dozens of them are on his desk and in the wall safe. It's all going back to the lab to be dusted for prints. Either it's an elaborate frame-up by whoever took Prentice, or he's a very disturbed man." The detectives shared a glance before Tom continued.

"Oh! The assailant carved the word DEGENERATE on the desk surface upstairs. We found the same word carved in the wall of the horse breeding pen, on the back of the burnt garage door, on the desk of the refinery owner, and cut into the leather seat of the luxury car. Was it found at the scene of Marion Spencer's murder?"

Krispin looked at Barton as they'd been ordered not to mention that the docket with that information was stolen. He wasn't sure how to answer.

"I don't believe it was mentioned in the file," Barton said as he looked away. "Thanks, Tom," he said and received a slight nod before the man walked back inside.

"Let's go see Eric Deitz!" Krispin insisted, and the two rushed back to their car.

As Barton drove, Krispin called in a request to identify and track the location of Mallory Prentice's car.

When they arrived at the Architect's firm, they were told that Deitz was on site at a customer's new build. They got the address and drove to the hillside development. When they arrived at the address, they saw the crew using a cement pump to fill a row of concrete forms wrapped in dark blue sleeves. These would be the supports for a concrete slab on which the home would be built.

They walked over to the group of workers, and one stepped forward to meet them.

"Detectives Barton and Krispin. We need to speak to Eric Deitz, and we were told he was here."

"I'm Jimmy Hastings, site foreman. Yeah, Eric was supposed to meet us here first thing. Weirdest thing. His car is here." The man said, pointing to a sporty, silver BMW.

The detectives looked at each other, then at the concrete pillars. "We have reason to believe his life may be in danger. Were these tubes visibly inspected before you poured the concrete?" Barton asked.

"What?" The man's face went white as he spun to look at his crew chief. "Lester! Did you guys look inside the forms before you poured the concrete?"

The skinny man turned to look at the tubes, which stood seven feet above ground and extended eight feet into the earth. "We did it last night before we put tarps over them to keep out the snow. The tarps were still there this morning. Nothing can climb the outside of these. Critters ain't getting in."

"Why are you pouring concrete in the winter? Don't you guys take this season off?" Barton asked.

"The customer is in a hurry and is willing to pay the expense for the insulated pillar forms," Jimmy explained.

Krispin shared a look with his partner. "What do you think? Most likely tube?"

"First one," Barton said. "Closest to the driveway. He could have climbed into the back of a pickup truck or car and hoisted the body over the lip.

"Are you sure? Maybe he just walked down the hill to visit the coffee shop?" Jimmy suggested nervously.

Barton looked the man in the eye. "Would a man who drives that car walk half a mile to a coffee shop, then walk back? Uphill in the snow? Besides, you said his car was here when you arrived." He looked up at the sun.

Jimmy looked a little ill as he nodded his head in agreement.

"If you'd taken a few minutes this morning to take a quick peek inside each tube, we wouldn't need to do this," Krispin said.

"FUCK!" Jimmy shouted angrily, and his crew looked at him nervously. "Rick, get the crane. We'll lift the first tube. The concrete hasn't had time to cure, so it's gonna run. We'll need equipment to collect and dispose of the concrete and rebar. Maybe we can reuse that. The insulated form is probably a loss. The customer will need to pay for the replacements," he grumbled. Then he clapped his hands, and the crew got moving. He directed the detectives to step back as the equipment arrived.

They watched the crane move into position, then the men fussed with connecting the tube to the steel cables. Finally, they began to lift the tube, and it initially resisted. Eventually, it began to rise, and as the bottom of the tube rose above the ground, the concrete slowly began to pour out through the rebar cage inside.

The form continued to rise, and something wrapped in plastic appeared inside the metal bars. As the tube rose, the object took on a more familiar shape--legs, hips, waist, torso, and finally the head.

The body was tangled in the rebar, so they had to use the crane and chains to lift it out of the mesh and lower it to the ground. The workers crowded forward to see, but the detectives asked them to move back. Barton carefully parted the plastic sheet, exposing the victim's face. He looked at the foreman. "Is this Eric Deitz?"

The foreman nodded with a queasy expression.

Barton examined the dead man as Krispin called the forensic team and reported another crime scene.

"It doesn't look like he was tortured. This strike on his head would have killed him. I don't see a degenerate message. The killer couldn't take his time with this one," Barton said quietly to his partner, who nodded.

"I still don't understand how he managed to hit so many targets, so quickly, and leave so little trace," Krispin said.

Barton looked back at the concrete and shook his head. The killer either had a horseshoe up his ass or a hell of a lot of practice.

Krispin received a call from headquarters and took down the information. "They found Prentice's car. Under an overpass and on fire. No evidence on that one either, or any sign of Mallory Prentice."

Barton remembered what was found in Mallory's home office. He had a feeling the killer wasn't going to give Mallory as quick a death as Deitz.

Krispin's cell rang again, and from his expression, it wasn't good. "It's Tom," he said, and Barton held out his hand for the phone to answer it. "Barton."

"What the hell! We haven't finished this scene, and you're calling me to another? Who is this guy? Houdini?" Tom barked through the phone.

"Houdini and Usain Bolt combined," Barton returned. "How he clustered all these murders together so quickly and left no clues is frightening!" he said quietly. "The latest discovery was killed, wrapped in plastic, and dumped in a concrete forming tube that was filled this morning--"

"They didn't look inside first?" Tom asked incredulously.

"They did not," Barton replied stiffly. "The difference this time was the victim wasn't tortured, just killed with a heavy blow to the skull and dumped, like the killer was in a hurr--" He glanced over at the tube, lying on its side, and froze. "Sonuvabitch. He scratched DEGENERATE on the concrete form. We didn't see it before as it was on the other side."

Barton stared at his partner with a frown, then directed his attention back to the call. "We'll get some uniforms to guard the scene, but we have to check on something."

"Fine," Tom said and hung up.

Barton handed the cell back to Krispin. "Call it in and get someone to guard this scene. We need to go back to Galiazzo's gallery."

It took the cruiser half an hour to arrive. In that time, they took statements from the workers on the scene to determine the timeline.

The moment they'd given instructions to the officers to protect the crime scene, they got in their car and headed back to the gallery.

Stepping in the front door, they were stunned to see bare walls and empty display stands. The art was gone.

The secretary rushed out of the corner office with a file box of receipts. "We're closed--OH!"

"Having a deep discount sale?" Krispin asked, gesturing to the empty gallery. Through the open door to the storeroom, they heard the loud bang and metallic clack of a sliding door being slammed, followed by the sound of a car door closing, then the engine starting and the vehicle rushing away.

Barton scowled at the woman. "I take it that was your partner?"

She looked panicked but nodded.

"Stealing the art from the shop because your boss took off to Italy?" Krispin asked, and her eyes started to fill with tears.

"Where is he taking the truck?" Barton growled.

The woman tipped her head up defiantly, but that faded quickly. "She. Becky's taking it to our storage unit on Jensen Road."

"Becky what?" Krispin asked.

"Matthews. U-StoreIt. Unit thirty-seven."

"Thank you." Barton called in a request to have the truck stopped and the driver taken into custody. Then he left the secretary with Krispin as he walked into the corner office.

The desk's surface was unmarked, and he saw nothing on the walls or the desk chair. He stopped in the doorway as he was leaving, then stepped back into the office and closed the door.

On the back was carved DEGENERATE.

The killer had been here, but he must have taken Galiazzo with him.

Now they had two abductees to locate.

All they had to show for their efforts on this case were two amateur art thieves.

Shit.

Chapter 61

Trish was sitting in Ben's living room with him, Catherine, Chanel, Evelyn, Liliya, Moon, Tina, and Lucy as the redhead described the grand opening presentation for the next Shepherd Foundation. This one would be in London. The construction phase was completed on time and within budget, thanks to the Klein Group's efforts. The buildings were ready for occupancy.

She and Catherine described how their recruitment process had gone, and they were almost fully staffed with the remaining positions expected to be filled in the next few days.

Catherine sighed as she reached the next part of her report. "We've been doing a delicate dance with a certain group that wants to be involved in the project. They aren't very receptive to taking no for an answer."

Ben frowned. "Organized crime?"

Catherine smiled. "No. Royalty. The Shepherd Foundation is roughly similar to a program the King is involved with, so he'd like to be part of ours."

"Screw that!" Ben exclaimed with a scowl. "The last thing I want is to have the... what do you call the British elite?"

"Toffs!" Trish offered with a grin.

Ben glanced at Trish with a smile. "Right. I don't want any toffs involved in the Foundation! Our kids need to know they're being supported by people who understand their struggle," Ben insisted.

He fixed his gaze on Catherine. "If you'd like me to pass that message directly to the ones asking, I will gladly do so."

She grinned at him. "I'll take you up on that." He nodded.

Trish continued. "Our opening ceremony is scheduled for February fourteenth."

Ben raised an eyebrow. "How did that happen?" he asked.

She smiled as she shook her head. "Purely kismet with the timing. We're going to make use of it for marketing, of course."

"I heard Paul and Eric will be joining us again, as they worked with Trish to set up their press tour to coincide with the Foundation openings. Will you be bringing anyone this time?" Catherine asked.

Ben looked over at Tina and Lucy, and they smiled at him. Tina shook her head as Lucy nodded in delight. She stopped in surprise when she saw her lover's response.

Tina gave her a sweet smile. "I think you should go with Ben. It would be good if Rain was available too. You are both very good with people, and the ones enrolled in the London branch will be comfortable with you two."

The others looked at Tina in delight. It was a smart idea!

The petite Korean basked in Ben's admiring gaze.

Trish grinned excitedly. "That's brilliant, Tina! I'll reach out to Rain to see if she can make herself available."

"It's just a week away. May I assume we'll be flying on Sky Shepherd?" Catherine asked Ben, who nodded.

"I'll make the arrangements for the flight and the hotel," Evelyn said, and got smiles from the others.

"Is that it?" Ben asked.

Catherine nodded and stood. "This opening might be a little bigger and splashier than our last. I expect bigger crowds."

Chanel joined her as everyone stood up. "My security teams are ready to maintain a corridor for us to arrive and leave through. They're going to be extra vigilant to ensure the facilities are secure as well," she offered, and got nods and smiles from the others.

Ben gave them kisses and hugs as his guests put on their winter coats and boots to head home.

As he shut the door, he hoped it would be much warmer in London.

-=-

Robin Wood restrained herself from slamming her cell against her kitchen table after she disconnected the call with her publisher.

"RRRAAAAAWWWWWHHHH!" she screamed in rage, releasing her tension.

She sat quietly fuming as she went over the latest changes Leslie Ordenham said were needed to improve the book's readability. That fucking smug little shit of an editor!

Robin had expected to be on a book tour by this point, but the publishing house was dragging its feet, in her opinion. The book should have been printed and sent to the shops by now, but they were still in the editing phase.

Didn't they understand how much of a gift she'd brought them?

Her savings were steadily depleting as she hadn't taken any other work since she wrote the book. Again, she was supposed to be reaping the financial rewards of delivering Ben Shepherd's story before anyone else.

Then the publishing house asked her what self-promotion she'd done for the book! Weren't they going to benefit from this more than her? Why weren't they using their greater resources to make a big splash?

As this was her first book, they insisted she build an audience on social media. She created a website and accounts on several social media platforms and shared a few teaser snippets from the book. Then Leslie told her to pull the text from the sites. In that bitch's opinion, they were poorly written and should have been edited first.

She struggled to control her breathing and put that bitch from her mind.

There was about to be a prime opportunity to generate some buzz for her book. The Shepherd Foundation was opening its London branch, and the press would be out in full force.

Robin planned to be there in a big way.

-=-

Once more, Ben found himself standing before a crowd gathered to celebrate the opening of his foundation. Their stage was the expansive stone-tile patio in front of the new administration building's front doors. He was delighted by the beauty of the new campus.

He was also delighted by the fortunate turn in the weather. It was clear, and the sun's warmth was welcome. It almost felt like spring!

Looking away from the building, he saw that Catherine hadn't been exaggerating when she said this event would be larger than the first. The press turnout was daunting, and the security in place was equally impressive. He caught sight of Liliya and Evelyn scanning the crowd from their vantage point on the top step, speaking quietly into their mics as they received updates in their earpieces. He watched as Chanel suddenly smiled and looked his way, nodding before walking back toward the building's front doors.

He was very impressed by how well she'd taken to her new job. She'd arrived in London two days before them to ensure everything went smoothly. Taking care of some last-minute details for the opening, she'd said to him.

The Shepherd Foundation's first headquarters was running smoothly, and Chanel ensured the residents were safe and happy. She'd identified, extracted, and handed over to the police one of their candidates who tried to use her room in the dorm as a distribution outlet for drugs, her off-site boyfriend being her source. They had a new, more worthy candidate in the vacant room in days, and there was barely a ripple in the news about it. The boyfriend and dealer were behind bars pending trial.

He focused on the smiling faces of Lucy and Rain, who'd just returned from speaking with the accepted UK candidates. From the smiles he saw on the young faces in the crowd before the stage, they were a happy bunch.

Once more, he reminded himself to thank Catherine for allowing him to be The-Bad-Guy by denying the King's participation in his Foundation. While the video call he'd had with the gentleman had some uncomfortable moments, Ben ensured the gentleman understood that his Foundation would not welcome any involvement from the monarchy. As he looked at the faces of their new members, he realized again that he'd made the right call.

The reporters were easily identified by their less jovial expressions. Likely preparing to yell out rude questions. He struggled to keep the scowl from his face.

He glanced to his left and saw that Catherine was glowing with pride. She'd taken to her new role with enthusiasm and joy. He admired her serenely confident expression, then recalled her enthusiasm when she joined him on the flight over in the jet's private bedroom. As Chanel wasn't on their plane, that reduced the awkwardness for him when Cat's cries of bliss became a little loud.

She must have felt his gaze as she turned her face to him and sent him a dazzling smile. He couldn't help but return it.

He understood Chanel was supposed to be with them during the ceremony. He didn't want to be up here any longer than he needed to be, so he hoped she'd return quickly.

-=-

Robin was doing her best to contain her annoyance as she hustled along the side streets leading to the rear doors of the new Shepherd Foundation headquarters. She glanced up at the buildings they'd created, and she couldn't help but admire their beauty. There was a real emphasis on natural materials and organic architecture. Nature was being included in these man-made habitations. The designers were brilliant!

She finally saw an opportunity to slip inside the security perimeter. She quickly ducked between two vans to dash across the sidewalk and enter an unguarded open side door leading into the lovely administration building. She ignored the Authorized Access Only - Do Not Enter signage with a grin. This would allow her to step out of the front door and join Ben before the press cameras. Her publisher wanted her to get publicity for the release. This would give her all the positive spin she needed for her book.

She pulled off her dark shades and undid the kerchief hiding her brilliant red hair as she strode down the hallway boldly. Rounding the first corner, she came to an abrupt halt. Standing before her with a satisfied smile on her face was a dazzlingly lovely brunette, accompanied by two police officers. Then the beauty spoke.

"Robin Wood. You are trespassing on private property. Gentlemen, please take her into custody. I'll join you at the station."

Hands grabbed and spun Robin as a constable put her in cuffs. The two marched her back the way she came, out onto the sidewalk and directly into the side door of one of the vans she'd passed between.

She blinked in shock. How did she miss that they were police vehicles? She'd been so focused on the open door to the building!

As the van drove away, Robin stared out the window as they passed the huge crowd and the press.

Now, she slumped down in her seat as she didn't want them to see her this way. Her publisher would not appreciate this kind of attention.

Shit!

-=-

Ben smiled as he saw Chanel rejoin them. She turned to nod to Catherine, who smiled and approached the podium.

He saw the happy expressions on Paul and Eric's faces as they stood next to the huge movie poster with Trish.

Listening to Catherine address the crowd, Ben felt some of his discomfort with public speaking fade away. She was such a natural, and the people were eating it up.

Soon it was his turn. He took a deep breath. He could do this.

Show time.

-=-

Taking a tour through the building, Ben realized he was becoming dazzled by how open and airy the offices were. This was the administration building, which managed all the member services for the campus. The registration and administration offices alone were bright, airy, spacious, and comfortable. He saw smiles on faces. It could have been a cubicle farm, but instead, there were areas for group conversations and private booths for one-on-ones.

Catherine was thrilled to see the expression of marvel on Ben's face as they left the admin wing and stepped into the health services area.

"Our primary care medical doctor began last week and has been ensuring the clinic has everything it needs to function efficiently for its expected workload. Three of four interns have been hired, with the fourth going through her reference check," Catherine said. "Let me introduce you to our team."

Two of the interns were male, and one was female, so there would be an equal number of each. They were all relatively young and seemed very happy to be there. Catherine made the introductions, and they nodded with big grins.

"And this is our doctor--"

Ben froze as he gazed at the Arab beauty, with thick, wavy black hair flowing over her shoulders, large, expressive dark eyes, a slender nose, and a wide mouth with beautiful, white teeth and a slight overbite. Intelligence and surprise flashed in her eyes.

"Dr. Rahal? Are you working at the Foundation?" Ben asked with a delighted smile.

"Mr. Shepherd!" she said with a little nod and curiosity in her eyes.

"Ben, please," he said as he hugged her.

When she stepped back, she looked up at him. "You must call me Nezha! You didn't know about my application?"

He shook his head as his smile widened. "I had no part in the hiring process, but I'm delighted with the choice they made!" He looked at Catherine. "Were you aware I knew Nezha?"

Catherine shook her head. "We didn't connect the dots. I recall you mentioning a Dr. Rahal on your trip through Dubai, but I certainly didn't know she was the same person."

A happy smile spread across the doctor's lovely face.

"How have you been?" Ben asked.

"Very well! I'm so happy and grateful to learn my hiring was based on my experience as a doctor and not our friendship," she sighed happily. Catherine nodded emphatically.

"You've served your time in your old clinic?" he asked, and she chuckled.

"Yes, conditions there became unbearable, and I was grateful to find this opportunity in a gentler neighborhood."

"Is it meeting your expectations so far?" he asked.

She laughed gently, as did the interns. "I can honestly say the working conditions here are far superior to anything I've experienced in any NHS facility." That got nods from her team.

"If you discover any shortfalls, just let us know," Ben said, and heard more chuckles from the younger staff.

"We already feel spoiled, Ben," Nezha admitted.

"I hope that feeling continues," he said, and received smiles. "Glad to have you on our team!" Ben said and nodded to the group as Catherine moved them along in her tour.

He looked at Catherine as they walked down the hall. "That was a wonderful surprise! I'm so glad Dr. Rahal is working for us!"

Catherine smiled at him. "It truly was kismet that brought her to us."

Ben looked at Evelyn. "What's our schedule look like tonight? Do we have time to pause for an informal dinner?" He glanced back toward the health center.

She scanned the calendar on her small tablet and shook her head. "Sorry, Ben. You're booked for dinner already. Our flight home is at midnight."

He sighed. "Another time then." He followed his group to continue the tour.

-=-

Ben sat back in his chair, feeling pleasantly full. Dinner was delicious, and the restaurant was particularly lovely, with a top-notch kitchen and a super-talented crew.

Lucy and Rain were enjoying themselves immensely and had spotted and met a few celebrities who stopped to say hello on the way to their tables.

Ben was just delighted that Dr. Rahal was able to join them at the last minute. Evelyn made the arrangements when she saw his disappointment at missing the opportunity.

He noted Nezha's amusement over his lack of recognition of famous actors. When Tom Hardy stopped by the table to say hello to Paul Giamatti and get an introduction to him, Ben was polite and shook the man's hand as he greeted him. He even posed with the actor for a couple of shots. Lucy took one to show the family at home, and Tom got one as well, but asked Ben to do his now-famous scowl as Tom added his own.

He recognized Olivia Colman and did the celebrity thing, pressing his cheeks against hers, a pleased expression on his face. He was also enthusiastic about getting a picture with her.

Once she'd moved on to her table, Paul gaped at Ben. "That's the first time I've seen you actually recognize a celebrity!"

Ben looked sincerely embarrassed but tried his best to hide it. He saw Paul and the others were waiting for an explanation. "Uh, I was at Gabriella's when she was watching a TV miniseries called The Crown. I don't normally watch TV, but she wanted to watch it with me, and we got hooked. The cast members were all very good, but I must admit I found Olivia Colman's performance as Queen to be particularly subtle and compelling! It was a brilliant series."

"Wow! We might make a film critic out of you yet!" Paul teased as Ben leaned back in his chair with a mildly annoyed look at the man. That just made Paul laugh in delight.

As everyone finished up their desserts, Ben settled the bill, then smiled across the table at Nezha.

"I'm so glad you were able to join us for dinner!" he said.

She flashed a bright smile at him. "I'm so pleased to be able to be here. I also wanted to thank you for the opportunity to work with the Foundation."

"My only contribution to that was creating it. I hope it does good things for the people it supports, and the people it employs as well," he sighed happily.

He caught Evelyn's gesture and knew their time in London was quickly running out. He faced the doctor once more. "Looks like we have to head for the airport for our flight home."

They all stood, and Ben shook hands with Paul and Eric, then pressed his cheeks to Nezha's and gave her another hug.

Once Ben and his entourage were all back in the cars for the ride back to the airport, the convoy made good time across the city.

They went through security and boarded the luxury jet, which soon taxied to the runway and took off for the journey home.

Ben looked over at Chanel. "I was pleasantly surprised to see no sign of Robin Wood at the opening. I was sure she'd try to cash in on the press coverage."

The French beauty smiled at him. "She did try to disrupt the ceremony, but we were ready and arrested her for trespassing. She spent the day in police custody. Our London security chief will ensure Ms. Wood faces the proper consequences for her actions."

Ben looked at her in surprise. "Oh! Well, thank you very much!"

Chanel just nodded to him as Catherine snuggled against her shoulder a little closer.

"Hey, you two! Get a room! Happy Valentine's Day!" Ben chuckled, and Catherine's eyes opened as she turned her head to face him.

He nodded to her as he settled back in his comfortable recliner and closed his eyes.

He heard Catherine's excited exclamations as she pulled Chanel out of her seat and toward the plane's private bedroom, which Ben had ensured would be suitably decorated for the day of love.

Catherine's excited voice came through the cabin as she opened the door and saw how pretty the room was.

Ben let himself drift off to that happy sound.

Chapter 62

Roy was pleased with his performance while working his way through the degenerates from Ben's list, so far. It was the most complex hunt he'd ever done due to the number of targets he'd had to coordinate. He was meticulous in his planning, as he always was, but he admitted that his task was made easier by the local police's reactive behavior.

They had no hunters on their team to anticipate his moves.

He was doing his best to lie low while he set up the finale.

In the interim, he'd arranged for another new identity, but this time with a passport as he was going overseas to complete his hunt. Such expenses were no longer an issue with the funds he'd collected from his prey this time. All these wealthy bastards, using their money to hide their deviancy, were now funding his lifestyle. As he lived simply, he had enough money to live for multiple lifetimes.

He had Mallory Prentice stashed away in a hidey-hole where no one would stumble upon him. He was fed, watered, and had access to a shitter. He was also under twenty-four-seven surveillance.

The longer he kept Prentice hidden, the more of a frenzy his media empire went into.

Roy watched the news and smiled at the speculation surrounding Prentice's disappearance. He was being painted as a victim by his media house, while his competitors were asking pointed, salacious questions about a secret lifestyle. Character witnesses on both sides were taking interviews. Victims were coming forward. Old friends were uncomfortably and hesitantly coming to his defence, but some were distancing themselves in an attempt at self-preservation.

His media channels were filling with humanity's bile.

Deserving for a degenerate.

The press was also tearing the police department apart. The captain had been fired for gross negligence, and the division was currently restructuring. Corruption charges were being laid, and an investigation into judicial interference was underway. Judge Green had been suspended, and others were under scrutiny.

Judge Reissman picked the right time to run.

Not that it would do him any good.

-=-

Aldo Galiazzo found a notice on his desk first thing in the morning, indicating that a crate was waiting for him in the receiving department. When he saw it was from his brother Vincent, he immediately rushed over to the department before some ficcanaso looked inside. While they had standing orders to leave his deliveries alone, there were some punks in that department he didn't get along with.

Not everything he received from his younger brother was obtained legally, and some of the art the Vatican received had to remain secret. Many items that the world believed were lost were, in fact, stored away in the private collections of members of the holy order, for their protection and preservation, for the Vatican, of course.

These Cardinals made their desires known to Aldo, and he and his fratellino facilitated this relocation of art to their new homes. Vincent had lived and set up offices in several countries, and they'd been doing this for decades, with some years being more lucrative than others. Last year had been lean, so Aldo was excited to see what Vincent had for them today.

When he arrived at the shipping department, he saw a group of men standing around a tall, vertical crate. He rushed forward when he saw one with a pry bar and hammer.

"Get away from that!" he shouted, and they turned to see him waddling quickly toward them.

He saw their rude expressions, but he ignored them as they walked away disappointed.

Aldo struggled to get the crate onto a pallet truck and dragged it back to his office. He had a large open space next to his desk for inspecting large pieces like this.

He closed his door and collected his pry bar and mallet from his wardrobe at the side of his office. He tapped the bar into the facing lid and got it started. He moved to the opposite side and widened the gap, then gave the pry bar a mighty heave to widen the gap.

He stood to the side, pulled the lid, and it fell away.

As the packing peanuts poured from the crate, the contents came into view.

A wire connected to the top of the crate was looped around Vincent's neck, cutting into the flesh. His face was garishly and roughly painted to resemble a whore's, with a thick rubber cock jammed into his throat to poke out between his crimson lips. He wore a red satin bra and panty set as well as fetish straps with a second huge rubber cock hanging between his legs.

While rot made it difficult to read, DEGENERATE had been carved into his chest with a knife.

But it was his eyes that terrified Aldo--the dead, staring eyes.

Aldo screamed, high and shrill, and he couldn't stop.

Cardinal Dandini, a long-time benefactor of the Galiazzo brothers, pushed open the door and rushed inside to look at Aldo with concern. Then he turned to see what the crate contained and gasped, making the sign of the cross.

Then he vomited from the overwhelming stench.

Aldo felt a sudden pressure in his chest suddenly pop, and his legs gave out.

He dropped to the floor.

As he lay amongst the putrid packing materials, he heard his name called, but it was too late to answer.

He was following his fratellino into the afterlife, but he prayed it was more forgiving than Vincent's end had been.

Chapter 63

Winter seemed to be clinging tenaciously this year. The second half of February and the first week of March saw record-low temperatures and record-high snowfall.

Ben's custom milling order arrived, and he discovered some issues that required a new order for some re-engineered components. It would be another three weeks before the finished work would be ready, as Ben had asked for new materials to be used. This meant the shop required additional specialized tools. Ben paid for the latest equipment and had its shipping and installation expedited, much to their delight.

With no other projects to occupy his mind, Ben found himself craving an escape from the cold. He decided to visit Bill Freeny and his team in Texas, as he also wanted to prepare them for the potential new manufacturing project he'd have for them.

Sitting in his living room in his favorite chair, Ben dialed the number as he glanced out the window at yet another snowfall.

"Hello?"

"Bill! Hi, it's Ben. How are you doing?"

"Ben! We're doing great! I hear you're getting socked in with the snow," the man teased with his Texan drawl.

"Please, I'm looking out the window at yet another storm. I'm already done with the white stuff!" Ben sighed.

"Then come down for a visit!" Bill said excitedly.

Ben grinned. "Actually, that was what I was calling about. I would like to discuss a new project I'm working on with you and your team. Would it be okay for me to come visit you tomorrow?"

The man's excitement was clear, even through the phone. "Tomorrow would be perfect! You can be the judge for our inaugural FPV Drone Race!"

"FPV? What's that?" Ben asked, startled by Bill's words.

"First Person View. We control racing drones, and they transmit video back to the goggles the pilot wears. We're hosting the competition, and our competitors are none other than Bryan Crane and the Wild Dogs. They'll be here tomorrow as well!"

"That's amazing! I've been meaning to visit them again!" Ben said with a grin.

"We set up a racing course on the open lot behind the factory, and we promised Bryan that we wouldn't race on it until they arrived, so we won't have homefield advantage. Me and the boys really got into designing and building our fliers, and we threw down a challenge to Bryan and his team to do the same. Now we're going to pit their engineering genius against ours. It would be perfect if you could join us!" Bill gushed.

"I'll be there! It sounds like fun!" Ben returned.

"Great! See you tomorrow!" Bill said.

"See you tomorrow!" Ben said and hung up.

He grinned at Liliya and Evelyn, who were reading on the couch, both smiling at his happiness. "I'll see if I can get a jet willing to take off in the storm," Evelyn said.

Ben glanced out the window with a frown. "We can wait until it weakens."

The sergeant shook her head in amusement as Liliya watched him with a grin.

-=-

Evelyn drove their rental car into the parking lot of Sturn Manufacturing. They'd caught a very early flight and rested in the jet on the way to Texas.

Their luggage would stay in the trunk until they found a hotel for the night.

Evelyn and Liliya were accustomed to traveling light and at a moment's notice, but Ben was more familiar with having everything planned in advance. Luckily, Tina and Lucy packed his bag for a three-day visit.

They walked in the front door, and Ben saw Bill walking toward them. They shook hands.

"Damn, Ben! It's good to see you in person again!" the CEO said with a wide smile.

"It's great seeing you as well! You're looking good! The role of CEO obviously suits you!" Ben said with a smile.

The man chuckled self-consciously and looked curiously at the two women with Ben.

"Let me introduce my security detail. Sergeant Evelyn Killcade and Liliya Sokolov," Ben said with a smile.

As Bill shook their hands, he glanced at Ben in concern. "You still have a Security detail? I thought that went away when the Ruskies were blown up. Oh! No disrespect intended," Bill said in embarrassment to Liliya. She gave him a charming smile to indicate none was taken.

Ben waved it off. "There doesn't seem to be any current threats, but the deal I made with General Davis remains. They consider me an asset that needs protection." He sighed.

"It's nice to be appreciated," Bill said with a smile. "Come on! The teams are eager to say hello."

Bill led them on a tour of the manufacturing plant, and Ben could see how busy the facility was.

"How much room do you have for expansion?" Ben asked casually, and Bill came to a sudden standstill as he stared cautiously at Ben.

"The last time you asked that question, we had to more than double our size to handle the new invention you came up with," the CEO said.

Ben smiled innocently at the man. "I'm just asking," he said with a light tone.

At Bill's dubious look, raised eyebrow, and continued silence, Ben grinned. "Okay, I'm working on something that, if it works, will need a manufacturer."

"I won't ask what it is, but can you tell me who it's for?" Bill said.

Ben paused for a moment. "The US Military. Initially."

"Fuck me--Oh! Please pardon my language!" Bill gasped at the two ladies who grinned at him.

"Truthfully, it will probably have enormous cross-industry and worldwide applications," Ben admitted.

Bill ran his fingers through his hair. "Well, we do own the lots behind the existing manufacturing plants."

Ben waved his hands gently. "Don't worry about it now. It's all pie in the sky until I complete and test my prototype. Let's go meet the teams!"

They reached the back door and headed out into the field. There were many brightly colored hoops being held up by stands and other obstacles. It was difficult to make out the actual course from the ground, but it looked large.

What brought a smile to his face was the happiness of the two teams of engineers who were laughing and talking excitedly as they waited.

Bryan Crane spotted Ben and turned to face him. "BEN!" he shouted with his arms raised in the air. Soon, his team was copying him, and Bill's crew chimed in.

When he reached them, he was subjected to bear hugs from The Wild Dogs and hearty handshakes from the Texas team.

Mare had lost a little weight, but she still wore her curly brown hair to her shoulders and the serious, black-rimmed glasses. Her happy smile after he kissed her cheek reminded him of her infectious grin.

Henri wore her trademark vintage jewel-encrusted cat-eye framed glasses and was just as rail-slim as she'd been the last time they'd met, but she introduced her partner, Ruby, and Ben recognized her as the woman sitting on her lap at the strip club. So, they'd become a couple after all.

Speaking of couples, Bryan introduced a lovely, petite Japanese woman named Fumiko, whom he said was his wife. Ben also recalled seeing her at the strip club. She looked delighted to be here, and a little starstruck. Cell phones were pulled out, and many photos were taken after Ben had a chance to introduce Evelyn and Liliya, who delighted the teams with their beauty and badass job positions.

Once the excitement had settled a little, Bill described the event they'd gathered for and what the two teams brought to the table to specialize their drones. Both had built their racers on the same commercially available FPV racing drone, but used their team's engineering expertise to customize them.

The Wild Dogs' drone had been lengthened, and each of the four props had been given a custom gimbal. They said this increased the racer's agility. Mare and Henri's mathematical computations were heavily used to update the flight control software to maximize gimbal balancing performance, thereby keeping the aircraft in the air and on track with improved flight dynamics.

Bill's team left the drone's physical characteristics largely unchanged but concentrated on the racer's sensors for improved collision detection, utilizing its new obstacle detection, identification, and avoidance process.

Bill guided the spectators to a raised grandstand, which offered a better view of the course.

The two pilots were Gary, Bryan's second in command from the Wild Dogs, and Dale, Bill's Team Lead.

They sat at a table in front of the grandstand, put on their VR goggles, and picked up their flight controller. Next to each of them, facing the spectators, were large-screen monitors that showed the same view the pilots were seeing.

The countdown began, and the drones lifted off, hovering at the start line. The moment the race began, the two drones shot forward almost faster than the eye could see and raced toward the first ring.

Ben was amazed by how close the race was as they shot through the course. This added extra complexity, as the drones themselves became mobile obstacles to avoid as they squeezed past each other through the rings.

The stock drone, equipped with improved sensors, made micro-adjustments to keep it on track but outside the other drone's path.

The customized drone had improved flying dynamics that enhanced its agility, and it used them spectacularly, but it relied more on the pilot's skill. This became apparent as they threaded each loop.

Ben stopped seeing the racers as his mind grasped a solution he'd been missing for his latest invention.

Bill glanced at Ben's face to see if he was enjoying the race and saw he was frozen with his eyes on an unseen horizon. He held his tongue, recognizing inspiration when he saw it. He wondered what it would mean for these teams.

Dale's drone crossed the finish line just as Gary's attempted to pivot around it, but missed by a length.

A huge cheer rang out as both teams excitedly leapt to their feet.

Ben returned from his epiphany and smiled at the celebrating crowd. He looked at Bill with a grin.

"Best two out of three?"

A huge cheer rang out as they set up for another go.

It ended up being the best out of five, in Dale's favor, before Ben caught Bill's eye and leaned closer. "I need to speak with you, Bryan, Gary, and Dale."

He nodded to Ben, then went to speak quietly with the people mentioned and led them to the side door, where Ben waited with his ladies.

Bill brought them inside to a small boardroom, where Ben immediately explained why they were there.

"Sorry to pull you away from the fun, but what I witnessed today was exactly what I'm missing for my latest invention. As it's being designed for the US military initially, there is a need for secrecy during this phase. The ultimate application of this new invention spans multiple industries, and I can see its use globally. I'm not kidding when I say this is probably the most impactful thing I've ever attempted to create." He looked at Bryan first. "What I need from you and your team is the technology for the drone's agility." He looked at Dale. "And your sensor technology for obstacle recognition and collision avoidance. I'd need to have your teams work with me to see how well these technologies scale up."

The men gaped at Ben as he was talking about using their hobby to build something potentially world-changing.

"I'm not someone who fails to give credit where it's due. What I saw today was engineering at its best, and I'd love to include it in my creation with full royalties for the participants."

"Fuck me, Ben! You know the Wild Dogs are in all the way! We'd love to work with you on this!" Bryan gushed. "What about Don and the two dogs minding the fort?"

"All members of the team are in, and don't you think Don should get a share for giving the Wild Dogs a pit to play in?" Ben said with a grin.

Bryan laughed and nodded. "Struth!"

Dale was looking at Bill with wide eyes. "Don't spend your royalties until this bird is off the ground," Bill cautioned with a smile.

Now Ben knew which of Bill's team was incautious with his bonus money.

Bill directed his attention to Ben. "Our team is on board as well. We'd love to work on a project with you and Bryan's team."

"That's wonderful! I'm waiting for some components to be machined this month. I'm hoping to have the prototype built by the beginning of next month. I'll contact Don to see if we can plan to borrow the whole team. Are you guys willing to make an extended visit?"

Ben looked at Evelyn. "I'm assuming the General will want to keep this effort on US soil and could assist in the visitor permits for the team?"

"He will and can," she said.

"Let's get the others to join us," Bill suggested.

"Bring the drones," Ben added.

The trip was becoming something more than a simple, friendly visit. But from the excited smiles on their faces, no one was complaining.

-=-

General Davis couldn't keep the smile from his face as he hung up the phone. His niece filled him in on some new details for Ben's latest brainchild, and he couldn't be more excited. His investment seemed to be paying off huge this time.

Arranging for the Australian engineering team to work with Ben was simple. He'd make the call shortly.

He smiled to himself as he imagined the sour expressions on the faces of those pain-in-the-ass congressmen trying to shut this program down.

First, though, he thought he might share some good news with the president. The man had skin in this game, too.

Chapter 64

It began with a same-day courier delivery to Ben's house. In the package was a tablet and a note.

Ben stared at the name on the paper as his brain tried to unscramble the memory.

Roy Weston. He was... a fifteen-year-old troubled kid. Antisocial. Angry.

An image formed in his mind of a skinny but large-framed young man who showed the same signs of growing into his size as he had.

Dark hair like Ben's, but the kid did his best to blend into the background.

On the note, under his name, was printed Fourteen Ashburn Court. Below that was Degenerate Club, and finally, Call Me.

He looked at the sergeant who was watching him. He cleared his tight throat. "I'm assuming there's a link on the tablet's desktop to make the call."

"Do you know a Roy Weston?" Evelyn asked, and he nodded slowly as his memories surfaced.

"We were in a foster home together." Images of the fire suddenly flared in Ben's memory, and he tried to recall where Roy had been that night.

"Ben, he knows what was happening at the old house. Could this Roy person be the one who killed Marion Spencer and the others?" Evelyn asked.

Ben looked into her blue eyes and shook his head. "I don't know. I never spoke to him at the foster home. He kept to himself." A thought suddenly surfaced in Ben's memory. "He wasn't there the night of the fire." He tried to remember why and what happened to him afterward, but the stress of the event had messed with his memories of it.

Liliya looked at Evelyn. "Should we take it to the Spa as they have tracing equipment?"

The three nodded to each other and took Ben's truck.

The Sergeant brought them up to the top floor and explained what they wanted to do. The tech specialists looked excited to be part of this.

"What if he just wants to catch up?" Ben asked, feeling a little ridiculous with all the cloak and dagger.

"He wouldn't have included the reference to the Degenerate Club if this were a friendly call," Evelyn insisted.

Liliya nodded in agreement. She looked to the tech. "Can you record what appears on the screen?" The man indicated he would.

When they indicated they were ready, Ben powered on the tablet. It booted and presented a desktop with a single icon, which was labeled Call Me. Simultaneously, the desktop appeared on a tech's monitor, indicating he was recording.

Ben tapped on the icon, and the tablet launched a video conferencing app. The screen displayed a message indicating he was in the queue, awaiting permission to join the conference.

"This is why I don't like these apps," Ben grumbled. He looked over at the techs who were heads down over their keyboards, talking softly and nodding.

They had to wait for fifteen minutes, and Ben was of a mind to hang up when the screen suddenly changed. He was admitted to the video conference and saw a vertically split screen. On one side was a figure sitting in darkness, but the background was lit to show only a silhouette of him. On the other side was a skinny, bloody, and naked man strapped to a table. The camera caught him from head to knees. Wires were connected to his body at his ears, nipples, and balls. He looked terrified. There was a column of text scrolling up the right side of his window, indicating connections of people joining the conference to see the naked man.

"What the hell?" Ben blurted.

An unnaturally deep and electronically altered voice chuckled. It was obviously coming from the silhouetted man through a voice modulator. "Don't you recognize him, Ben? It's Mallory Prentice. One of the degenerates you had on your list. Thanks for that. Spared me the legwork of identifying my targets."

Ben frowned. "That list wasn't for you! It was for the police! They were supposed to put them on trial."

"Like there was any chance of that with those corrupt bastards," Roy scoffed gently.

"Then we'd appeal to a higher court and get them to investigate the corrupt officers as well," Ben insisted.

"No. My way is simpler, more cost-effective, and permanent. It also provides me with targets to hunt. I like hunting. This one was especially challenging. I really had to flex my skills this time. Thank you for that, too," Roy said.

"I can't condone what you did--"

"Such a hypocrite and fucking white knight! Just like that night at LeParre's. I bet you were playing the hero then, too. You saved the girls, didn't you," Roy gloated.

Ben's emotions surged, and he took a moment to calm himself. "LeParre and the other boys died in that fire. I couldn't save them," Ben said quietly.

"Yeah, I thought so. Of course, LeParre was a degenerate who abused the girls. He didn't deserve to be saved. The four boys were unfortunate collateral. I can live with that knowing I took out LeParre."

Ben froze. "What?" he asked quietly.

Roy let a little chuckle loose. "Don't tell me you hadn't figured that out! LeParre was the first degenerate I killed! I fucked with the baseboard heaters and caused the fire. I would have been there to see it and probably die too, but LeParre caught me and broke my arm. His bitch took me to the hospital." He paused as he savored a memory. "She was my second degenerate. I was still shit at killing, so her death was sloppy. I'm much better at it now."

Ben was stunned and struggled to find his words.

"This is probably boring the shit out of our audience, so let's get to the main event. My invitations have reached a huge number of Prentice's media subscribers and the other media outlets. We have thousands of people connected to this live show. Now, I'm gonna ask Mallory a question, and if he lies, he gets the juice. If he tells the truth, he doesn't."

A new window appeared with a close-up of Prentice's face. Roy's window shrank to give it room.

"Mallory, it's time for truth or pain. Everyone's praying you'll be truthful--Ha! That's a fucking lie! Most people watching are hoping you'll lie so they can see you in pain. You haven't made many friends."

Mallory was openly weeping now.

"First question: Were you a member of a secret club that performed ritual killings of young women?"

"N-no!" Mallory cried out.

Then he was arching his body and screaming as electricity coursed through it. Two seconds later, it stopped, and he collapsed to pant for breath and weep.

"Exhibit A," Roy said, and Mallory's face was replaced with a picture of him arriving in a limo in front of fourteen Ashburn Court. Three more images cycled by before the crying man's face returned.

Ben realized Roy must have somehow stolen Barry's photographic evidence of the gatherings from the police! How the fuck did he do that?

"You joined your sick degenerate friends on many occasions at the torture house," Roy said. "The voltage is going up for your second question. Oh! Your audience is still growing and just passed one hundred thousand!"

Mallory tried to shake his head, but he was too securely bound.

"Question two: When I captured you in your home, was your wall safe filled with hard drives containing digital still images and videos of women being murdered and mutilated, as well as child pornography?"

Mallory was gasping, and his eyes were wild. "No," he mumbled.

"Speak up or the voltage goes up," Roy said firmly.

"No!"

Once again, Mallory gave a blood-curdling scream as the juice leapt from his testicles to his nipples and ears. He sagged back to the surface after three seconds.

"Exhibit B," Roy said calmly. Images of Mallory tied to his office chair appeared. The safe was open over his shoulder with multiple portable hard drives visible. In the foreground was his desk with a stack of drives on its surface. One was connected to the computer, which displayed a horrible mutilation picture.

"My fingerprints aren't all over those drives, Mallory. Yours are. Probably your cum as well. The police will have them by now, and their forensic department will find that. The voltage is going up."

Mallory whimpered.

Roy sighed. "No one believes you, Mallory. They've all seen the proof. You're a degenerate. You have one last chance to avoid the most excruciating pain you've felt in your miserable, degenerate life."

He paused as Mallory sucked in a breath in fear.

"Final question: Have you participated in the sexual torture and murder of young women?"

Mallory was drooling and gasping as he realized how much more painful the next charge would be. It was clear from his expression that he didn't believe he could endure any more. More tears burst forth.

"y-y-yes...."

"Speak up, Mallory!" Roy snapped. He gave the man the briefest touch of the juice.

"YES! YES! WE WERE ALL PART OF THE CLUB!" he yelled.

Once the truth started flowing, the relief was too much, and Mallory began to gush.

"Langley, Charroux, Wallace, Stockton, Billington, Granger, Dietz, that frigid bitch Fosterson, greasy Galiazzo, that shit-for-brains Spencer--huh..." He caught his breath. "...crooked Reissman and me."

He took some more deep gulps of air, then continued, the words flowing faster as his pain ebbed.

"Dietz designed the hidden rooms behind the house and had them built.

Billington researched and prepared the rituals we'd follow.

Stockton created the weapons and tools, Wallace provided the costumes, and Granger fucking catered the meetings.

Spencer sourced the girls.

That cunt Fosterson provided cars for him to lure them in.

Galiazzo and Charroux supplied the drugs.

Langley cremated the bodies afterward.

Reissman ensured the police looked the other way.

I-I ensured the stories of the missing girls were downgraded or buried."

Mallory's expression twisted as he bared his teeth in anger.

"Then Spencer kidnapped his niece. Fucking idiot! There was too much heat. We had to shut it down."

After he was silent for a moment, his dread overwhelmed him again, and he burst into loud sobs.

His confession was complete.

Roy's voice had a pleased tone. "Ah. The truth is sweet. Doesn't it feel like a weight has been lifted from your wicked soul?"

Mallory was crying too hard to speak, but he nodded as much as his restraints would allow.

Roy's voice returned. "Now, I turn to the audience with a simple question: Live or die. You decide."

Ben suddenly saw a pop-up appear on the tablet for him to vote.

"What the fuck, Roy! He confessed! Let him go!" Ben argued.

"We both know that his confession is no good in court. His people, here and now, can decide his fate as well as any jury of his peers. These people are his subscribers, his followers, and sycophants. Let's see what they say."

The window with Mallory's close-up became a tally of votes.

Ben quickly saw what he expected to see. An overwhelming number were voting for death.

"Come on, Ben. Cast your vote. Be the white knight and rescue Prentice," Roy said condescendingly.

"Anonymous online judgment is cowardice. These votes are meaningless. In a courtroom, the accused faces the jury when the judgment is read. I'm not playing your sick game, Roy," Ben growled.

"You're such a fucking hypocrite! You've killed--"

"YES, I'VE KILLED PEOPLE! But the main difference between us is that when I've killed, it was to defend or protect others. You kill because you like it, and you need it. You do it for yourself. How many have you killed, Roy?"

The shadowy presence on the screen was quiet for a moment. He then pointed up at the eighty percent die vote displayed and pressed the button.

Prentice didn't make any legible sounds this time as the current fried his brain.

"That makes eighty-three degenerates, Ben. By the way, you're welcome."

"You didn't do this for me. You're feeding the monster inside you."

Roy rolled his neck to relieve his stress and sighed. "It's been fun, but my hunt isn't over. See you 'round."

The window closed.

"Fuck," Ben grunted as he dropped his ass into a nearby chair.

"You did your best to stop him--" Evelyn began.

Ben raised a hand. "Roy always intended to kill Prentice. Even if everyone voted for him to live, Prentice was a dead man. Roy needs to kill," Ben growled. Liliya nodded in agreement. She'd picked up the same impression.

He looked to the techs. "Were you able to trace him?"

"We got the location of the relay where the camera on Prentice is likely. We gave that information to the FBI. As for the killer? We traced him through three VPN sites, but all I can say for sure is, he's very likely in Europe."

"Get that information to the General. I'm assuming that last remark about seeing me is a threat. He'll be back. He didn't like having his bullshit rubbed in his face," Ben snarled.

Liliya scowled. "Maksim was the same. He pretended to be bringing justice to his victims on behalf of the motherland. He did not enjoy being reminded that he was just a murderer on a leash."

Ben locked eyes with her. "You were never defined by it."

Her smile returned, and she gave him a small nod. There was only love in her eyes now.

"Roy got Barry's photos from the police. That's a ballsey move. He's a credible threat," Ben said quietly.

"Noted," Evelyn said as she walked away to call her uncle.

Chapter 65

April first, Ben launched his new project in the Engineering Department of Sturn Manufacturing Headquarters in Texas. In keeping with the day's theme, he called it Fool's Enterprise, and that became the code name for his new invention. At the end of March, he'd received the redone parts from the milling shop, and they met his approval. He performed some of the assembly, then all the components were sealed in secure crates and loaded onto a military transport for delivery to Sturn Manufacturing.

The Wild Dogs were living in the modular homes that the army brought in and set up next to the manufacturing plant. These were one-bedroom units and arrived flat but unfolded into fully equipped homes. Connecting them to the plant's water and power, as well as the sewer system, was quickly completed. Within two days, a six-home community was established, each with a front deck, barbecue, and lounge chairs. Air-conditioning was included as well.

Bill's team got to drive home every night. Some suggested that having unfolding homes here might make them more time-efficient. Bill rolled his eyes and said he'd take it under advisement.

When everything was delivered to the lab, Ben stood before the largest crate and looked at the eager faces on the two engineering teams.

"This one contains the prototype chassis. We will fit everything within this."

Ben removed the side panel from the crate and then the soft wrap from the prototype.

Dale's face lit up. "FUCK, YEAH!"

Some members of his team were grinning excitedly and nodding.

Ben stared at him in surprise, and the man saw Ben's confusion.

"It's a Photon Torpedo from Star Trek!" Dale clarified.

"A what?" Ben asked in surprise.

Dale chuckled. "Obviously, Ben isn't a Trekkie, or Trekker if you prefer."

"That's a television reference," Ben said and received nods. "I don't think we can call it that without legal issues. What's wrong with Fool's Enterprise?"

The engineering teams laughed, and Dale explained. "Enterprise is the name of the main spacecraft from the original Star Trek series!"

"Ahhh, right. I knew that," Ben grumbled, then waved his hands in frustration. "Skip the name for now. Help me bring this over to the workbench."

Six of the engineers stepped forward, and Ben grinned. "I only need one helper."

"Ben, you're the size of three of us," Dale asserted.

"Mare, Henri! Show these men how it's done!" Ben called out.

With grins on their faces, the ladies stepped forward and initially walked to the same end, but Ben gestured for Mare to take his end. They looked at him cautiously, but he just nodded. Ben pointed to the spots to take a grip, and they pulled it from the crate with a slight grunt. Then they lifted it with surprised expressions.

"Fuck! This is unexpectedly light!" Henri gasped.

Ben nodded. "It's just the chassis. We haven't added the armor, engines, power source, or any of the sensors and guidance systems yet. Some of that is in the other boxes."

"Let's get unpacking!" Bill said enthusiastically.

They'd set up the room so each group had space to work on their components. Bryan's team had the new rotors Ben designed, and Mare and Henri were reviewing his math as the team couldn't understand how they worked.

Bryan held up a volleyball-sized orb that looked like an extruded and stretched six-blade propeller, then formed it into the shape of a ball. The outer tips of the blades had a rounded bulb shape.

"Uh, Ben? Is this supposed to be a propeller? Where's the drive shaft? Where are the bearings?" he asked incredulously.

Ben smiled distractedly as he was working on a different component. "Uh. No bearings. The spherical prop uses electromagnetic drivers. No friction." He turned his attention back to his work as Bryan and his crew took another look at the orb and rushed back to their workbench to examine the encasements that would house the spherical props. Bryan lowered the orb into the cup of the lower assembly. He made a sound of surprise when he felt the magnets begin to resist.

The team took a closer look at the inner surface of the upper assembly and saw the embedded magnets.

Bryan looked over at their math genius. "Mar--"

She immediately flipped him the bird as she maintained her laser focus on the pages before her.

He hadn't seen her concentrate this hard on anything they'd designed. Henri was the same with the pages she was reviewing.

He looked at Gary, who'd caught the exchange. "How fast would you say these props will be spinning?"

Gary shook his head. "Fuck if I know. If they don't distort from the centrifugal force--Oh shit! I bet the magnets counteract some of that!

The two men looked over at Ben, then at the chassis.

"Man, I can't wait to see this fly!" Gary uttered quietly.

"Let's take another look at the exhaust nozzle controls. I think they correspond to our gimbals," Bryan suggested. "We're gonna need to adapt our control software to take into account all these other control surfaces." Gary nodded excitedly.

They got to work.

-=-

Ben relaxed on a lounge chair with a chilled glass of water in hand as he watched the boys playing with a collection of non-customized retail-purchased drones.

Mare and Henri were relaxing in their chairs, applying ice packs to their foreheads. They claimed to have worn out their brains reviewing Ben's numbers, but they were very excited.

Ruby was watching American soaps on her tablet with earphones. She was utterly absorbed.

Fumiko had her nose buried in a torrid, bodice-ripping romance novel.

"I still have some questions, concerns really, regarding the energy requirements to keep these things in the air," Mare said as she looked at Ben cautiously.

Ben smiled at her. "That's my last surprise with the project. Evelyn and Liliya are picking up the remaining components for the power source."

A tablet on the table next to Ben's chair began to chirp. "Excuse me, I have to take this call," he said to them, then stood as he launched the video call app.

Tina's smiling face appeared with Lucy and Moon sitting at her sides.

Ben smiled at the happy faces. "Hello! How is everyone at home? How are the kids?"

Three smiles widened. "We are doing well, but we all miss you," Tina replied.

"I miss you, too," he said. "Any issues you need my assistance with?"

Tina shook her head. "All is going smoothly. The construction teams are beginning to work on the two homes. The large digging machines are busy," she said, and Ben nodded. "How is your project going?" she asked.

He turned the tablet to show them the guys flying their toy drones and the others relaxing on the lounge chairs. Then he turned it back to himself. "The team is highly motivated and eager to proceed, but I'm following your advice to make everyone take breaks to keep us fresh. We haven't run into any real issues yet, so I'm optimistic."

The ladies were grateful to hear that and shared happy glances. Then Tina recalled something.

"Trish wanted me to remind you that the opening of the German office of the Shepherd Foundation will be on April twentieth," she said.

Ben grimaced as he was completely absorbed in this project and begrudged the time he'd be pulled away from it. He was really enjoying working with the teams. He saw three compassionate smiles and sighed. Of course, they were right. He had other responsibilities, too.

"Noted," he said. "I'll ask Evelyn to schedule a return flight for the eighteenth."

That earned him excited smiles.

He spotted a convoy of vehicles returning with the components for the energy cells. Evelyn and Liliya were back from their errand.

"It looks like my break is over as Evelyn and Liliya are back from the errand I sent them on," he said.

"Who is guarding you when they are away?" Lucy asked.

Ben smiled. "Apparently, we're surrounded by a team of commandos, but I haven't seen them yet. It's a training mission for them, apparently."

He saw the three ladies relax as they heard he was safe.

"I love you, and I'll see you soon. Give me a call before you go to bed tonight," Ben said, and he saw a blush surface on Moon's face. He smiled at her as he realized she was sharing his bed with Tina and Lucy while he was away.

"We love you, too, Ben! Talk to you later!" Tina said. She and Lucy blew kisses to him, and he returned them. Moon's face seemed to glow with a blush, and Tina hugged her as the call ended.

Ben chuckled to himself, then paused as he realized how important Moon was becoming to them.

Was he going to have to make room in his heart for one more?

-=-

Three days had passed since the components for the power cells had arrived. Ben turned his efforts toward making his dream a reality. Once he was ready to present his prototype to the team, he had Evelyn make a call to invite two special guests.

Captain Kendricks and General Davis sat in the front row, before the collected American and Australian engineering teams. They all watched as Ben stood before a series of whiteboards he'd used to illustrate how the new power cell he'd invented worked and how they would power his latest invention. To the left was a screen that displayed the math involved.

Mare and Henri were back in their states of hyperfocus as the math flowed through their minds.

Finally, on a rolling cart before the boards was the actual energy cell prototype, which, like many of Ben's inventions, wasn't visibly remarkable. It was the size of a scuba air tank but contained enough energy to power a small jet.

Most of the expressions were incredulous as they witnessed the birth of a new energy technology on a level above anything currently available.

General Davis couldn't stop smiling, and Kendricks appeared a little shellshocked.

Bill cleared his throat to speak. "Ben, this is... the applications for your new power cell technology alone are... enormous. We'll need to begin building the new manufacturing plants immediately. We'll need to negotiate the purchase of some neighboring lots and expand our manufacturing plants onto them."

Ben nodded. "I already own the property. I called my people three nights ago and had them purchase the deeds for the entire industrial zone surrounding the Sturn Manufacturing plant, on both sides of the highway. Thankfully, they were reasonably inexpensive. You can get the ball rolling with your construction company." Ben's audience stared back at him in shock.

He faced the General as his smile widened. "Having technology that can store a large capacity of energy and efficiently deliver it was essential for this project, but while I was designing it, the math led me to a new way to generate power more effectively. That's... part two of this project."

He saw he had the full attention of his special guests. "We're going to need to increase the capacity of the local power grid for the new manufacturing factories, and I'd like to build a power generation plant to supply that power. The excess will go into the grid."

General Davis locked eyes with Ben. He knew Ben was asking him to spearhead the effort to grease the wheels of the political process to make these things happen. It took political will to accomplish great things quickly. This was proven time and again by their nemesis on the other side of the world. China's enormous infrastructure projects got done. The States had to keep up.

Considering what he'd be bringing to the table this time, the General knew he'd have no trouble. He nodded to Ben.

The room was quiet. Bill blinked at Ben, finding his voice at last. "You're rather confident of your new design."

Ben chuckled and looked toward Mare and Henri. "What do you think?" he asked them.

Mare surfaced from her mental computations and locked eyes with Ben. "It's... It's like nothing I've seen before. I must admit I'm struggling to follow the higher formulas, but the math is pure. Its complexity is breathtaking!"

She smiled at Henri's wide grin and nod, then turned to Bryan. "It's a go!"

That was enough for the Wild Dogs, who cheered and howled excitedly.

Ben grinned as he watched their celebrations.

Bill caught Ben's attention once more. "I think this technology is going to have a huge impact on many industries. While we'll be able to support the needs for the Fool's Enterprise Project, you'll eventually need to build additional manufacturing plants to support these other industries."

Ben nodded. "I expect there will be a significant amount of retooling in the future for many industries."

The General frowned. "What's this Fool's Enterprise?" He glanced at Evelyn, who looked embarrassed.

She addressed the question. "Sorry, General. That's the official name of the project. Its start date was April first. I've been referring to it as Ben's Secret Project in my reports."

Ben chuckled and looked at the two army representatives. "Come to the lab and take a look." He turned to the engineers. "Dale, Bryan, could I ask you guys to bring the power cell?" They nodded and took up positions at the ends of the rolling cart.

Everyone left the presentation room and walked down the hall to the large room where their work area was.

Ben watched the expression on Kendricks' face as he got his first look at the extra-large drone. A smile lit up the man's face.

"Fool's Enterprise! Oh, my god! It's a photon torpedo!" he exclaimed, and the engineering teams burst into laughter.

General Davis looked at Ben, who rolled his eyes. "It was never my intent to build something from a TV show, but the team insisted if it looks like a duck, flies like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it's a photon torpedo. Contrary to that impression, this drone was designed to function as both a logistics transport and an ambulance for wounded soldiers. Beyond that, it has many possible uses across many industries."

Ben gestured to the small mock-up versions they'd made of the device. "We've been prototyping the software and functions, but this one has all the features. All that was missing was the power supply."

He moved to the full-scale version and lifted the power cell from the cart with a quiet grunt. Bryan and Dale moved the cart aside and opened the small doors at the drone's end, allowing Ben to slide its power source inside and clamp it in place. They inspected the connections and smiled at each other. The doors were sealed shut, and they moved back.

Dale held up the flight controller and FPV goggles to Ben. "Do you want the honors?"

Ben shook his head with a smile. "No. I'm not an expert drone pilot."

Davis moved forward. "A remote operator flies it?"

Ben shook his head. "No. It's now in a low-speed manual flight mode, as piloting it inside the building on its maiden flight should be handled by a pilot. At higher speeds, outside, the flight controls must be handled by the computer as a human brain couldn't keep up." Kendricks nodded thoughtfully as he was expecting that.

Ben continued.

"In production, it will be fully autonomous. Define its destination, and it will pick the fastest and safest route. Bill's team equipped it with state-of-the-art anti-collision abilities through its new obstacle detection, identification, and avoidance software. Bryan's team gave it maximum agility and flight performance with their flight control software."

Dale and Bryan grinned at each other and flipped a coin. Bryan won, so his best pilot, Gary, donned the goggles and pressed the power button.

The drone powered up, and the lights along the sides blinked on. Then the electromagnetic fields centered the props and got them spinning. Aside from the wind noise, the drone was mostly silent.

They'd learned from previous tests to ensure anything that could be blown off a workbench was secured. The wind thrown off by the props was intense inside an enclosed space.

Bryan tapped the control to lift it from the support it was resting on, and the drone smoothly rose to hover at head-height.

"Shall we take it outside for a quick spin around the back field?" Ben asked.

Davis smiled and nodded.

Dale rushed over to the large bay door at the side of the lab and rolled it up.

The group followed the drone outside. Bill, Bryan, and Dale crowded around the large tablet Ben was carrying, which tracked the drone's performance. They could see power consumption, speed, and temperature readings from multiple locations within the drone. A stream of commands scrolled past, showing the flight controller's current orders. In the top right was a window showing the forward view from the camera on its nose.

Mare had another large tablet that displayed views from the front, rear, and side-facing cameras. Two additional but smaller windows showed the above and below views. She was sharing this with Captain Kendricks and General Davis.

"Where should we fly?" Gary asked.

Ben smiled as he had an idea. "Fly the drone out to the far edge of the property, run parallel to the boundary, then come back to hover before us. Oh! And do it fast!"

The General glanced over at Ben, but he pretended not to notice. Instead, he was watching the grin on Gary's face as he spun the drone and pushed the engines to their upper limit. It was a risky move on their first test flight, but Ben was confident in their work and knew Gary was an excellent drone pilot.

The large torpedo lived up to its name as it shot away and flew across the field at tremendous velocity, only to swing into an arc that zipped along the boundary line.

"What was that lying in the long grass?" Bryan asked as he spotted something as the drone shot by.

"There's another one!" Henri said.

Davis frowned at Ben's amused smile as the drone finished its arc and curved its path once more to race back to its pilot.

Bill looked at Ben. "Your protection detail?" he asked quietly and got a nod.

In seconds, the drone was back, and it rapidly slowed to hover in front of Gary.

"God! It has the smoothest flight controls of any drone I've ever piloted!" the man sighed happily.

"Even on manual flight mode, it's doing most of the corrections on its own," Dale said. "No Human mind could keep up with the calculations it needs."

"What's the danger of its controls being hijacked?" Davis asked.

"Scramblers won't be an issue in the field since it's autonomous. If it determines the destination site is compromised, it will find an alternate or return home based on orders given at the outset of its mission," Ben said. "Due to its cameras, revised orders can be sent via line-of-site encrypted laser pulse packets from above."

They sent the drone out for additional test flights, but kept the elevation low to avoid detection by the local airport's radar. That didn't stop Gary from performing some aerial stunts, just like he did with the tiny racing drones.

Finally, they brought it back to the lab, and Gary landed it smoothly on its support stand. Then it powered down its props.

"How's the power consumption?" Mare asked.

"We've used two-point-eight percent so far," Ben said.

"Any overheating issues?" Bill asked.

"The primary processor for the collision detection system is a little hotter than I like," another member of Bill's team admitted.

"We can direct more airflow over that processor," Ben suggested.

"What about anomalous vibrations?" Dale asked.

"Nothing detected by the sensors," Brian noted.

"What's the range for the drone?" Davis asked.

Ben shook his head. "Too soon to say with any real accuracy. More testing is required. With its second battery in place, we'll need to test how that, along with different payloads, impacts performance. There's also the effect of weather conditions. Just based on this single test in its current configuration, I'd suggest it could go four to five hundred miles at least, but that's a rough estimate."

Bryan and Bill nodded in agreement.

"We still have to design the custom bulletproofing encasement using the new tubular shielding. I was also thinking of optional stealth shielding using the same kind of fiber optic panel tech that Sadik's ship used, but that's a down-the-road feature," Ben suggested.

"Bullets, Beans, and Bandages," Davis said with a smile.

Ben nodded, a smile appearing on his face as he recalled the dream. "Exactly. This is the first implementation of the drones, but this technology has broad applications. The energy storage cells and my energy generation tech have even broader applications. I've filed patents on these."

Davis' eyebrow rose.

"With the Homeland Security rider," Ben said to assure the man.

"How much weight can it carry?" Davis asked.

Bill nodded. "We were roughly estimating five to six hundred pounds as the upper limit to ensure its range isn't impacted, but again, we need to run it through a far more vigorous testing cycle."

"Remember, this is the first iteration of the final prototype, so it's not in its optimized form yet. It's still a little on the chunky side," Ben said with a grin.

Davis looked at the sleek torpedo and snorted softly in amusement. There seemed to be no excess to trim.

"I'm greatly impressed with your progress so far, and I'm looking forward to seeing the final version when it goes into production," the General said.

Ben clapped for the two engineering teams, prompting everyone else to join in.

The General shook Ben's hand and leaned closer. "I've got to get back to Washington, but I want to know when you're ready to build the power generation plant. Your design for the storage and generation technology will need to be approved by the Department of Energy and pass through some Senate committees. I'll arrange for the meetings you'll need for the presentation."

Ben nodded. "I'll make sure Evelyn gets progress reports to keep you updated frequently. Sorry about the secrecy, but this invention was far more ambitious than anything I've done before. I wanted to ensure it would succeed before I shared it," Ben explained.

Davis nodded. "I appreciate your efforts, as it will make my job easier dealing with my opponents in Congress."

"I believe I've met some of them," Ben said with a scowl.

Davis nodded, then gestured to Kendricks to indicate they were leaving. The captain shook Ben's hand excitedly with a wide grin, then the two men shook Bill's and Bryan's hands and waved to the others before they left.

"That went spectacularly!" Bryan said with a wide grin.

Ben smiled at him with a nod. "I'm pleased with our progress. So far, it's living up to its potential."

"Potential!" Bill snorted in amusement. "Geezus, Ben! That term might have a new definition now!"

Ben waved that aside. "It's just another puzzle to solve, and you know I enjoy those!" He looked at the smiling teams and rubbed his hands together. "We still have some issues to resolve, and I have a deadline for when I have to get back to my other duties, so let's get to it!"

The group cheered.

Ben loved working with a team!

Chapter 66

The weather in Berlin was cooperating for their grand opening ceremony, and the day promised to be a good one, except for the protesters.

Ben stood beside Catherine and Chanel as they watched the group chanting and carrying signs with something written on them. The group consisted of women who appeared upset.

He looked to the woman who'd been hired to manage the Berlin office of the Shepherd Foundation, Brigette Müller. "What do the signs say?"

The embarrassed woman glanced at Ben. "They claim we are unfairly treating... sex workers."

Ben's eyebrows rose in surprise. He looked back at Catherine. "Is there some issue we have with sex workers?"

Catherine shook her head. "Prostitution is regulated but not illegal in Berlin. I'm not aware of any specific issue we might have had with this."

He looked at Brigette. "I think we should speak to them before the ceremony."

He climbed down from the stage with Liliya in the lead and Evelyn at his back. Catherine, Chanel, Brigette, and Trish followed. A security detail created a corridor for them through the crowd, which seemed in good spirits and was thrilled to see Ben this close.

He smiled and nodded to the people as he moved toward the protesters. He could see that this group was becoming aware of his approach as several members stopped and prepared for his arrival. The woman standing front and center was tall and wearing a lot of black leather. Her eyeshadow, lipstick, and nail polish were also this color, which made her light blonde, straight shoulder-length hair seem lighter. Her eyes held a fierce expression, so Ben took a deep breath and locked eyes with her as he came to a stop before the group. Brigette stepped up to his shoulder to lend her translation services if required.

"Hello, I'm Ben Shepherd."

"I am Madam Sibylle. I've been asked to represent the united sex workers in their case against the Shepherd Foundation's discriminatory practices," the woman said abruptly.

Brigette addressed the woman. "This is the first we've heard of this claim. Could we have some specific information regarding this?"

The Madam gestured to the young woman standing next to her, her face bearing a defiant frown. "Ms. Böbel was refused admittance to your residence once she divulged her occupation."

Brigette pulled out a small tablet from her jacket pocket and tapped the screen for a few moments. "I have the records for all the applicants. Please give me a moment to pull up the file."

Ben noted that the young Ms. Böbel's expression was becoming less indignant and more nervous.

Brigette smiled as she found a record matching the surname. "First name, Emma?"

The young woman nodded, but her eyes flicked to the Madam.

"The reason your application was rejected wasn't because of your occupation--"

"That's a lie!" the young woman blurted, and Brigette looked at her in surprise.

Sibylle frowned at Emma, who immediately went quiet. The Madam turned her attention back to Brigette, who continued.

"The file indicates that Ms. Böbel reported she was a sex worker and insisted on being able to bring her customers to her room on occasion."

Catherine made a noise of recognition. "Ah, I remember this now. The residences are not zoned for business use. We'd lose our charter and be forced to shut down the housing units. All the tenants would be forced out. No business activities are allowed within the residence buildings."

Brigette nodded. "The notation in the file indicates Ms. Böbel was notified that her application had been denied for this reason."

Sibylle's expression showed her great discomfort at spearheading a protest based on a lie. She glared at Emma, who desperately looked like she wanted to be anywhere else.

The tall leather-clad blonde turned to smile stiffly at Ben. "Our apologies for causing an unjustified disturbance at your grand opening. I'm actually very supportive of your efforts, but I'm afraid I was too quick to believe our occupation was being attacked. It happens too often."

Ben nodded. "We have no issues with you or your field of work. I believe you are providing a social service that deserves the same rights, support, and protection as any service your government provides its citizens."

Sibylle blinked in surprise, then a smile slipped onto her lips. "That is a very progressive and welcome opinion. Thank you."

She reached out her hand, and Ben took it in his.

Then she tested his strength with her grip. He hadn't expected this, but managed to keep from rolling his eyes as he saw a hint of challenge in hers.

Ben equalized the pressure until she released his hand and smiled broadly at him with a nod from Dom to Dom.

She turned to her people and gestured for them to lower their signs and to retreat to the open space across the street.

Trish moved to Ben's side, keeping her smile in place as the protesters moved away. "Did she really try to flex on you?" she asked quietly, amusement clear in her voice.

Ben sighed. "Yes. Let's just get back to the ceremony."

Once they were back on the stage, they saw the protesters had left. With a nod to the others, Brigette stood before the microphone and addressed the people gathered. She made the introductions, and each person nodded toward the crowd as their name was announced. Introductions done, Brigette gestured for Catherine to come forward. She smiled brilliantly then addressed the group before her in German, which brought an impressed smile to Ben's face. She switched back to English and returned to the speech Ben was familiar with.

When it was his turn, Ben faced the eager faces. "I should have taught myself some German, so I could express how pleased I am at this moment to share this opportunity to meet the future of this great country."

That caused applause and cheering, and Ben smiled as he waited for them to calm down.

"The Sheppard Foundation will not claim responsibility for your success. That comes from within each one of you. Your potential and drive get that honor. All the foundation can do is help level the playing field by reducing distractions that might impede your journey. I believe in you. Believe in yourself."

Ben waved and stepped back as Brigette returned to the microphone and brought the ceremony to a close, where Ben would cut the ceremonial ribbon. As he usually did, he felt silly, but he turned to Brigette and asked her a question. She looked at him in surprise, then gave him the answer. He repeated it to her a few times until she smiled and nodded.

Then he turned to the audience.

"Ich erkläre diese Stiftung für eröffnet!" Ben shouted as he cut the ribbon. He hoped he hadn't butchered the wording too badly, but based on the volume of the cheers, his message had been understood.

That's all he could ask.

-=-

Karl Gunderman ran his fingers through the buzz-cut hair on his scalp as he reviewed the orders he'd received the night before for the agent in his charge. He'd seen dozens of similar orders in the past, but there were a few details in this one that varied from the norm.

The target wasn't a single individual but a gang. He'd sent his charge after groups before, but there was always a clearly defined quantity. The research team's job was to study the target for weeks, gathering as much information as possible before an order would be submitted, so the number should have been a known value for the report. In that field, all it said was less than fifty.

He wasn't sure how his agent would react to this.

Karl sighed and rolled his neck, which felt a little stiff from his tension. He wasn't a young man, though he didn't look his age due to his vigorous exercise routine. He was a small, slim man but very fit. Looking like you're in your forties while cruising through your sixties was an achievement he was proud of. Another factor that helped him pull off this age-defying look was his thick black beard. It wasn't a regulation, but his boss was lenient with this minor policy deviation due to his seniority, and the agent Karl managed. None of the other handlers would work with him, regardless of his excellent record.

He glanced at the clock and saw it was time. He glanced toward his door as he heard a knock.

"Come in!" he called out, and Hal Demmon stepped inside and took a seat in the chair before Karl's desk.

To Karl's trained eye, Hal was fully healed and operating at an optimal state of balance for his split mind.

"I have another mission?" Hal asked.

"Yes," Karl said as he handed Hal the folder. He didn't attempt to make any explanations beforehand, as he knew Hal's other side would find that annoying. He did his best not to disturb that side.

As he watched the man read the report, he saw Hal's expression shift between normal concentration and complete blankness. The other was seeing things it didn't like. He couldn't blame it, as he felt the same way.

Finally, Hal looked across the desk with a concerned expression. "This seems very light on some key bits of information."

Karl nodded. He knew better than to ask for more information upstream. That didn't mean he was willing to send his agent into a mess unprepared.

"I don't know why it wasn't included in the report, but I discovered this gang was identified as one of the two involved in the dockyard massacre in Hong Kong last September. It's believed the other gang was decimated completely at the scene, but this one had additional members held in reserve, including some senior members."

"But the researchers couldn't determine how many survived?" Hal asked.

"Apparently not," Karl confirmed. "Mr. Shepherd will be traveling to Hong Kong for the opening of his Shepherd Foundation on May sixth. The report indicates the gang is planning to take their revenge at that time. All members of the gang will be present at their headquarters the night before their attack."

"Has this information been shared with him and his security team? Perhaps he shouldn't attend the opening," Hal suggested.

"The reason you were requested to deal with this is that any information leaked regarding knowledge of their plans would jeopardize the informant network, which took decades to put in place. It must be done quietly and on the night before the Foundation's opening to ensure all members are present. Also, as it's in Hong Kong, we can't afford anything less than complete secrecy."

Karl stopped and watched Hal's face. Something about this was giving him trouble.

"Are you going to accept--"

Hal locked eyes with Karl, and he could see that the other was front and center. "Yes."

Karl blinked as a chill ran down his spine, and Hal was back. "Yes, I'm in. I'll need to be there on the first of the month to do my own reconnaissance. Silent entry and exit from the country, and I have specific weapon requirements for this job."

Karl nodded as he made notes and looked up at Hal at the mention of weapons. "Guns--"

"Blades. I'll send you a list," Hal said.

Karl nodded.

"And I'm out the same night," Hal insisted.

Karl glanced up and saw that Hal was being serious. "I'll need to see what's available--"

"It's crucial. Pulling off a hit of this scale is going to generate a lot of attention. Silent entry and exit so they won't have recordings of my coming and going. I need to be gone before that attention flares."

Karl took a breath as he held Hal's eyes. "All right. I'll make it happen."

Hal nodded, stood, and left the office.

Karl leaned back in his chair and rolled his stiff neck muscles again. He liked working with Hal and found him to be quite professional and calm.

Interacting with his other side? That was another story.

Chapter 67

Ben smiled as he read the report from Bill and Bryan regarding his Fool's Enterprise project. The teams were making excellent progress toward eliminating the remaining areas of concern, and Bill's team had found more effective methods to incorporate into their collision control software, enabling faster decision-making. This software was undergoing tests to ensure it didn't impact the flight control software. So far, they hadn't encountered any conflicts.

He wished he was there in the lab, but the opening of the Hong Kong branch of his foundation was too close for him to spend time flying all over the country. Liliya suspected there might be trouble for Ben in the country, so she, Evelyn, and Trish were in full training mode to improve Ben's fighting skills.

"Have you received any word that we might be in danger from the gangs Tatiana attacked?" he asked Evelyn.

The Sergeant shook her head. "The report I received indicated that one of the gangs was completely decimated and the other had its numbers severely reduced. This should have driven them down the food chain, so they shouldn't be an issue. That said, you've been a little too preoccupied to spend time on your training, so we're going to take you through the methods again until we're assured the motions are trained into your muscle memory."

They were in Trish's dojo, and the woman in question was grinning as she watched Ben hungrily.

"We'll begin at half speed," Liliya said firmly, and Ben nodded as he allowed his awareness to expand to include all three of his opponents. Evelyn explained that it may feel overwhelming at times, but it was a skill he needed to build first due to the chaotic nature of this kind of fighting.

Evelyn scored a hit on his shoulder before he got his mind focused, but he spun away and successfully blocked the attack from Liliya, and got inside the punch from Trish, and she tumbled away and back to her feet. The next surge came at him, and he sent himself into a roll to escape their trap and swept Evelyn's feet from under her.

Truthfully, she allowed herself to be tripped as they were still moving at half speed.

Three minutes more of this, and Liliya said the words he'd been dreading.

"Full speed."

Now their blows came at him lightning fast from multiple angles, and he had to rely on his fast reaction time to limit the strikes to glancing hits.

With the grab of a sleeve and a fast pivot, he sent Liliya sailing over his hip to collide with the padded wall. Then he caught Trish's kick between his torso and arm, surged toward her, and she went down on her back to get a slap against her stomach instead of a disabling punch. She acted as if it was and remained down.

Evelyn leaped against Ben's side and pushed off with her feet, sending him tumbling. When he flopped onto his back, she landed on his stomach and slapped his forehead.

The sparring was done. Ben was tagged out.

Evelyn helped Ben to his feet, and Liliya and Trish joined them.

Liliya fixed a stern eye on Ben. "You were a little slow to get focused, and your reaction times aren't as quick as they should be. Let's go again."

Ben kept his moan to himself. This session was going to hurt.

-=-

Leaving the jet to enter the air terminal in Hong Kong, Ben glanced across the members of his entourage. Cat and Chanel were enjoying the heat and had dressed appropriately. They looked stunning!

He noted that Chanel's eyes were tracking all movement, just as Liliya and Evelyn's were.

Moon was with them this time, and he smiled at her shy expression. Liliya assured Ben that the diminutive woman could handle herself in a fight if necessary. She also spoke Cantonese, so she could act as a translator.

One omission from his party was Trish. Due to their... naughty activities during his last visit, it was decided that her presence on stage with him would be too distracting and would inflame the press. The Hong Kong Marketing Director she'd hired for her team, Li Tak Po, would be with them on the stage during the ceremony.

A squad was in place to act as their covert security, but they wouldn't be too close due to the sensitive nature of the political situation. The jet would be guarded for their return trip.

They boarded the hotel shuttle reserved for them and took in the sights as the driver drove them to their luxury accommodations. When they finished checking in and their bags were taken upstairs to their rooms, Catherine pointed to the bar, and Chanel nodded. Ben shook his head with a smile at Cat's enquiring look, so the two ladies left the group. Ben stretched his muscles, which ached from sitting for so long. He needed to work out in the gym, take a hot bath, and then get some rest.

"I think I'll get changed into my workout clothes and see what their gym has to offer," he said, and the ladies nodded to him with smiles.

"We'll join you," Evelyn said.

They took the elevators up to their floor and checked out their rooms. Once they changed into their gym wear, they met by the elevator and took one up to the level below the roof deck, where their lovely and huge gym was located. Ben smiled, seeing the variety of machines. He picked up a towel from a clerk and headed to the mats to do his stretches.

Liliya, Evelyn, and Moon took spots nearby and each began their routines.

Ben felt his muscles begin to warm and stretch, and the knots loosened.

There was phantom pain from the rigorous training the ladies pushed him through, but he smiled to himself when he recalled their proud expressions when he finally managed to evade all their strikes in a group attack while disabling them with tags. Granted, he was barely on his feet at the end of the session, but it proved he'd gotten better. They hadn't gone easy on him.

Evelyn suddenly leapt to her feet, and Ben's eyes followed hers to the far door. He saw a group of men walking in wearing unbuttoned, short-sleeved black shirts, black slacks, and black loafers. Through the open shirts, Ben could see extensive tattoos covering their chest and arms.

Each was carrying a machete or a small hand axe, and none of them looked friendly.

For fuck's sake!

They walked slowly across the room, and the few other guests in the gym quickly rushed around the edges to flee. The gang ignored them as they glared at Ben and moved closer.

"So, which gang do you suppose these goons belong to?" Ben asked Liliya quietly.

Then he noticed she had her blades in her hands. He wondered where she'd hidden them in her workout tights.

For that matter, Evelyn was also carrying blades, and Moon had some too. Shit!

Ben was the only person in the room without a weapon. He'd have to ask Liliya to teach him how to do the stealth trick.

Looking behind himself, he spotted the free weights. He picked up two fourteen-inch dumbbell bars and grinned as he faced the thugs.

That seemed to unnerve a few of them, but it was twelve against four, so their numbers gave them courage.

Moon yelled something at the one who seemed to be the leader. He paused, pointed to Ben and Liliya, and shouted something back.

"He said they have come to take revenge for the murder of their brothers last September," Moon called back.

"Fallout from Tatiana's killing spree," Liliya said.

Then the time for talking was over as the gang charged forward, weapons swinging.

Moon was closest to the leader, and he tried to slam his machete into her skull. Instead, he got two quick but deep stabs in his torso and fell to his knees as she darted away.

Liliya caught the descending blades of two attackers, driving the weapons aside before she slashed their faces with a lightning-fast counterattack. They screamed, blinded by the blood, and swung their arms violently at their target. She ducked under their sweeps, stabbed each in the side, and they fell.

Evelyn surged forward, inside the strikes of three of the gang members, slamming the heavy pommel of her daggers against their temples. Each hit the floor like sandbags and remained there as she looked for her next target. She glanced back.

While the three ladies were engaged, four attackers managed to rush around them to attack Ben head-on, but he was already moving. He leapt forward and smashed an axe from one's grip, then a machete from another, breaking their hands in the process. Ben followed up with punches, but holding the heavy metal bars in his fists made his strikes far more devastating. Jaws broke, and down they went like rag dolls. This caused the last two to pause, which gave Evelyn time to hit them both from behind, putting them on the floor as well.

The final two at the back reached into their jackets to pull out guns, but Liliya's heel connected with one's cheek, snapping his head sideways sharply with a loud crack. He was out, possibly dead.

Moon pinned the other's arm to his chest with one of her daggers. His gun dropped from his nerveless hand. Before she could leap back, he awkwardly punched her, but she tipped her head and caught the blow on the top of her skull before she drove her other blade into his gut and yanked upward. He screamed and fell back.

Liliya's glance confirmed Moon was okay, as they collected the guns and quickly checked the fallen men to ensure there were no other firearms. The one who acted as the leader also had one, so it was added to the pile.

Hotel security rushed in and faced three women with blades ready to defend. They all froze.

"Call the police," Ben called out.

"They are on their way, Mr. Shepherd," one of the braver ones called back.

Ben moved to stand with the ladies and spotted what looked like blood on Moon's scalp. He pulled her close with one arm as his other hand gently pushed her hair aside to let him see.

"It is nothing," she said quietly.

"It's not a bad wound, but it's still a wound. Thank you," he insisted as he examined her. Liliya and Evelyn shared a knowing smile at the surprised blush that reddened the small woman's cheeks. From the twinkle in her eye, she was enjoying the embrace.

Ben gently released Moon and pulled Evelyn and Liliya into a hug as the police arrived.

They sounded angry. Ben sighed. It was going to be a long night.

-=-

The Hong Kong branch of China's Wen So Triad made its headquarters in a simple, seven-story residence tower sandwiched between two others. As building codes weren't strictly enforced at the time of its construction, each tower had only three exits: the ground floor door to access the stairwell leading to the upper floors, a roll-up garage door for the ground floor mechanics shop, and the roof access, which allowed tenants to use the roof access on the two neighboring buildings. All three were decrepit-looking and fit in with the old neighborhood.

Hal's reconnaissance and planted bugs informed him that the members planned to gather in the building before they left for Ben's hotel.

When he was ready, he drove a stolen delivery truck down the lane, up onto the sidewalk, and parked it directly against the building, blocking the front door access hall and the garage door. He slipped from the vehicle before the sentry guarding their door rushed outside to pound on the vehicle's passenger-side door.

Hal was already running up the stairwell of the neighboring building to its roof.

Slipping through the access door, he spotted three guards taking a smoke break. Hal felt pressure from his other side, eager to hunt.

Slipping back, he let it take over.

Almost before they could react to his sudden appearance, the trio of enforcers met their death with quiet gasps and gurgles through their opened throats. The monster sheathed the short swords as it eased past them into the center tower's stairwell, pausing only momentarily to chain the door closed, sealing its prey inside the building with it.

It listened for a moment and heard voices from below, as well as the sounds of routine household activities from the apartment building units on either side of the central tower.

To level the playing field, it triggered the small remote charge Hal had planted to cut power to the center apartment building.

When the lights went out, shouts came from the floors below, so the monster followed the sound to where the senior officers were likely to be.

The voices were sharp with bravado and annoyance, but beneath was a nervous tension as they got closer to the stairwell. Dressed in black with only its cold, emotionless eyes exposed, the monster darted from the doorway with its two short swords in its hands.

Grumbles became shouts of rage, then shrieks of terror as flashing weapons severed the shocked men's limbs, then their lives.

No room was left unchecked, and no prey was allowed to live.

Satisfied none escaped, it descended to the next floor.

These higher-ranking enforcers had weapons in hand, alerted by the screams of their leaders. They shouted and rushed forward, mounting a counterattack, but none were able to get past the wall of slashing steel. Ceilings, walls, and floors were soon streaked with red.

Once more, the monster ensured none were left breathing before descending to the next floor.

The cries of rage and confusion quickly became fear and despair as the silent invader surged mercilessly through the panicking and desperate gang members. The foot soldiers on the lower floors discovered they couldn't escape from the building. Panic set in, and the voices became shrill.

This eventually tapered off into silence as the last fell.

Listening closely, the monster noted that the normal domestic sounds from the two adjoining towers had also gone quiet. They were safe if they made no attempts to investigate.

Standing amongst the bodies of the dead and dying, ignoring the sting of a few shallow cuts, it listened carefully for the sounds of breathing and discovered a few who were attempting to hide under the bodies. The mission mandated no witnesses, and the monster ensured this objective was met.

Finally, it was content with its efforts tonight.

Perhaps sated was a better word. It was a rare treat to be given so many lives to end. The risk had been high, but the corresponding reward was significantly greater.

Sated was a very good word.

Climbing back toward the roof, it double-checked each floor to ensure no one remained alive. It was surprised to discover one injured soldier desperately trying to break the lock on the door to the roof.

Drawing a short sword again, the monster climbed the stairs slowly.

In a last-second burst of desperate bravery, the bloody man leaped at his attacker with a scream.

This choked off as a blade passed through his throat, and a terrifyingly strong arm deflected him midjump, shoving him aside like he was nothing. He was dead before he struck the landing below.

Its mission completed, the monster slipped into the back of their shared mind as Hal resurfaced, shuddering slightly. He ached from the efforts tonight, but he needed to complete his part, slipping away unseen to rendezvous with his flight out. He pulled waterproof black booties from his pocket to slip them over his blood-drenched shoes, and he was ready.

The lock opened with his key, and there was only silence on the roof as he stepped out. Moving to the stairwell he hadn't yet used, he slipped in the door and listened. Silence continued as he descended and stepped out into the night. No cameras, and more importantly, no eyes witnessed his disappearance into the darkened streets.

He had a flight to catch.

-=-

After getting just a few hours' sleep when they returned to the hotel from the police station, Ben and his entourage were on a stage facing more expectant expressions. Before them was an audience of excited young people who'd be the first members of the Hong Kong branch of the Shepherd Foundation. Members of the press were also present, and the Foundation's security team kept a close eye on both groups, coordinated by Chanel's local chief of security.

The crowd before the stage was far more civil than Ben had expected.

They delivered their opening ceremony speeches, and Ben cut the ribbon, calling out a phrase Moon had taught him that, hopefully, proclaimed the foundation open.

Ben's group was finishing their tour of the facilities when they were met with a group of five stern gentlemen in suits who explained that they were police detectives from the organized crime unit.

Trying to contain his annoyance, Ben sighed. "Didn't we give enough statements about the attack in the gym last night?" His fatigue made his words come out a little sharper than he'd intended. Expressions darkened, then Ben held up his hands. "I'm sorry. We're all a little tired from being up so late."

One of the detectives seemed to be their point man, nodding to Ben. "We are not here for the group who attacked you in the hotel gym. The hotel's internal video footage of that attack cleared you."

Ben nodded in relief, then caught his meaning. "Then why--"

Another detective who acted like he also didn't get enough sleep stepped closer. "The surviving members of the Wen So Triad were murdered last night."

Ben blinked at him in confusion. "Who?"

"I believe they were the other gang involved in the dockyard massacre last September," Evelyn offered.

Ben nodded to her in comprehension, then turned his eyes back to the frowning detectives. "And? You can't possibly believe we were involved! We spent most of the night with the police. All of us!" Ben insisted with a sweep of his arm, indicating the others.

Now, the discomfort in their expressions was very clear.

The main detective cleared his throat uncomfortably. "The method of the murders, the scale of the attack, and the weapons used in the attack were almost identical to the dockyard massacre we believe was carried out by Tatiana Pushkin."

Liliya smiled broadly. "Tatiana continues to protect Ben and his good work from beyond the grave."

This sent an immediate wave of unease through the gathered detectives. Superstition was alive and well in these men.

Ben frowned and flicked a glance at the ex-assassin. Then he turned to the detective.

"I have no grievance against anyone. I'm here to celebrate the Foundation's opening and to ensure it provides the next generation with an opportunity to make something of themselves for the betterment of society. We obviously had nothing to do with the second gang attack, so you'll need to look elsewhere for answers."

That put frowns on the detective's faces, but they had no evidence to contradict Ben's words. They were aware of his and his security team's presence at police headquarters during the time interval of the second attack. They had no evidence to identify the culprits. With stiff nods, they turned and left. Some looked back at Liliya nervously.

When they were alone, Ben turned to face Liliya. "I wasn't aware you were superstitious and believed in ghosts."

Liliya shook her head with a smile. "I don't. Making that suggestion works in our favor as a deterrent against future attempts. I believe the odds are very good that the story of Tatiana's vengeful ghost murdering a gang will be leaked to the press."

Ben paused, then relaxed as this made sense to him. He looked at the rest of his entourage. Aside from Catherine and Chanel, who'd avoided being entangled in the mess from the previous night and got a decent sleep, everyone looked ready to go home.

"When's our flight?" Ben asked.

"Tomorrow morning," Evelyn answered.

"As much as I'd hate to waste the opportunity to explore the city on our final night, I've had enough excitement. I think I'll head back to the hotel, get room service for dinner, and go to bed early," he said, and saw nods from Liliya, Evelyn, and Moon. Catherine and Chanel grinned at him, making him smile.

"Go! Enjoy yourselves!" Ben said, and Cat moved closer to press herself to his chest and kissed him before she grabbed Chanel's hand and rushed her out the door.

Ben sighed. "Let's go."

They decided to eat dinner in Ben's room, so the tables were wheeled inside with their delicious-smelling meals. They sat before the big TV and let a news program play in the background.

Sure enough, a story emerged about the demise of the Hong Kong branch of the Wen So Triad. Moon provided them with a running translation, although Liliya apparently also spoke Cantonese.

They saw their faces on the screen as the story detailed the attack at the hotel. The press caught them looking exhausted as they left the precinct in the wee hours of the morning. This proved they were not involved in the Triad murders.

Then the story went... weird.

An image of Tatiana, cleverly and creatively rendered in 3D to look like a vengeful ghost wielding dual swords, appeared on the screen.

Moon looked at Tatiana in surprise. "They are suggesting Tatiana returned to protect Ben, just like you said they would!"

Liliya smiled. "That was quicker than I expected, but I'm not surprised."

The news anchors returned to the screen, and they both seemed excited about the story. Ben's image with Tatiana, the CG Ghost, was up on a screen behind them as they spoke animatedly. Moon looked over at Ben's weary expression. "They suggest you may have spiritual connections."

Ben moaned wearily.

"Your legend grows," Liliya teased.

Ben gave her a frown, but there was no real anger in it.

Her smile didn't dim one bit.

Chapter 68

Ben spent quality time with the ladies in his life over the next two weeks, putting all other priorities on hold. He also reviewed the reports from the engineering teams at Sturn and was very pleased with how well they worked together and their progress. He knew he'd have to make time to visit them after his trip to France.

The opening of the Shepherd Foundation in Paris was the smoothest so far, and Chanel was very pleased with her security team, as was Catherine with the operations staff.

Ben brought Catherine's daughters with them, promising a shopping spree the next day. Rachel and Megan held the ribbon for Ben to cut as Sophia spoke French into the microphones to announce the opening.

Catherine was delighted with her daughters, and they shared a group hug on stage. The press loved that as cameras flashed to catch the joy on the faces of the four blonde beauties.

That night, Ben went out to dinner and to the opera with Catherine, Chanel, Sophia, Evelyn, and Liliya. Afterward, Chanel left to meet up with some ex-colleagues, several of whom now worked for the Foundation.

The Directeur Générale of the Paris Opera, Arthur Reif, and the Directeur de la Danse, Javier Rodriguez, introduced themselves and gave Ben's group an unofficial tour of the building. Naturally, they had some photographers following them to document the visit.

When they stepped into a glorious Grand Foyer, an expansive corridor with beautiful chandeliers and striking art painted on the ornate ceilings, a string quartet began playing. Ben glanced toward Sophia, whose eyes locked on his with a hopeful look. They were both remembering their dance in the Palace of Versailles.

Ben held out his hand to her, then led her to the middle of the beautiful space. He bowed over her hand, took her in his arms, and they began to move.

Sophia's smile was dreamy as they flowed around the chamber as if they were no longer bound by gravity.

Her graceful motions perfectly synchronized with Ben's, but this time he was fully present in the moment.

As the music finally faded away, they slowly turned, face to face, and kissed.

The Director of Dance sighed audibly, and his joy was mirrored on the gathered faces. He glanced at his audience, but most were equally overcome. The man looked at the camera operators, who nodded with excited smiles. They'd captured the magic.

When Ben returned to the group with Sophia at his side, her face was a little warm with a blush.

Javier moved to stand before the tall beauty. "Your dancing is simply breathtaking. We would welcome your inclusion in our ranks," Javier beamed a hopeful smile at Sophia, who giggled in surprise and bowed her head to him with shy delight.

Then the man focused on Ben. "In my experience, there are very few men who can approach the grace your partner just demonstrated, but you matched her perfectly. Who was your teacher?"

Catherine gave Ben a concerned look, but he just smiled at her and gently shook his head.

"Her name was Marguerite Durand. She was a young dancer who lived in Paris at the time of World War II. She fled to the States when the Nazis invaded and was my foster parent when I was twelve. She taught me to dance. Even her smallest gestures were a celebration of motion."

Javier saw the deep sadness in Ben's eyes, so he didn't press him for more but nodded.

They finished the tour, and Javier had a quiet word with a blushing and smiling Sophia. Everyone said their goodbyes at the front door.

Catherine hugged Ben as they waited for their ride. "Are you okay?"

Ben nodded. "It gets a little easier each time. I also no longer phase out mentally when I dance." He looked at Sophia, who was smiling at him. "I get to fully enjoy dancing with my partner." Her face warmed once more as she smiled at him.

On the drive back to the hotel, Sophia was pressed up against Ben's left side. When she interlaced her fingers with his, he looked into her eyes and saw her need there. He hadn't been with her since their vacation in France, so he was a little surprised, but he found himself nodding to her. Her shy smile looked so sweet that Ben's gaze was captured, so she turned her face away. The tip of her ear poking through her blonde hair was quite pink.

Ben looked over at Evelyn, who nodded, as did Liliya. He was a little embarrassed as it felt like they were reading his mind.

He had no secrets from these women.

-=-

Sophia stretched her naked body over Ben's to give him a sweet kiss as her breathing returned to normal. She grinned as, for her, making love was very much like dancing: the intimacy, the coordination of their movements, the exhilaration when two moved as one, and the release. A talented partner made all the difference. From her toes to her scalp, she was still tingling, especially the more intimate parts of her anatomy.

She'd had a few casual relationships in college, but none had been as satisfying as her time with Ben in France. His strength and sensual nature were the perfect ingredients for her joy.

Her mind took her to the brief conversation she'd had with Javier Rodriguez and his desire to add her to the troupe.

This was the change she was looking for in her life right now. Being with Ben tonight felt like the universe giving her a nod.

"I'm going to speak to Monsieur Rodriguez about his offer of a spot in his troupe. I don't need to be the star or the first in the group. Anything would be wonderful. I'm sure it will be a tremendous amount of work, but I'd like to have this experience," she said with a smile as she gazed into Ben's eyes.

He gave her a smile. "Dancing for the Paris Opera seems like a fine goal. You'd be living here, then?"

She nodded. "A year, maybe three, but then I'll head back to the states."

"We'll miss you--"

"You can visit," she returned immediately as she raised one exquisite eyebrow. For a moment, she looked like Catherine.

Ben chuckled. "Yes, I can."

Chapter 69

General Davis came through for Ben, successfully expediting a meeting with the Department of Energy and several key stakeholders in the energy production sector.

Ben presented his proposal to the grim-faced men and leaned back in shock as the response he'd been expecting began with terse and insulting statements, which quickly devolved into a shouting match. He gave the General a questioning look and saw the man's face reddening with frustration.

Their audience seemed angry and nervous, and the loudest voices criticized Ben's attempt to replace their tried-and-true technology with the unverified promises of a scam. He was a snake-oil salesman, and the more obnoxious voices used more personal insults.

Davis turned his head away in disgust and grumbled to Ben. "This petty bullshit is why China is progressing faster than us." He sighed.

Ben frowned and locked eyes with the General. "Their Great Leap Forward wiped out tens of millions of their own people in their effort to become more efficient. Let's not be too quick to praise their methods."

Davis lifted his hands to surrender the point, then sighed. "We need to take this upstairs."

He dialed a number on his cell, spoke quietly, listened, then hung up and nodded to Ben.

The room went quiet as the General abruptly stood and gestured for Ben to follow.

They left the room and were guided by agents in dark suits through many hallways to exit a door at the back of the building. They got into a dark limousine, and Ben was surprised when Evelyn and Liliya remained on the curb. The Sergeant just nodded to Ben with a smile as the car drove away. She seemed to know what was happening.

They drove a few blocks until Ben saw an iconic building ahead. His eyes widened, and he glanced at the General, who was smiling to himself.

Ben went through a gauntlet of Secret Service agents before he was allowed to continue into the building.

It wasn't long before Ben found himself sitting in the Oval Office on a couch next to the General.

"Upstairs means the President," Ben said quietly.

Davis just nodded.

The side door to the office opened, and several people quickly walked into the room, the first being the President. The woman behind him was his Staff Secretary, the one in charge of the President's busy schedule. The third person, Ben didn't recognize but assumed was also assisting the President in managing his schedule.

Ben stood up, as did the General. That's when the two people speaking to the President finally noticed the two visitors in the room.

"General Davis? We didn't have you on the calendar today," the woman said first with a little wrinkle on her brow. Then she suddenly recognized the tall man next to the General. "Ben Shepherd?

The President gave her a guilty smile. "Sorry, Heather. It was a last-second inclusion," he said to her, then turned to Davis. "I can only give you fifteen."

The General nodded. "Thank you, Mr. President."

Heather opened and closed her mouth silently, then pursed her lips at her boss before ushering the third man from the room, who couldn't stop looking at Ben.

When they were alone, the President then walked up to Ben and shook his hand. "I keep getting reports of you inventing amazing things."

Ben glanced at the General, then back at the man before him. "I just like solving puzzles."

Davis nodded. "His latest is groundbreaking, and it will impact many industries. In the process of creating a logistics transport for supplies and a flying evacuation ambulance for wounded soldiers, he invented new battery technology that no one has come close to matching in terms of capacity and endurance. This led him to another breakthrough for a more efficient and powerful energy generation process."

David pulled his cell out and cued up a movie he'd taken of Ben's prototype doing maneuvers in the field behind Sturn's manufacturing plant.

The President's expression showed his excitement. "That's incredible! When is this going into production?"

Ben sighed. "We need to expand Sturn's manufacturing plants, and we can, but they'll need power. My power plant design, which could easily meet those needs and feed the excess into the grid, was being reviewed today. None of the stakeholders present in the meeting seemed willing to review it or change from the existing power generation methods."

The President nodded, now understanding the issue. "Threatening someone's energy fiefdom?"

"People are never more united than when they're blocking changes to the status quo to protect their self-interests," Davis agreed. He handed the president a memory stick containing Ben's presentation, the data proving the design's feasibility, and the plans for the power generation plant.

The man smiled and nodded. "I understand the issue. Let me get my team on it."

"Thank you, Mr. President," the General said, and Ben nodded.

"It was very nice to meet you, Mr. President, and completely unexpected," Ben added.

The man grinned. "It's the least I could do for a man whose efforts protect our soldiers, including my son. I guess I'm looking out for my self-interests too."

Ben just nodded to the man with a smile as the General guided him out of the Oval Office.

Heather and the gawker were in the next room and gave them a quick nod as they rushed by to enter.

Ben looked at the General. "I guess we're done for now until you hear back? The project's on hold?"

Davis shook his head with a fierce expression. "Hell, no! Continue with the project. We'll get you the approvals."

Ben's eyebrows rose in surprise, then he nodded to the man.

The General brought Ben back to the Department of Energy building to meet up with Evelyn and Liliya, who smiled in relief to see Ben's smile.

"Let's go home," he said to them, and received nods.

-=-

Next up on the Shepherd Foundation grand opening tour was the office in Singapore.

While Ben had been dreaming of bringing his entire family along for the trip so they could soak in the splendor of the small nation, schedules clashed, summer colds interfered (Ashley's kids), and the timing wasn't right for most of his group.

Even Trish was abstaining from joining him as she was deeply entrenched in the final preparations for the New York campus and couldn't afford the time. Her Singapore marketing manager would be present at the event.

He also learned that Catherine and Chanel would be flying there two days before him and leaving directly after the opening ceremony to return to New York to join Trish.

Ben admitted to himself that he was disappointed, but he made sure to hide it from the others. They were all working so hard for the Foundation and for their families. He had no right to complain.

In the end, Ben shared the jet flight with Evelyn, Liliya, and Moon.

He flew in a day early to recover from the flight, and they met up with Cat and Chanel, along with some of the Singapore admin staff, for dinner at a lovely restaurant next to the beach.

Afterwards, Ben said his goodbyes and went for a walk with Moon along the shore's edge under a sky filled with stars. Liliya and Evelyn kept watch a short distance away.

Ben smiled at the petite woman as he hadn't had too many opportunities to spend one-on-one time with her. He realized the only place he was alone these days was when he was working on a design in his basement office, and for most of that time, Evelyn was with him.

"I've been meaning to ask you this for some time, but how are you feeling about the new direction your life has taken since we escaped from Kaan Sadik's ship? Are you happy?" he asked gently. He was aware she'd had few options due to her political hot potato status. Perhaps she'd like something different?

Moon turned her face to him, and she gave him a wide smile. "Yes, I am very happy. For the first time in my life, I have a safe place to live, steady employment, food in my tummy, and best of all, love. Tina and Lucy have accepted me into their hearts, and that makes me happiest of all."

Ben smiled in relief as he knew Tina and Lucy were very fond of Moon, and they'd be sad if she decided to leave. Truthfully, he was becoming quite fond of her as well. Her cheery disposition, even in tense situations, was a balm for his mind. Her calmness de-escalated these scenarios, and he was grateful for that. He also admitted that seeing her with Tina and Lucy warmed his heart.

"I'm so glad to hear that! It sometimes feels like you were forced into this by circumstances beyond our control. I'd never want to make you stay if you were unhappy."

She shook her head quickly and placed her hand on his forearm. "No! I am so pleased to be part of your lives! I would like to stay!" she added quickly with just a touch of worry in her expression.

Ben put his arm around her, hugging her to his side to reassure her as they walked. "We love having you with us, so no need to be concerned about that. You're ours."

He felt her arm wrap around his back as she leaned into his hug. "That is all I wanted to be!" she gasped.

Ben glanced down at her as he went over what he'd just said to make her react so strongly--OH!

He'd claimed her as his!

Was that what he wanted? How did the idea of making her his make him feel?

Ben was surprised at how natural it felt. She was already part of Tina and Lucy's hearts. How could he not open his heart to her as well?

He felt her trembling against his body, and his first instinct was to hold her tighter, so he did. She responded to this with a breathy sigh of joy that began to wake a certain part of his anatomy.

They were clinging to each other so tightly, walking became impossible, so he stopped and looked down at her upturned face. She bit her lip as she pressed her slim body against his much larger one. Her trembling returned.

Their height difference was too great to bend down to kiss those lips.

Instead, he lifted her against his chest with one arm under her ass to bring her mouth up to his.

Ben's passion made the kiss bold and assertive, but she gave herself over to his need with a happy little sound.

Her tongue danced over his, and her moans were sending Ben's desire into overdrive. The idea of taking her right there on the beach flashed through his mind.

This suddenly made him aware of his surroundings again as the sound of the waves gently lapped at the beach's edge. He also knew Evelyn and Liliya were watching.

He slowly pulled back from Moon's sweet mouth, giving in to his need to caress her lips with his once more before he set her back on her feet.

She swooned a little as her eyes were locked on his mouth. Then her face lit up with a beautiful smile.

"I am yours," she said with joy in her eyes.

He watched her, then nodded. He glanced toward Liliya and pointed toward the road running parallel to the beach. He turned from the water's edge and walked hand in hand with Moon until they spotted Evelyn speaking to someone on her headset. Their car pulled into the parking lot for the beach, and they slid inside.

Moon was still leaning on him a little, and he saw smiles on the faces of his security squad as they pulled away from the lot to head back to their hotel.

-=-

Ben sat cross-legged on his bed facing Moon, who sat facing him. They were smiling at each other and playing a little game to get to know each other.

After the surprise of being the last to know about Evelyn's brother, he decided he needed to make an effort to get to know intimate details about the people in his life before making any other changes in their level of intimacy.

So here they sat, trading facts about their lives. He was delighted to learn that Moon had many siblings and sad to find out that none of them would speak with her since her stint with the CIA.

She was fascinated to learn that he'd been an only child and sad to hear about his parents.

Moon told him about her relationship with Stephanie Russo and how the woman's lies killed their future.

Moon smiled to herself. "Your home is filled with love. I never thought I would ever experience this."

Ben nodded as he recalled the time after his wife's betrayal when he felt the same way.

"I'm sorry if I have made you sad," Moon said as she watched his expression nervously.

He pushed a smile back onto his lips and shook his head. "You didn't. For a very long time, I believed I wasn't worth loving. Everyone I'd loved died, and the people I met in the foster care system either died or were cruel. The woman I married and tried to build a family with betrayed me. You only need so many examples before you begin to believe it's you who's not worthy. That was a sad time in my life."

He took a breath. "Gabriella, Catherine, Trish, and Tina were the ones who saved me initially. I can't begin to tell you how grateful I am to them for straightening out my misconceptions and proving to me that love was possible. But I still have moments where I struggle to accept my good fortune."

He looked into Moon's eyes. "Tina and Lucy love you, and I'm growing very fond of you as well. I'm sorry I have such a hard time pronouncing your name--I'll try harder!"

Nguyêt giggled from a release of tension and grinned prettily at him. "I like the way you say Moon."

He smiled in relief and held out his hands for hers, and she immediately placed her smaller ones in his.

"Tina was my first experience with being a Dom. Her submissiveness made her a target for cruelty, and I needed to protect her. She's incredibly strong, and I'm lucky to have her in my life. Lucy is also a survivor and helped me understand my role in their lives. I'm no longer uncomfortable being their Dom."

He saw her hopeful gaze and believed he knew what she wanted. As mistakes could be messy, he needed to hear it from her lips.

"On the beach earlier, I said you were ours. Do you want to be mine: heart, soul, and body?"

"Yes!" she said quickly, causing Ben to smile at her eager voice.

He gave a little nod and smiled. "I can be firm or even a little rough if that's your desire, but I won't be cruel. If you need that--"

"No! I don't want cruelty! I saw too much of that in my life," Moon was quick to clarify.

Ben gave her a relieved smile. "Good! Next question, do you want a physical relationship with me? Tina and Lucy may have mentioned I tend to be... very physical--"

"Yes!" she said quickly again.

Ben nodded as he immediately lifted her onto his lap. She squeaked in surprise. He took her face between his hands and kissed her sensually.

Moon moaned happily into the kiss and placed her hands on his shoulders.

Ben's hands moved down her back until he cupped her ass cheeks in his hands. Moon's moans became louder, and a tremble went through her body.

His thoughts were drawn to his first time with Tina. Once more, the woman he was going to be with was so much smaller than him, but at least there was no question she was a grown woman. No creepy underage vibes tormented him this time, but he still felt a tinge of guilt for being so much older. He tried to ignore it as he'd been chastised about this more than once.

He pulled his face back as he felt compelled to ask.

"You don't mind being with someone so much older?" he asked gently, and her eyes opened from her bliss. She blinked, then a wide grin appeared on her face.

"Lucy told me you might ask me that," she sighed. "I have no issues with you, Ben. I'm thrilled you have accepted me!"

Ben chuckled. "Accepted? More like blessed by you." His lips returned to hers, and she sighed happily.

His hands caressed her thighs, and sparks shot through her body as she tried to grind herself against him.

"I think we have too many clothes on," he suggested.

There was a frantic scramble to strip off their clothes, then Moon was ogling Ben's erection as he admired her slim, toned, and compact body. She was somewhere between Tina's and Lucy's stature and midway between their proportions.

She gave an oddly breathy chuckle as her eyes widened. "You are so big! All over!"

"We won't do anything you don't want to do--"

"I want it all!" she hurried to say.

Then it was his turn to chuckle.

She reached for his cock and wrapped her fingers around it. Her eyelids fluttered as she imagined taking this inside her pussy.

Ben lifted her above his body as he leaned back to lie flat. He'd turned her so that her pussy was above his face. He could see her lower lips were glistening with wetness, so he began to kiss the insides of her thighs, making his way closer.

"Oh! Fuck!" she gasped softly, then pressed her face against the side of his cock, enjoying the heat and solidity of it.

When Ben's tongue began to explore her pussy, Moon was reduced to gasps and yips. It all felt so good to her. He was better than Stephanie had ever been. Her time with Tina and Lucy was amazing and so different from this. There was no point in comparing it.

She ran her tongue down the side of his heavy shaft, then back up the other side to press her lips against the thick head. She felt Ben twitching from the sensations, then she took the head into her mouth. This made him moan against her pussy, and she spasmed from the intensity.

When neither of them could bear it any longer, Ben flipped her around in his arms and settled her onto his lap, facing him as he sat up. With her legs wrapping around him, he held her up against his chest with one arm as his other hand slipped under her and positioned the head against her opening.

She cried out as he felt so hot against her tender lips.

Her fear that he would force her down on his cock was quickly calmed as he held her in place with just the beginning of the tip of his cock parting her pussy and easing back.

The sensation was driving her mad with need, so she wrapped her arms around his head and tried to push herself down.

His hands were now on her ass, and his grip prevented her from controlling the pace.

He bounced her up and down on the head and randomly allowed her to take just a little more of him inside.

When she got the entire head inside, she threw her head back with a loud gasp.

"Ben! Ben! Ben! I'm going mad!" she groaned and inhaled sharply as she suddenly had another inch of his cock sliding in. This bouncing tease went on until she thought she might scream. Her juices were running down his shaft when he began to give her the top two inches.

She felt Ben struggling to hold back as she was so tight, hot, and wet.

When she finally felt his thick shaft slide deeply into her body, she grabbed him and held still so she could hold back her orgasm that slammed into her control.

Moon whimpered, then let herself drop further onto his cock until she felt herself come to rest on his legs. She was on the precipice until he kissed her tenderly, and the floodgates broke.

"BEN! OH, BEN!" she cried out as heavy tremors rocked through her body.

Ben held her against his chest as he hit his own release.

When he came back to himself, Ben could feel her gentle internal pulsing against his cock. He was in no hurry to let her go.

Moon leaned back to smile at Ben and saw the heat in his eyes. She knew he wanted her again, and that sent a thrill through her. While she was still buzzing from the last one, she knew he would be looking for a little more energy this time.

She grinned at him as she was excited to see what he had in mind.

He suddenly moved to the middle of the bed and leaned forward to lower her to the mattress. Not once did he attempt to pull his cock from her, and the little shifts in position were stoking her fire.

When he dropped the last few inches to pin her hips to the bed, she realized she hadn't had all of him yet.

Now he was driving down into her from above in a mating press movement, slapping her clit at the bottom of each stroke deliciously.

He was taking her so hard and fast that she felt her mind lifting free of her body. Each time their bodies slapped together, she got a little closer to Heaven.

Then the explosion struck, she clung to him with all her strength as bliss rocked through her body.

Ben loomed above her and pinned her to the mattress, but instead of feeling overwhelmed and smothered, she felt safe and loved.

"I wasn't too rough on you, was I?" he asked in a deep, breathy voice.

Her eyes met his, and she couldn't stop smiling at him. "No, it was just perfect."

He eased himself off and stretched out next to her. She tucked herself against his side and released a deep, satisfied breath.

The dream she'd had when she was first with Tina and Lucy was coming true.

Chapter 70

Eugene Reissman glowered at the bearded man sitting on the other side of his desk in his villa's office. His lovely estate was perched upon a ridgeline in the French countryside, surrounded by tall mature trees and vineyards.

"What do you mean, renegotiate our contract?" the ex-judge snapped.

"It seems you weren't forthcoming about the magnitude of the threat against you, Mister Rosenthal," the man said with a smile.

The man's emphasis on the pseudonym Reissman used to hide raised the hair on the back of his neck.

He ground his teeth. "What are you talking about? You run a private security company, not a daycare! Your job is to protect against threats! I'm paying you and your team of four to protect me and my property."

The security chief nodded. "But the threat against you was underestimated in your original request, so the team we have isn't sufficient to guarantee your safety and ours."

Reissman's eyes widened in outrage. "Your safety?"

Now the chief's smile slipped away. "We're paid to protect our clients, and we put our lives on the line to do it, but make no mistake, my team isn't expendable. We conduct a thorough assessment of the danger and assign sufficient forces to complete the job without undue risk.

After the media storm surrounding the death of Mallory Prentice and the exposure of his assassin's list of targets, it came to my attention that my client bears an uncanny resemblance to the final man on the list, Eugene Reissman. I'm not here to be your judge, Judge." He locked eyes with Eugene with a crooked smile on his lips. "As long as we're being paid, we're here to do a job. As the man hunting you has proven to be a greater risk than you initially reported, we need to add at least eight more agents to our team."

Reissman's jaw opened and closed.

That would be extraordinarily expensive, considering the open term of the contract. This would significantly reduce the funds he would need to maintain his lifestyle in retirement. He'd already arranged for some very expensive facial surgeries next week to alter his appearance. Now this?

He realized he didn't really have any choice in the matter. The assassin was coming, and Eugene didn't want to die.

Fuck!

-=-

Roy drove his little truck through the narrow roads in the French countryside. The breathtakingly lovely scenery failed to inspire an emotional response from him, but such things never had, so he missed nothing.

Instead, his anticipation grew as he'd finally managed to locate his last target.

Judge Reissman had been very vigilant in hiding his trail. However, Roy had funds to pay dark web resources to follow even the most minimal clues. He'd paid for some searches, and while two had failed, this one hit its mark.

Learning how to blend into the background in Europe had been challenging, but there were commonalities with the States. He discovered that dressing like a workman and driving a small van went a long way toward becoming invisible. Having a French passport, driver's license, and ID helped him avoid issues with the authorities. These documents had been another large expense he'd paid for from his newfound riches, but it was well worth it.

He'd enjoyed his time staking out Reissman's sanctuary and watching the man sweat.

Roy decided he'd spend some time kicking around Eastern Europe after he completed his mission. When the time was right, he'd slip back into the states and tie off the final loose end.

He cruised past the gated entrance of the large vineyard with a mansion positioned atop a steep hillside. His skin itched as he knew he was so close to his prey. The man sitting in the guard booth watched him drive by with a bored gaze, but he didn't look away.

He knew Reissman had a personal security team of four mercenaries and factored them into his plan. It changed nothing.

The degenerate would die.

Tonight.

-=-

Reissman loved his French countryside hideaway. It was old, but well-maintained, so there was no risk of having a rotten frame, a leaky roof, or sinking foundations. He'd furnished it with beautiful antiques, and the scenery from its large windows gave him a feeling of peace.

The only thing he regretted was that it didn't have an armored escape room.

He gasped in a shuddering breath as nausea washed over him. He likely had a concussion from the surprise punch to the face. His nose screamed in agony, but thankfully, he was still able to breath through it.

From his position, spreadeagled and strapped down to the polished and original floorboards, he helplessly trembled in fear. Turning his head to the left, he could see the corpses of two of his expensive security experts. Their vicious wounds no longer bled, but there was a large pool of blood around them, soaking into his expensive hand-knotted rug.

Looking to his right brought him the terrifying sight of his security chief pinned to the wall, much like a butterfly in a display case. The fireplace poker had been driven completely through his chest and into the wall behind him, keeping him from slumping to the floor.

Three bodies meant there was still a chance the fourth was--

A loud thump made him jerk his head back to the left, and his vision swam as pain spiked through his brain.

When his eyes cleared, he saw a large man standing over the bloody body of the fourth guard.

Fuck!

"What-what do you want?" Eugene stuttered as he carefully pulled at the tight straps around his wrists and ankles. The straps had been screwed into the floor, so there was no slack at all.

The big man moved closer and looked down at him with cold, dead eyes. "I think you have a very good idea of why I'm here, degenerate."

"You don't need to do this! I have money! You can have it!" Eugene gasped in panic.

For the first time, an expression appeared on the thug's face. It was a twisted grin, but there was little humor in it and no joy in the man's eyes.

"So what? I have money too. More than I'll need." He moved to stand at the judge's feet, and that's when Eugene saw he was carrying a sledgehammer.

"What? Why do you have that?" he stammered out in panic.

The big man looked at the hammer and smiled again, still with no life in his eyes.

"You're a judge. What do you use your little hammer for?" the man asked.

"For court proceedings. In the pursuit of justice in a court of law!" the judge blurted.

That got him a nod. "All while you took the lives of the innocent in that hidden room under the house in Ashburn Court with your deviant friends. I don't think you were thinking of justice then."

"Guilty!" the man exclaimed sternly as he slammed the heavy hammer down on Eugene's right knee.

The judge screamed until he passed out.

A splash of cold water woke him, and with it, waves of pain threatened to drag him back into the darkness. He clenched his teeth as he tried to ride out the pain.

"Guilty!" the man barked again as the hammer crushed Eugene's left knee.

Sharp agony speared through the judge as his mind slid into the darkness.

Eugene surfaced repeatedly only to hear that word and experience the torture of the hammer crushing his elbows, then his hips.

His mind was awash with excruciating pain, and maintaining his consciousness was almost impossible.

In his last moment of semi-coherent lucidity, he saw the big man staring down at him with a grim smile.

"This is your final sentence. One more degenerate leaves the world, and so many more to hunt." Eugene watched as the sledgehammer rose, and he couldn't look away.

"Guilty."

The heavy steel slammed into his chest above his heart, driving the broken ribs through the feebly beating muscle.

Eugene's world receded into a pinpoint, then, finally, winked out.

-=-

Roy stared down at his latest victim with a sense of satisfaction. His mission was almost done. Truthfully, aside from the three who'd died prior to his hunt, he'd managed to deliver justice to all the degenerates on Ben's list. That was satisfying.

His next target was a little different than his norm. Hunting Ben was personal. He wasn't sure why he felt such a strong need to end him, but ever since he determined he wasn't a degenerate, there'd been a vague sense of displeasure in the back of his mind.

Then, on the video call for Prentice's death, Ben's fucking holier-than-thou attitude really got under his skin.

That's when he knew he'd hunt the man. It would be particularly difficult, as the man was stupidly well-guarded. He'd probably have to torture one of Ben's sluts to draw him out.

He grunted quietly as he looked at the dead men in the room. Every puzzle had a solution. Ben would meet his end at Roy's hand just like all the others had.

Roy had only one more thing to do before he headed back to the States. The judge's home was going to suffer an unfortunate fire, which would delay the authorities in determining exactly what happened.

The firebombs were primed as he'd done for Langley's home. He'd trigger them as soon as he left the house.

Slipping up to the front door, he carefully examined the approach to the house. The coast was clear. His little truck was parked in a small, treed lane off the main road, not too far from the judge's driveway. He stepped outside and listened. Nothing.

Crossing the open space before the house, he triggered the bombs and heard multiple deep thumps as the flames scoured the interior rooms. He counted six quiet explosions in rapid sequence and paused. There should have been seven, but two might have gone off at the same time. He let it go, knowing he couldn't go back inside to check.

He hustled down the lane before the fire became visible from outside the home.

The road remained empty of traffic, and he took deep breaths of the clean, country air as he quickly walked to his truck, hidden in the shadows of the dirt track.

He was pushing the branches aside to reach the driver's door when he felt the prick against his neck.

He swung his right arm to strike his attacker, but instead, all he hit were branches.

The shot of adrenaline made him feel a little shaky, but he took a few breaths to calm his heart.

Fucking bush.

He opened the door and lifted his left leg to slide himself inside the truck, then he felt himself falling. He tried to steady himself but hit the ground hard instead. He lay there in the dark between the vehicle and the tree, trying to catch his breath.

What the fuck?

His muscles were tingling from the impact, but he frowned as the tingling was spreading. He grunted, realizing he was unable to talk. His arms twitched, and his legs felt like jelly.

Then the shadows moved.

A dim light shone on his face. He tried to see past the light and heard a quiet click.

Roy strained to make his muscles obey him, but the most he could do was grunt and twitch.

The dim light disappeared, and strong hands grabbed his arms, pulling him to his feet. That was unexpected, and he still hadn't seen the face of the man in the dark.

He couldn't steady himself or grab at his attacker, so he tried to understand what he was doing.

Then his ass was dropped into the seat of the truck. His legs were also lifted inside, and his hands were placed in his lap.

Fingers dipped into his pockets, and items were removed only to be dropped on the seat next to him. This stopped when they found the trigger for the firebombs. This, the shadow kept.

Roy struggled to break free from his paralysis, but he believed he was regaining sensation in his toes and fingertips.

Soon, he would kill this person.

The dim light came back, but this time it shone upward, and he saw the face of his attacker, very close.

Roy froze.

They had eyes like his. Except, there was something cold living behind them. For the first time in a very long time, Roy felt genuine terror.

The light went out, and he felt the air moving as the attacker pulled back. Roy grunted again as the truck's door closed with a soft clunk.

Roy sat in silence, trying to figure out what that monster was up to.

How long had it been watching him?

It knew where he'd parked. Had it waited in the darkness for him to return?

Roy heard the distinct beep of a detonator being armed. The cool blue light of its activation LED illuminated the passenger-side footwell in the truck.

Roy's eyes locked onto an incendiary bomb. He realized it was one he'd made and placed in the deviant's house.

The missing seventh explosion!

The monster must have been at the house to steal the device and brought it here!

Why hadn't it killed him there? It didn't attempt to stop him from killing the judge.

His foot twitched! Sensation was returning! He tried to move his left arm to disable the detonator, but his hand flopped uncontrollably.

He growled incoherently as he struggled to move.

Then all was light and scorching heat. His gurgling growls became weak screams. He inhaled the fire, and agony tore at his mind.

The flames consumed him, and Roy met his end in the inferno.

Just as he would have in LeParre's house that night, so long ago.

Chapter 71

The opening of the New York City campus of the Shepherd Foundation took place in the second week of July, during a scorching heatwave in the city. Ben insisted that everyone wear their lightest, coolest outfits, as he didn't want anyone to pass out from the heat.

For once, he skipped his trademark dark clothing in favor of a white, short-sleeved linen shirt worn untucked, and lightweight tan linen pants with leather sandals. He wasn't sure he could pull off the look, but Gabriella chose the outfit and said he looked yummy. She, Ashley, and Princess Zama joined the usual crew, and Ashley added her two cents after she ogled his exposed, muscular arms.

"I agree with Gabriella. You look scrumptious!" she purred, and Ben couldn't keep the pleased smile from his face.

Zama was almost giddy with excitement as she'd always dreamed of visiting New York City. Being there with Ben was more than a dream come true. He was happy to see her smiling so much and was glad he'd included her. She wasn't complaining about the heat at all.

The opening ceremony was scheduled for late afternoon so they could attend the premiere of Paul and Eric's movie at the Lincoln Center. The men were delighted, as they'd been contacted by the venue's booking manager when a sudden opening appeared in their schedule for the same day. Paul told Ben it was a far more prestigious location than they'd been able to book earlier.

Once they had a new venue, they began receiving a flurry of requests from agents representing many celebrities, indicating that their clients were available to attend the premiere.

"I swear it has to be the Shepherd Touch!" Paul said with a grin as Ben raised a dubious brow at him. "The booking manager asked us if you'd be attending. The next thing we knew, we were getting all this interest!"

Ben sighed. "As long as it doesn't interfere with the message of the film."

Paul smiled slyly at him. "Maybe you'd like to say a few words about it to the audience before the showing?"

"Ahh...." Ben realized he'd been outmaneuvered and frowned. "Fine."

Paul grinned at Ben's pout and patted his arm. "It's for a great cause."

"That's the only reason I'm willing to do it!" Ben insisted. Gabriella consoled him with a hug, and that brought a smile back to his face. Paul flashed her a grateful smile.

The Shepherd Foundation's New York campus was gorgeous! The Klein Group had outdone itself with its design. It highlighted the city's classic historical architecture, featuring grand pillars and stonework on the façades of the main buildings, while also incorporating the splendor of nature into these structures. Ben felt like he'd stepped into an ancient forest and discovered a mighty but lost civilization like a hidden treasure.

The main stage, situated before the administration building, faced an open park where an enormous crowd had gathered to witness the grand opening of the latest campus. The press was also in full force.

As Ben stood on stage with the others, he considered that this was the last of the original group. He was very pleased with what he was hearing from Catherine and her team. The operations were going through the usual growing pains, but none of the issues they'd faced were significant. His foundations were making a difference to the lives of these young people, and that's all he could hope for.

There had been some requests from additional cities for him to open Foundation campuses there. While he had no immediate plans to expand, Walter was reviewing the offers. He'd suggested there were some great opportunities with their neighboring country to the north. Ben might have to travel a bit to see for himself.

When it was his turn at the microphone, he realized he no longer felt his tongue freeze in his mouth. He kept his eyes on the young people before the stage and spoke to them, wishing them success and telling them he believed in their potential.

He cut the ribbon and felt the pressure of the crowd's cheering like a physical wave. That put a smile on his face, so he waved to the crowd once more, then walked into the building for the tour to begin. He got to shake the mayor's hand and smile for the man's photo op.

The buildings' interiors were beautiful, and he saw the brilliant engineering touches by Ed Walters and Dan Bishop. The soothing interior design was trademark Mark Catapang from the Klein Group.

The people he met who'd be working at the campus were all smiles, and he enjoyed having a few words with them.

Finally, Ben and his group slipped away. He had to wait as the ladies donned their party dresses for the premiere and after-party. Ben stuck with his current outfit, though he added tan shoes and a light linen jacket over his white shirt at Gabriella's insistence.

Once they were ready, they made their way over to the Lincoln Center. Paul and Eric had gone there straight from the stage after the opening ceremony to ensure all was moving smoothly for their premiere.

The limo dropped them off at the curb, and they found themselves walking a long red carpet toward the theater. The Paparazzi were out in full force, but went into a frenzy as they saw Ben standing next to the tall, black princess, so they took their time and let them get their photos as Evelyn and Liliya kept an eye on them. Cat, Chanel, Gabriella, Trish, and Ashley were enjoying the experience but were grateful to get into the air-conditioned building. Zama's eyes were absolutely sparkling.

Paul and Eric greeted them warmly, and they hung out in a meet-and-greet area before heading into the theater. Ben noted that the two men had a photographer on hand to take shots of them with their guests.

Ben enjoyed a cool glass of spring water while the ladies sipped cocktails. He knew Paul appreciated them sticking around to mingle with their incoming guests. It didn't take long for them to begin arriving.

As they did, Ben watched with amusement as the ladies became excited to see these familiar strangers. Zama was listening to them closely as she was unfamiliar with most of the celebrities.

Ben stayed close to Paul and Eric, which made them the number one stop for every actor and actress looking to rub elbows with their reclusive friend.

The names and faces became a blur, as he didn't recognize most of them. He kept an eye on Ashley and Gabriella to see their reactions, which helped him gauge how attentive he should be.

Ben nodded with a smile and posed for the obligatory photos.

Paul leaned in closer. "The real fun begins at the after-party as these people let loose." He grinned at Ben's concerned look.

He was introduced to a few rappers from the city, and the last one, a younger man with a full grill, sized him up with a sneer.

"I won't hold it against you for hanging with that no-talent Killah D."

Ben frowned at the punk, then Evelyn and Liliya suddenly appeared at his elbows.

The young man's behavior underwent a complete transformation as he recognized that the threat level had risen sharply.

"--evening," he mumbled with a stiff smile, then headed for the door.

Ben turned to Paul. "I don't want to see that fellow let loose at the after-party."

"Agreed," Paul said, stepping away to have a brief word with security.

Eventually, they made their way into the theater and got their seats. Paul, Eric, and Ben walked up to the stage and received a round of applause. Ben smiled at Paul, who was enjoying the moment.

The man nodded to Ben, then turned to the audience. He greeted them, thanked them for being there, and then said his thanks to the people who made the movie possible. He gestured to Ben.

"This movie would never have made it past being just a dream if someone hadn't believed in us and the message of the film. Ben Shepherd came to our rescue in Hollywood when yet another movie studio snubbed Eric and me. We met in a restaurant where our reservation had also gone up in smoke. He invited us to join him and asked what we were doing in Hollywood.

When we described the movie we were trying to make, it resonated with Ben, and he agreed that these were stories that needed to be told. He felt so strongly about it that he became our executive producer and sole investor.

As we attended the opening of the Shepherd Foundation's New York campus, today marks the completion of both our dreams. I couldn't be prouder of these achievements. Thank you, and please enjoy the movie."

He handed the microphone to Eric, who thanked the amazing people whose stories the movie was based on. He thanked the crew who worked long hours and put their heart and soul into crafting the film.

Finally, Ben found himself facing the audience with the microphone in his hand. He sighed.

"You might have noticed... I'm a bit of a private person," he said, and the audience chuckled at his understatement.

"That said, Paul is right. I strongly believe that this movie's message needs to be shared. The people whose stories are the focus of this movie are true heroes. Taking control of your life to build a future and make the world a better place is a founding principle of the Shepherd Foundation. Paul and Eric's movie brilliantly encapsulates that message. Please enjoy."

They bowed and left the stage to take their seats.

The lights dimmed, and for the first time, Ben watched the movie he'd invested in.

He was not disappointed. It was compelling storytelling, artistically captured and presented with a gritty honesty.

There were moments of raw emotion and surprisingly funny moments to lighten the mood.

As the final titles rolled on the screen, a new scene faded in. Ben suddenly saw himself on the screen, larger than life. He was speaking to the two young women who'd been disheartened by his appearance on the set that final day of shooting.

The audience fell silent as he shared his truth with the two, and they realized he was genuinely impressed with them. They saw how it gave the ladies confidence in themselves.

Ben had to admit the cameraman was brilliant as the intimate scene had been captured so honestly and beautifully.

The cheers when the screen went black and the lights came up were loud and prolonged. Paul and Eric walked to the front and took their bows. They blew kisses to Ben, but he just smiled and waved.

Leaving the theater and getting to the Empire Rooftop bar across the street for the after-party took a surprisingly long time, as everyone wanted to stop and congratulate them on the movie. Of course, this was another opportunity for photos.

Finally, they managed to escape and reach the oasis on the roof. From the balcony, they could see the beautifully lit Lincoln Center and the people below.

The sun had recently set, and the temperature was dropping into a more comfortable range. Music was playing, and people were mingling and enjoying themselves.

Ben snagged a few delicious-looking items from the trays the waiters were circulating, so his hunger was appeased. He drank spring water and was pleased to see his guests were enjoying the food as well. Each had a drink in hand to help cool off.

He noted that the rooftop was full of celebrities and did his best to recall their names.

Thankfully, there was no sight of the young rapper with the attitude.

"Mr. Shepherd!"

He turned with a smile when he heard the familiar accent. "Mr. Jackman. You're on the East Coast, too?"

Hugh nodded with a grin. "Yes, but I live here."

"Ah! How did it go with the musical based on my life?" he asked with a small smile.

Hugh shook his head sadly. "Incredible as it may sound, the studios weren't sold on the idea. They like action movies too much."

Ben nodded with a sigh. "And my life isn't action movie material. Most of it."

With a chuckle and a nod, the actor moved on to meet up with another group.

In a quieter moment, Ben was enjoying the joy on the faces of Gabriella and Zama as they chatted with some actors when he spotted a familiar, large man approaching. He smiled and nodded to him.

"Good evening, Mr. Johnson," he said.

"Please call me Dwayne," the man said with a smile.

Ben nodded. "Call me, Ben."

The man nodded and moved a little closer, not to be overheard.

"I've been approached to star in a sequel to the movie I just finished. This one is about your dealings with the slaver," he said.

Ben's eyes widened in surprise. "A sequel? Already?"

Dwayne nodded. "The new story includes your recent abduction by a rogue CIA agent, the four Queens of El Jadida, your subsequent kidnapping by an arms dealer/human trafficker, and how you saved the day and freed the enslaved children on the stealthed ship. I have to say, Ben, I'm more intrigued to do this movie than I was for the first!"

Ben blinked in surprise at him. "I know a few details were mentioned in the Capitol Hill hearings, but how was the story leaked so quickly?"

He paused as something Dwayne said sank in, which made the idea of a sequel seem more unreal. "Wait! The first film hasn't even been released, and there's a green light for the sequel?"

Dwayne grinned. "The studio feels exceptionally confident as the new script is sensational! Additionally, Yvonne Guillebeaux has agreed to portray herself. It's her big break into American movies. I understand she worked directly with the writer to get the details as accurate as possible."

Ben was stunned by how quickly this was happening. "Who's the writer?"

Dwayne casually glanced around them. "It's being kept hush-hush, but my bets are on the rogue CIA agent."

Ben leaned back slowly as it suddenly made sense. Who else would know details like the four Queens? Russo probably needed the money to fund her disappearing.

He rubbed the bridge of his nose in weariness.

"Ah. Right. Of course she would," he mumbled to himself, but saw Dwayne watching him with intense curiosity and a little conspiratorial smile.

"It's not something I have any desire to live through again, so all I can say is good luck with the sequel," he said to Dwayne, whose smile widened as he nodded and shook hands.

A flash went off, so that moment was captured as well.

Ben went looking for his people.

Music was playing, and a small dance floor was available for those who wanted to get up and move. Ben caught Gabriella's hand and pulled her out onto the floor with him, and they enjoyed two songs before Cat took her place for another. Ben saw Ashley dancing with Paul nearby.

When a faster tune picked up the pace, it was Trish's turn with Ben, and he managed to hold his own.

Zama gathered her courage to join Ben on the dance floor, and they enjoyed two lively songs before she guided him back to the bar for a drink. They found a quieter corner at the end of the bar, where Ben got ice water, and Zama ordered a fruity drink with a little umbrella, but no alcohol, because she didn't like how it made her brain feel. As they refreshed themselves, they enjoyed a small moment of privacy.

"I am so happy you invited me to join you in this amazing city!" Zama said with a shy smile.

"So, you're a city girl?" Ben asked with a little smile.

She giggled as she nodded. "I think I could be, though I was told New York City has terrible winters. Wet and cold. That sounds very unpleasant." She gave herself a little shudder at the idea.

Ben grinned. "Maybe you're a West Coast city girl, like Los Angeles."

Zama's eyes twinkled at the idea. "I would like to visit there one day!"

Ben nodded. "I have friends who live there. I'll introduce you to them."

"You talkin' 'bout that fuckin' Killah D? He's a talentless bitch!"

The voice was slightly slurred, but that could have been from drugs, booze, or the heavy dental jewelry worn by the young rapper Ben met earlier that night.

He turned to see the grill smugly grinning at him. The man's eyes looked... bloodshot. Ben's frown returned as he wondered how he'd gotten past the security. He glanced at Zama, but she was watching the new arrival cautiously as she stepped further back into the shadows by the wall. Smart girl.

He turned back to the young man with too much gold in his mouth. "I don't believe you were invited to this party."

"Don' think you own this city. I do! You can fuck off."

The punk lifted his arm to point a nasty little gun at Ben.

Then he used it to gesture loosely toward Zama. "But leave the big titty ho--"

WHOOSH!

A wooden staff swung out of the darkness to slam into the thug's wrist, driving it downward. The gun spun away from his fingers and bounced across the floor.

The young man sucked in a breath to scream about his shattered wrist when the staff cut through the air once more to impact his metal-covered teeth with a loud crack.

His feet went out from under him as the gunman crashed to the floor, unconscious.

Just as quickly as it appeared, the broom handle was pulled back into the shadows before Zama stepped forward to stand beside Ben, who hadn't moved.

Moving at the sight of the gun, Evelyn and Liliya were immediately next to them. The sergeant had the handgun wrapped in a napkin, and the ex-assassin flipped the man onto his chest to zip-tie his wrists. She glanced up and nodded to Zama with a little grin.

"You should rejoin the party. Now," Evelyn said as she assisted Liliya with moving their prisoner.

Ben took Zama's elbow and gently guided her back onto the dance floor. He spotted Evelyn handing the gunman over to a couple of New York's finest, along with his weapon.

Concentrating on his dance partner, he smiled at her as they moved to the beat, then drifted off the floor as the music changed.

"Thank you for dealing with that fellow. Have you been taking lessons from Trish?" Ben asked with a little smile.

Zama grinned proudly. "She's been improving the skills I learned in the palace."

"I was very impressed," Ben said with a nod.

She moved closer, eyes locked on his lips, and he knew what she was hoping for. Still feeling the rush from having avoided death, Ben was delighted to reward his savior. He slid his hand around her lower back and pulled her to his body as her soft lips eagerly found his mouth. Their tongues touched and caressed as Zama moaned needfully into the kiss.

He wasn't immune to the luxurious and abundant softness of her body and felt himself stiffening down below.

Zama felt this and gasped softly. She pulled back from the kiss, looking hopefully into his eyes.

He was caught between her need, his need, and the ramifications of giving in to both. Then he saw Liliya over Zama's shoulder speaking with Gabriella. The brunette looked shocked at first, then locked eyes with Ben.

She smiled, nodded to him, and he had the oddest feeling she was giving him her blessing.

He wasn't sure how to feel about that, but Zama was still waiting for his response.

She was so very lovely, and he found his fingers sliding into her hair as he pulled her closer to caress her mouth with his again.

A thrilled shiver went through her body as she clung to him.

They looked into each other's eyes, and Ben knew he wanted to be with her, and Zama's desire was very clear. He glanced to the side and saw that Liliya and Evelyn were ready to escort them from the rooftop bar, so he took Zama's elbow and walked with her to the elevators. He knew the rest of his party would make it back to the hotel.

It took them longer than Ben had hoped to get through the heavy traffic. He wondered if the city ever slowed its busy pace.

Finally, they said their good nights to Liliya and Evelyn and slipped into Ben's room.

Zama's eager mouth found Ben's the moment the door was closed, and he did his best not to slow her down. Her need was like a runaway train.

They undressed each other as they tried to maintain the kiss and finally had to pull back with grins. It was a truly unique experience to see eye-to-eye without tilting your head or lifting your partner to be face-to-face.

Zama's eyes dropped down to see Ben's growing excitement, and she froze. "Oh! Oh my. You are quite large."

Ben recognized the tone in her voice and understood she might be having second thoughts. "Why don't we sit and have a little talk. No harm in taking it slower, or even postponing--"

"No! I want to be with you!" she insisted desperately, but he just smiled and took her hands in his.

"I'd like that too, but we should be ready. Let's sit." He gestured to the bed and climbed on, sitting cross-legged, facing the foot of the bed.

Zama got on the bed and matched his pose, facing him.

"I don't want this experience to be bad for you. First times can be difficult--" He stopped when he saw her nervousness suddenly increase. "What's wrong?"

"I don't want you to think less of me or shun me," she said in a voice that was almost a whisper.

Ben was surprised and looked at her, confused. "Why would I do that?"

"I... I'm not... a virgin," she said in a quiet voice.

He could tell she'd had difficulty making that confession, but he was still a little hazy on why.

"I'm not... either," he said, and she burst into nervous giggles.

Ben smiled at her. "Does that matter to you, because I had no expectations for you, considering my own history. I'm more concerned about how you feel, being with someone who is already in... many relationships. I'm worried about how little time I'm able to dedicate to each of the women I've opened my heart to."

Zama looked much more relaxed than before and met his eyes. "I would not want to hurt any of the women who love you by stealing their time with you. I am thrilled you are with me now!" She smiled and took a deep breath. "As I was raised as a princess, my father told me I had to preserve my purity. Only my husband could take my virginity. Unfortunately, my size made me less desirable than my sisters, who were all married off at very young ages. I made most suitors uncomfortable, so none chose me. I was curious, and no one would speak to me of sex."

She took some breaths then continued. "I approached one of the soldiers who was guarding a secluded spot on the property, and he had sex with me. It was unpleasant, but it did not last long. I bled a little, so he realized I'd been a virgin. Then he realized who I was. He abandoned his post and fled. I never saw him again." She gave a little shrug. "I no longer wanted to be with him, so that was okay. It was only a short time after this that my father told me he'd arranged for me to be the wife of a friend of his. The old man was not really a friend but an important businessman, who was much like Kaan Sadik. My father wanted to do a deal with him, and the wedding was a critical part of the deal... except I wasn't a virgin as he'd promised. I would very likely have been killed when they found out I wasn't."

"That's why you fled to the ship," Ben said, understanding her motivation.

Zama nodded but gave him a crooked smile. "Trish would call this jumping from the frying pan into the fire."

"Desperate times," Ben said, and Zama smiled as he understood. He continued. "As I mentioned, I'm not going to judge you. It's your life, and you make your own decisions. As you noted, I'm not small, so you might experience pain or discomfort. We can take it slow and take steps to reduce or eliminate that. I want it to feel good for you!"

Zama's eyes were wide with excitement. "This is why it is better to make love to a man with experience!"

Ben chuckled and conceded the point.

"Lie down beside me so we can begin with getting to know one another," he said as he moved to one side of the bed and stretched out on his side. She got the idea immediately, and soon they were grinning at each other with just a small gap between them.

Ben allowed his eyes to drink in her beauty from her large mane of tightly curled black hair, her lovely and expressive eyes twinkling with excitement, her full, sensual lips begging for kisses, her smooth skin waiting for his touch, and her magnificent breasts that drew his gaze.

"You are so very beautiful," Ben said as he ran his fingers along her jawline and down her neck toward those wondrous breasts.

She sucked in a breath from the sensation as his words made her feel warm and loved, but self-doubt reared its ugly head. "But I am so big!" she said quietly.

"So am I," he returned as he paused to see if she was upset. She giggled.

"Big men are attractive, not big women!" she insisted as she enjoyed the sensation of Ben's fingertips, which continued to explore her skin.

"Some cultures might insist on such things, but believe me, personal bias is far stronger. Everyone has their own definition of what's beautiful to them. I think you're lovely. It's also a rare treat for me to meet someone who is such a close match to me. I don't have to bend down to kiss you," Ben said as he leaned forward to caress her mouth with his, and she moaned softly.

He moved closer and pressed his chest against her breasts, and her moans became louder. "Each part of me lines up perfectly with you."

Her hands immediately reached between them to wrap around his cock. Ben moaned a little as that felt really good, but he had another idea to prepare her.

"Lift your leg and slide my cock between your thighs. Not inside you, just between your legs," he said.

Her eyes looked into his as she did as he asked, then her eyelashes fluttered as she could feel the heat and rigidity of his cock pressing against her pussy and inner thighs.

"Oh, Ben! That feels so good!" she purred.

"For me, too!" he returned, then his hand landed on her hip and took a grip.

"Oh!" she gasped, then her moans grew louder as Ben began to pump his hips slowly forward and back, dragging his cock against her pussy lips and between her thighs.

Ben took slow, even breaths as he controlled his reaction to the intense sensation, maintaining a steady pace. He wouldn't rush this first phase as Zama needed to be as wet as possible. He was already feeling her slick juices spreading along the top of his cock and her thighs.

"Ben! It's so good! You feel so hot!" she cried.

Her arm reached over his to grab at his ass as she pulled him tighter on each stroke.

Ben, please! I need you inside me!" she pleaded, and he looked into her eyes.

"We will take it slow. It doesn't have to hurt. Slow and wonderful," he growled playfully, and her eyes flared with excitement.

He pulled his hips back until the head was between her swollen lips. He was relieved to feel how wet she was, so he gently adjusted his angle and pressed forward, feeling her begin to accept him.

Ben watched her eyes for signs of pain or discomfort, but aside from her eyelashes fluttering, she made no other visible signs.

Then the head of his cock slipped inside.

"OH! OH! BEN! SO THICK!" she cried out.

He suppressed his chuckle and grinned at her. "You have the head," he said, and her eyes widened.

"Just the head?" she squeaked.

Now he couldn't stop his chuckle, and they both moaned at the sensations the laughing caused.

Ben gently pulled back, then pushed forward and sank another inch.

Zama's reaction was dramatic! She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him deeply.

Ben let himself go with her demands, and his cock slid another inch inside.

Zama's moan was inside their kiss, so she pulled back from his lips. "This feels nothing like my first time!"

Ben smiled. "Good!" As she was showing no signs of pain, he'd try adding some stroking.

He pulled his hips back until she had just the head, then pushed forward until she'd taken another inch.

"Yes! Yes, Ben! More! I feel so full!"

He smiled and repeated this slow stroking out and in, always giving her a little more each time. Sometimes just a little if she was clamping down, or another inch if she seemed ready.

Ben watched her expression carefully, but she showed no signs of being in pain, so he felt better.

When he was giving her almost his full length, she began to tug at his body.

"Ben! I need you on top of me!" she begged, and they paused their strokes to work out the logistics of changing their positions while remaining connected. It seemed impossible, and both began to laugh.

"Okay, let's do this quickly!" Ben said as he pulled his cock free.

She gasped from the intense sensation, then moved herself to the center of the bed and rolled onto her back.

Ben moved between her legs and gently spanked her clit with the thick head of his cock.

"FUCK! AHHH! BEN!" Zama cried out loudly, then purred as she felt his cock sinking into her body once more.

This time, it felt more intimate as there was more contact between them.

He came to rest upon her, his cock fully sheathed inside her pussy, which was tingling madly. The pressure of his pelvis on her clit felt delicious, and she rocked under him. That felt even better.

Ben began to give her long strokes, and Zama thought she might faint. The sensations were flooding her mind, and all she could feel was a colossal wave of pleasure building with each bump of their bodies. Soon, it was everything!

"Ahh! Ben! I'm... something's happening... OH MY GOD!"

Ben slammed himself deep one last time, and his release exploded through his mind and into her body in surges. She clung to him tightly as her pussy squeezed his cock in pulses.

He hadn't felt such tight constrictions before, and it felt like she was extending his orgasm.

Ben gazed down at her lovely features as her eyes slowly opened, gazing up at him in wonder. He chuckled, and she gasped from the sparks that shot through her pussy.

When she finally came back down to Earth, she smiled up at him as she cuddled under his body.

"That is the first time I've ever felt such a wonderful sensation!"

Ben looked at her in surprise. "Oh! That was your first orgasm?"

Her smile widened. "Yes, and I think I want more. Many, many more."

Ben grinned as he felt his cock twitch in agreement. "That sounds like a wonderful idea."

Zama discovered there were many ways to enjoy each other. So many, but she couldn't say which was her favorite.

She'd just have to try them all again.

Chapter 72

With the completion of his Shepherd Foundation plan, Ben was able to concentrate on the many other things demanding his attention this summer. At the top of his list of priorities was his daughters' weddings, Karen and Penny.

While he'd been spending his time in Texas with the engineering teams, the hardworking construction crews had worked miracles on the two new homes in Ashburn Court. Tina had kept him up to speed on their progress, but each time he got to see it with his own eyes, a thrill would shoot through him.

The teams had done an excellent job creating Ed Walters and Dan Bishop's engineering marvels and following Mark Catapang's beautiful design. Ed inspected the sites regularly, and since Dan was living in the neighborhood with his wife, Willow, Ben felt reassured that nothing would go off the rails. His faith was validated when Ben was given the first tour through the two properties upon their completion with the three men and Willow.

Dan was justifiably proud of his work, and Ed was in awe of the beauty of the two homes. They blended seamlessly into their beautiful natural surroundings.

When they reached the contemplation garden, Willow unveiled her sculpture. Ben could only gape at its raw beauty and power.

It was a mythical phoenix, bursting upward from flames, stretching its dazzling wings wide to soar into the heavens.

Willow watched Ben's face in concern until he came back to himself and turned to face her. When he saw worry in her lovely eyes, he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her to his chest.

"Willow, it's incredible! I love it!" he said in awe.

Setting her back on her feet, he held her hand as he turned back to gaze at it in wonder. "It's so powerful and beautiful!" he sighed.

Then he realized that its position in the backyard garden was directly above the spot where Patty had been imprisoned... and died. He suddenly understood the symbology, and his emotions took a hit.

Tears running down his cheeks, he gently took Willow in his arms once more to give her a tender hug.

"It's beautiful, Willow. I understand its meaning now, and it's truly wonderful. Thank you!"

When he stepped back, he saw she was smiling joyfully and also had tears in her eyes.

Ed, Mark, and Dan looked a little choked up as well.

"Thank you for all your efforts! The homes are wonderful and will bring their occupants so much joy in the years ahead. Seriously, I can't thank you enough!" Ben said as he wiped his eyes.

They'd earned the bonuses Ben had secretly set aside for them.

He smiled as he knew the construction crews were going to appreciate theirs.

-=-

The following weekend was the wedding, and so much had to happen in that week!

The neighborhood ladies toured the homes, and many tears were shed over the contemplation garden and Willow's incredible sculpture. Then the task of decorating and preparing the homes for the newlyweds began in earnest.

Ben was kindly asked to step back and let the women do their work... unless something heavy needed to be moved.

Then it felt like he was in the eye of a hurricane as everyone leapt into action, except him. He felt like he was standing still in the middle of an explosion, watching everyone rushing back and forth in fast motion. At the same time, he leisurely ordered take-out for their dinner, picked up the occasional item from a shop, or just kept out of the way.

Then the frantic energy just stopped as the day had arrived, and he found himself walking his daughters down the aisle, one on each arm, in their stunning wedding dresses.

He did his best to keep from crying as he passed their hands over to their fiancés and stepped back. Gentle hands took his and guided him back to his seat as he watched Karen and Penny face their future.

His eyes looked beyond the priest speaking the words that would bind these young people as husband and wife, settling on Willow's spectacular sculpture. He understood it symbolized rebirth and renewal, but for Ben, it filled him with hope. That filled his heart as he turned his eyes back to his beautiful daughters and watched them kiss their husbands.

Their very lives were symbols of hope for him. Given the opportunity, they found the strength to rise and become these wonderful women who loved and were loved in return. They were making lives for themselves.

As their Dad, he'd do whatever he could to support them.

Okay, he was allowed to cry a little.

It was a magical night.

Chapter 73

Ben smiled to himself as he recalled the last time he'd spoken to Ed about the summer party his family and friends were throwing in his neighborhood. The man's excitement would not be contained!

They'd been at the Klein Group's offices, finalizing some documentation, and the company's president was very pleased with how his company was positioned for new projects. Their involvement with the Shepherd Foundation project demonstrated their ability to complete international projects on schedule and on budget. With the number of new clients beating down their door, the Group's future was assured.

Ed had been sitting at the edge of his chair during the entire meeting, so when the final signature was done and the photographers got their handshake photos, Ed practically leapt out of his seat to rush to Ben's side.

"You're still coming this Saturday at one? With your family and friends?" Ed asked eagerly.

Ben chuckled as he faced the man. "Yes! Quite a few people are coming along. I hope it won't be too many!"

Ed shook his head and seemed to be bringing up a list in his head. "There's you, Tina, Lucy, and your three kids, Christopher, Sam, and Gretchen. Your daughters, Karen and Penny, with their husbands, Jayden and Frank. Your security team of Evelyn, Liliya with her daughter Rose, and Moon. Then there are your neighbors: Catherine and Chanel, Gabriella with her two kids, Miriam and Daniel, Trish and her son Mason, Hannah and her son Ryan, Ashley Beaumont and her three children, Madison, Savannah, and Joshua. Rain, Shelly, who's related to Angie's husband, Lisa, Lori, and Princess Zama!"

Ed's eyes lit up with the idea of an actual princess attending the party.

Ben gave Ed an impressed look for memorizing all those names. "Dan and Willow confirmed they are available. I'm hoping we might also include two additional friends, Hal and Sam. They're a sweet couple!" he asked.

Ed nodded happily. "Two more are no problem! This is going to be so great! So many kids!"

Ben smiled to himself, recalling the joy on Ed's face that day. The weather was cooperating as there wasn't a cloud in the sky, and it promised to be a hot one.

Evelyn turned their lead truck into Ed's neighborhood. A literal convoy of vehicles was needed to transport the large number of people, along with their swimwear and party clothes, for dinner and dancing afterwards. Ed promised a great time for everyone!

Their first stop was at Angie Spencer's home, where the backyard pool party was being held.

Thankfully, the driveways in this neighborhood were long, paved lanes with plenty of parking. They managed to get everyone in and began unloading from the cars as Ben walked up to the lovely, wide two-story home. As Dan and Hal would arrive later, Ben was relieved to see there was still room for them to park, but that would be the limit.

As he walked up to the house, Ben could already hear music coming from the backyard. Before he could press the doorbell, the door opened to show a tall and beautiful blonde woman smiling at them from inside. Her silver bikini was partially hidden under a gossamer white cover-up. He recalled meeting her in a similar outfit in Zoe's driveway.

"Hello! Welcome! I'm Angie!" the woman said, beaming a delighted smile at the group approaching her.

"I'm Ben. I hope you don't mind having such a large group descend on your lovely home," he said with a smile, and she shook her head with a dazzling smile. "I have family and friends in tow," he said, gesturing back.

She moved forward and pressed her cheek to his before pulling back. "We're so pleased you were able to join us today. Ed wouldn't stop talking about the party. I'm glad we're finally able to make it come true for him."

Ben chuckled as he'd just been recalling the man's enthusiasm. "Far be it from me to disappoint the man. Please let me introduce Tina, Lucy, and our children, Christopher, Sam, and Gretchen."

Angie smiled and nodded to them as she gestured for them to enter.

"I believe you've met Evelyn and Liliya, but this is Rose, Liliya's daughter. Then we have the newest member of my security details, Phan Thi Nguyêt--"

"You may call me Moon," the petite Vietnamese woman said quickly to Angie with a smile as Ben winced.

"Sorry for butchering the pronunciation again," Ben said quietly to her.

"It is sweet that you try so hard," she said with a teasing smile as she moved inside.

Ben gave her a look of surprise, then glanced back at Angie, who was suppressing her giggles.

She got control. "Please continue down the hall, through the kitchen, to the back patio doors. This will take you to the pool deck. At the far end of the pool is a cabana where you can get changed into your swimsuits. Fresh towels are also available, and there are plenty of lounge chairs around the pool. Lunch will be served in about an hour. Some of the local guests are still arriving."

Ben nodded and continued with his family. They admired the lovely décor and noted the music industry awards displayed in frames along the way.

Once they were in the backyard, Ben was amazed by its size. He spotted a bouncy castle and knew that it would be a welcome sight for the kids.

Two couples were already sunbathing, though one of the men was fast asleep. His dark-skinned spouse reached over and gave him a playful slap to wake him. He snorted loudly as he jolted upright. He turned to pout at his wife, but stopped when he saw they had company.

The lovely, dark-skinned woman, with her large ball of black hair pulled back by a white kerchief, smiled at the new arrivals. "Hi! I'm Taj, and this sleepy man is my husband, Reg. These are our friends, Thierry and Lakshmi. The four of us live in the house at the top of the hill where we'll have dinner, music, and dancing tonight."

Ben did the honors of introducing his group.

"How did I miss the fact that Ed knows Ben Shepherd?" Reg grumbled.

Taj smiled at Ben. "Sorry for my husband's slow wits this morning. He was up writing music with Thierry until the small hours of the morning."

Ben raised his eyebrows. "Musicians? Were those gold and platinum albums we saw inside related?"

Thierry smiled with pride. "Yes, we were in a band with Angie's late husband, Danny. We had our share of success."

Thierry's wife, Lakshmi, remained quiet but couldn't stop grinning at him.

"We'd better change as more are incoming. Quite a big gang today!" Ben said.

"Ed will be so happy!" Lakshmi finally spoke as the bangles on her wrists chimed from her excited gestures.

With a smile and nod, Ben and his group continued toward the cabana.

As they approached, he spotted two beauties stepping out, holding the hands of a young boy and girl.

"Mr. Shepherd! Hello again!" the tall, brown skinned woman said with a brilliant smile.

Dazzled by their beauty, Ben struggled to recall who she was. "Please call me Ben," he said.

The equally tall blonde at her elbow saw Ben's confusion and snorted in amusement at her partner. "Babe, were you dressed in a sexy bikini the last time you met? You know how distracting that is!"

The brunette looked at the blonde in surprise. "What? Oh! No, I wasn't." She turned to Ben. "I'm sorry. I'm Dr. Mishka Shyamalan. I was the heart surgeon who operated on your friend. This is my wife, Heather, and our children, Shaan and Saharan."

The dots connected for Ben, and he made the introductions for his party. Then he nodded to the surgeon. "Yes, I recall Hannah saying you were sharing your talents with her hospital. Thank you again for your excellent work."

Mishka nodded. "Hannah found a new surgeon as Dr. Parker determined he couldn't return and retired. Dr. Philips is a good surgeon. Not as good as me, but...."

Heather grinned. "There's the uber-surgeon I know and love," she sighed with a grin. "The kids want to play, so we'll talk with you later," Heather said with a smile for Ben and family, letting the kids pull them away.

Ben and the others went into the lovely cabana and quickly switched into their swimsuits. He pulled out the loose shirt he planned to wear when not in the pool. As he was meeting strangers for the first time, he'd limit the exposure of his scars.

"Ben, you need sunblock," Tina insisted, and he paused, then nodded. She pointed to a spot in the middle of the room, and he stood there. He took a squirt of lotion in his palms to rub over his face.

As Evelyn and Liliya watched over the kids, Tina and Lucy began applying his lotion.

Then he felt another pair of hands on his body.

He paused, then finished working the lotion into his face and neck before he opened his eyes to see Tina, Lucy, and Moon working their way down his body with quick, efficient motions. Soon, he was fully protected, and he caught Tina's nod to Moon, recognizing it. Was Tina Moon's Dom?

His eyes went to Lucy, who was struggling to hide her smile. She received a nod from Tina as well. Lucy and Moon were subs to Tina, and he was her Dom, meaning he was also Lucy's Dom... and Moon's?

He needed to get out in front of this, but Tina and Lucy moved to the door, collecting the children as they left. Moon was wearing a sexy little bathing suit, as were Liliya and even Evelyn. Ben's eyes took in the beauty on display, then turned away to let himself calm. His suit didn't have too much excess room in the groin area. It wouldn't be cool to be showing a bulge at this party. He realized too late that, with the skin visible in sexy suits, it would have been better to wear something loose-fitting. He sighed, relieved that his shirt was thankfully long enough to provide some coverage.

He heard laughter and recognized the voices of Karen and Penny nearby, then Jayden and Frank's response. They were changing too.

Ben walked back onto the pool deck and followed his ladies to a group of lounge chairs.

A stunning redhead and an equally beautiful brunette, both squeezed into daring bikini tops that struggled to contain their bounty, approached with trays laden with frosty plastic glasses of ice water and lemonade.

Ben recalled their names from his last visit. "Lovely to see you again, Rachel, Zoe!" They beamed delighted smiles at him as he accepted drinks for his group.

"We're so happy you were able to join us! Ed's been dying to have you over ever since your kidnapping," Rachel said.

Ben chuckled with a little nod. "I promised I would, but life gets so busy! Sorry, it took so long to make it happen."

Zoe looked up at him through her bangs. "Ed's been quite busy with your project, too."

He nodded. "With all the Shepherd Foundation buildings completed, his time will be dedicated to the Klein group's next projects, but I understand they're in high demand."

Zoe nodded, then shot Rachel a smile. "It's a good thing Ed's business manager negotiated an iron-clad contract with his employer to ensure he had a good work-life balance!"

Ben chuckled. "Very smart!"

Rachel preened a little under Ben's praise and sent Zoe a loving smile.

"BEN!"

They turned to the excited voice and saw Ed hurrying around the pool with a wide smile.

Ben gripped Ed's hand, then pulled the man into a hug, which put smiles on all nearby faces. When he pulled back, he looked into Ed's surprised eyes.

"Ed, I wanted to properly thank you for what you did for my family and me when I was held hostage on that slaver's ship. You really came through for us and got a critical message through to the right people. Thank you!"

The man in question was smiling shyly and nodded to Ben.

Tina then hugged Ed with Sam in her arm, followed by Lucy with Gretchen. Each woman added her thanks.

Then Moon stepped up and hugged Ed. "I am Moon. I was a prisoner on the ship. You helped save my life, too. Thank you!"

When the diminutive Vietnamese woman stepped back, Ed found himself facing a tall, dark-skinned woman with a large head of black curly hair and a wide smile.

"Hello! I am Zama. I was also on the ship, so you helped rescue me, too! Thank you!"

Ben smiled at the look of surprise and delight on Ed's face when he was pulled into a tight hug by Zama. He recalled how nice it felt to hold the larger woman.

Ed was looking a little overwhelmed when Zama stepped back, so Rachel wrapped an arm around his back and smiled at the others. "We're so glad you are here to enjoy the day with us. We're going to borrow this big guy." They nodded, so Rachel and Zoe headed back to the house with Ed between them.

They set their towels on some lounge chairs, and the moment they did, they heard the excited laughter of young girls. Triplets rushed around the pool deck and rushed up to say hello.

Behind them was their mom, Grace.

"Thank you for joining us today. These are my daughters, Brooklyn, Caelyn, and Evelyn," she said.

The latter immediately looked at the Sergeant. "You aren't wearing your uniform!" she exclaimed.

The tall blonde smiled at the girl. "Today, I'm off duty."

Brooklyn looked at Liliya. "Are you off duty too?"

"Yes, but I am always prepared, as is the Sergeant," Liliya said with a sweet smile.

The girl's eyes widened with excitement. Then they spotted the bouncy castle and the Shyamalan kids playing in it. They tugged on their mother's hand, so she let them pull her away.

Christopher tugged on his mother's hand, and Tina followed him with Sam in her arms. Lucy joined her with Gretchen.

"We're going to relax here, Ben. Go mingle with your friends," Liliya said, and Evelyn glanced at her, then at Moon, who was settling herself onto a lounge chair. The sergeant finally nodded at Ben as well.

Ben felt himself relax as his security team was confident. He was in as safe a place as his own neighborhood.

This likely meant his hidden military escort was now surrounding the neighborhood. He took a deep breath, smiled at the ladies, and walked back to the house. He spotted Rain, Lisa, Lori, and Zama talking and laughing with Taj, Reg, Thierry, and Lakshmi. Zama and Taj were comparing their majestic manes. Karen and Penny approached this group with their husbands in tow.

When he got inside, he saw Shelly hugging Angie, with Trish watching with a happy smile on her face.

Six kids suddenly rushed around the hugging women, charging down the hallway toward Ben. They skidded to a halt, seeing his imposing dimensions in their way, and stared up at him in surprise.

"Hello!" Ben said with a smile.

"Whoa! You're bigger than Mr. Walters!" the youngest boy in the group gasped.

"Franklin! Be polite!" his mother called out as she moved past Angie to catch up with her kids.

Ben recalled the woman from their meeting in Zoe's driveway after he'd toured her home. Carol? No.

"Oh!" she chirped when she saw who Franklin was being impolite to.

"Stephanie?" Ben guessed from his hazy memory, and a smile lit up her face.

"Yes! Hello, Ben. It's nice to see you again. These are my kids. William, Katey, and the twins, Franklin and Gina." The four nodded to him as she said their names.

"The other two are mine. Gregory and Amelia," a pretty brunette said as she stopped next to her friend.

"Carolyn. It's nice to see you again as well," Ben said with a smile. "My kids, Christopher, Sam, and Gretchen, are with their moms, Tina and Lucy, out by the bouncy castle."

The kids squealed in excitement and charged past Ben, who grinned in response. Mason and Ryan from his neighborhood hurried past with their swimsuits and nodded to him.

This evacuation of the hall allowed the two mothers to move forward to press their cheeks against Ben's. They continued onward with smiles.

Hannah, Trish, and Shelly kissed his cheeks as they passed by with Ashley and her kids. Ashley paused and kissed Ben's cheek, too.

Gabriella was speaking with Angie as her kids joined Ben. Daniel and Miriam had their swimwear in hand, so Ben directed them to the backyard. He looked back and saw Catherine and Chanel speaking with Angie as well. Cat's daughters were unfortunately unavailable this weekend.

When he joined them at the door, he smiled at Angie. "I believe we're just waiting on two more couples. Dan and Willow Bishop and Hal and Sam Demmon."

"We haven't had this many people here since the days Demon Kiss was still making records," Angie said with a thrilled grin.

Ben smiled. "I heard from Taj that they were writing music last night. Maybe we'll see them on stage again?"

Angie smiled and shook her head. "Not under the Demon Kiss name but forming a new band is not out of the question for those two. Thierry and Reg have too much talent to stay idle."

The doorbell rang again, and Angie opened it to see a stunning blonde smiling timidly back at her. Behind her stood her husband.

Ben joined them, and Willow's smile relaxed.

"Willow, Dan! I'm so glad you were able to join us!" Ben said, gesturing for them to enter. "This is our host for the pool party, Angie Spencer." He looked at the woman. "Dan has been working with Ed on the building system designs for the Foundation project."

Lights went on in Angie's eyes. "Oh yes! Ed talks about you often! He is a major fan of your work!"

"I'm a major fan of his!" Dan returned with a smile.

Angie guided the couple and Ben's ladies toward the back of the house as Ben followed. Then he heard the doorbell and turned back. Angie joined him and opened the door with a smile.

Standing there was another lovely blonde, with her mane of blonde hair flowing down her back in waves to her calves! Her long legs were on display as she wore shorts and a brightly colored, flowery blouse that struggled to contain her full bosom and showed off her tight tummy muscles.

At her back was Hal, in his usual understated tones, wearing tan shorts and a white polo shirt, much like a neutral backdrop for his wife's bright beauty.

"You must be Sam and Hal. So glad you could join us!" Angie said, pressing her cheeks with the couple. "Almost everyone is here. We're just waiting on one more neighbor."

Ben followed them through the house. Sam was thrilled to see the record industry awards on the walls, and Angie brought her up to speed on the history of her husband's band. They walked out onto the pool deck and saw the younger kids running around the backyard, enjoying the bouncy castle, as their mothers talked.

In the pool, Karen and Penny were riding the shoulders of their husbands while Taj and Lakshmi rode the shoulders of theirs. Each of the ladies had a monstrous water gun and was trying to make the other men drop their riders into the pool. They fired at the husbands and the other ladies. Assisting them, each couple had one kid with a pool noodle. They could block the shots, poke the ladies to make them fall off, or take out the other kids with the noodles.

From the laughter and excited screams, it was clear they were enjoying themselves.

Angie headed back inside to answer the door, and Ben waited by the patio door. A young boy charged through and collided with Ben's legs. He managed to catch him and kept him from falling.

When the blond, blue-eyed boy looked up at him, for a split second, Ben thought he was looking at a young version of Ed! The boy grinned and then rushed away to join the others.

Ben looked up to see Angie approaching with the last neighbors.

"Ben, this is Dale and Tristan Grant. You just met their boy, Max."

"Ben Shepherd?" Dale said in surprise.

He smiled and nodded, then shook the older man's hand.

"I'm a friend and fan of Ed's," Ben said.

The couple laughed. "It's hard not to be a fan of Ed. He's such a genuine person," Dale admitted.

Ben nodded and joined them as they walked out to the pool.

There were a lot of people in the backyard and around the pool. Ben smiled as he saw a good mix of people from both groups.

The battle of the pool noodles seemed to be over as Reg, Thierry, and their spouses climbed out of the pool to dry off.

Karen and Penny were still enjoying the pool with Jayden and Frank, but they were keeping close to the side of the pool where the musicians had their lounges. They might have been a little starstruck.

Reg gestured to the lounge next to his for Ben, so he settled himself on it after he confirmed Tina and Lucy were enjoying themselves with the kids at the bouncy castle. Many of the ladies were collected there, chatting.

When Sam and Hal returned from the cabana in their swimsuits, eyes turned in their direction as Sam's bikini clung like a second skin to her sizable implants. Her muscles looked toned and fit, which would be a requirement for carrying so much on her chest.

Hal had changed into a tight T-shirt and swim trunks, so it was easy to see he was a hardbody, too.

Ben indicated the two chairs next to him, and they nodded with grateful smiles. He made the introductions and then faced the musicians.

"Angie tells me you might be looking at returning to the music business," Ben suggested.

Reg chuckled as Thierry smiled. "The creative juices were flowing last night, and it felt good. I don't know if I'd want to go back on the road, but I think we have more music in us."

Taj grinned at Ben around her husband. "No need for us to guess what keeps you busy these days. The news seems filled with stories about your Shepherd Foundations opening in all those countries."

Ben smiled and shook his head. "Actually, I have almost nothing to do with that. I mean, I fund it, but it keeps Catherine, Chanel, and Trish far busier than me. I'll stick with things I know. Mechanical Engineering. A good, dependable occupation."

"So, you're a working stiff like me," Hal said, and Ben chuckled.

Reg leaned forward to grin at Hal as he flexed a large bicep. "You have the build of someone used to heavy labor. What do you do?"

Hal smiled. "Inventory Control Manager for an office equipment manufacturer."

Reg's expression froze, then his grin widened. "Get the fuck outa here. A pencil-pushing desk job?"

Hal shrugged with a little smile.

Sam caught Reg's eye. "Don't knock dull. A little calm is appreciated."

Hal gave his wife a surprised chuckle, hearing his own words, then kissed her hand as the woman's face warmed.

"What occupies your time, Sam?" Lakshmi asked with a cheerful grin.

Sam glanced at Hal, and he gave her a little nod of encouragement. She looked at the group. "I'm working towards completing my GED. It's a personal goal."

Ben gave her an admiring nod, and her smile widened, showing off her protruding canines. He couldn't help but match her grin, which was so infectious.

Lakshmi was also impressed, but wasn't finished. "What's your dream?" she gushed.

Sam's eyes widened, and she looked nervously at Hal. He held her eyes and nodded, so she turned back to the expectant faces.

"I-I like to sing. I thought I... might give that a try," she managed to say, though her face was quite red.

Ben nodded with a smile. "Yes! We loved your singing the last time we were in Vegas!" he exclaimed, and she smiled at him in relief.

Reg looked at Sam curiously. "You've sung in Las Vegas?"

Sam burst into giggles and shook her hands in embarrassment. "Not professionally! I've never sung professionally!"

Thierry spoke up. "Your voice has a fascinating texture. Kim Carnes and Rod Stewart made successful careers with their unique voices." He looked at Reg with a twinkle in his eyes. "We've invited some musician friends of ours to the party at our place tonight. After dinner, we're going to jam. I'd love to hear you, if you'll grace us with your singing."

Sam looked like a feather would knock her over. "Oh, yes! Sure, I'd love to." She looked at Taj and Lakshmi. "Who is your lead vocalist?"

Taj chuckled as Lakshmi waved her expressive hands. "Neither one of us sings. Angie doesn't sing either, though her voice is a little like yours. Her husband, Danny, was the lead singer in the band."

Ben was enjoying the excitement in Sam's eyes and shared a happy look with Hal.

The sun was getting a little hot, so Ben decided it was time to slip into that wonderful pool. He stood and pointed to the water, and Hal stood to join him. They took off their shirts and dropped them on their lounge chairs.

"Damn! Mechanical Engineering and Inventory Control must be far more dangerous occupations than they sound!" Reg exclaimed as he took in the scarring on the two men. Taj gave him a swat.

Ben and Hal shared a look, then Ben looked back at Reg. "Some lives just experience more bumps along the way than others." Hal nodded his agreement, and the two men walked over to the pool's edge and dropped into the refreshingly cool water.

For the next thirty minutes, they played with the kids in the pool and talked with others who joined them to cool off.

Ed finally managed to join them, and his smile told Ben he was having the best time ever.

"I'm so glad you were able to come to the party! It's amazing having so many people enjoying themselves!" Ed gushed.

"Sam and I are very grateful to be included," Hal said to him. "I think Sam has made some new friends already." He nodded toward the side of the pool where they could see Sam with Reg, Thierry, Taj, and Lakshmi.

Ed wiped the water from his face as he turned his head to see the statuesque blonde talking animatedly with the two couples. He grinned as he saw they were having fun.

Movement caught his eye, and he looked to the barbecue area. Dale was signalling him. Ed waved back and faced the two men.

"It looks like lunch is about to be served. We're keeping it simple and light, as dinner tonight will be a larger meal. Talk to you later!" He grinned as he pulled himself out of the pool and grabbed his towel to dry off, and he rushed to assist Dale.

"Ed seems like a nice guy," Hal noted to Ben.

"As nice as they come," Ben said with a nod.

They climbed out and dried off as they ignored the discreet glances at their scars.

Ben could almost hear the questions in their minds, as few had experienced the kinds of violence that left such marks. Questions that wouldn't be answered today at this event. He pulled his shirt on, as did Hal.

He kissed Tina, Lucy, and the kids as they returned from the bouncy castle.

"Did they have fun?" he asked.

"Very much!" Tina said. "We must invite them all to our neighborhood party!"

Ben nodded. He agreed this was a good idea. He wanted to remain friends with these people as he could see how relaxed everyone was with each other.

"Food's ready! Come get some lunch!" Ed bellowed with a grin.

Ben guided his family toward the tables set up with the burgers, hot dogs, salads, and condiments.

Rows of picnic tables had been set up near the bouncy castle, and there was room for all.

He concentrated on the kids so the ladies could enjoy themselves. Ed joined them at the next table with Grace and their daughters.

"This is truly wonderful, Ed!" Ben said.

Ed nodded with a mouthful of burger, but his eyes gave away his happiness.

"Tina reminded me that we will need to invite everyone here to join us at our summer party in Ashburn Court," Ben said.

Ed's eyes lit up, and the girls squealed excitedly as they remembered how much fun they had with the Jungle Gym behind Ben's house.

"That would be wonderful!" Grace said. "Just let us know the date, and we'll make sure everyone can attend." Ben nodded to her.

They enjoyed their meals, then relaxed by the pool as the kids returned to the bouncy castle after having more sunscreen applied. They'd do their best to ensure no one got a burn today.

As the day was so warm, people spent equal time in the pool, and Ben enjoyed taking turns with Gretchen, Sam, Christopher, and Rose in the water, gently bouncing with them while holding them against his chest, much to their delight. The sound of children laughing brought Ben such a feeling of peace and contentment that he couldn't stop a few joyful tears from escaping. Luckily, the kids were splashing him, so they remained hidden.

When he left the pool, he caught hungry looks from Tina, Lucy, Moon, Liliya, and Evelyn, who were all sitting together. That added steel to his cock, so he quickly turned to pull on his shirt. Then he realized he was facing Stephanie, Carolyn, and Lakshmi. The latter's eyes widened as her hands suddenly fluttered, making her bangles ring musically. Stephanie and Carolyn just smiled knowingly.

"Ed's not the only one with this issue," Carolyn said with a cheeky smile.

Ben couldn't stop his embarrassed smile and nodded to the ladies as he finished buttoning his shirt.

As the afternoon slipped toward evening, the guests began to dry off and use the cabana to change into their casual evening wear.

Dinner would be in the mansion at the top of the hill, so Reg, Thierry, Taj, and Lakshmi left first for their final preparations. Rachel and Zoe went with them to assist. Everyone slipped back into their cars to drive up to the wide parking lane before the mansion. They were greeted at the door and invited inside.

The interior décor was surprisingly relaxed and very bohemian, given the building's classic exterior. There was a huge dining room, which Reg said would be converted into a dance floor after their meals. A stage had been set up at one end of the room, which suggested they'd be getting live performances later in the night.

"Your home is gorgeous!" Ben said to their hosts and received proud smiles from Reg and Thierry, as well as delighted smiles from their wives.

Reg spotted someone at the door, so he excused himself.

Ben looked back and saw several people who hadn't been at the pool party entering the home with guitar cases in their hands. He spotted Hal and Sam just inside the door, and the excitement on Sam's face was wonderful to see.

Lakshmi acted as their guide and brought them into the dining room, showing them which table they were to sit at. Reading the name cards, Ben saw that Sam, Hal, Dan, and Willow would be sitting with him, Tina, Lucy, and Moon.

Taj and Lakshmi guided Tina and Lucy into the next room, where the worn-out kids got to snooze on big, fluffy pillows.

Hal and Sam joined Ben, and he couldn't stop himself from grinning at her excitement. "Who did you see that's got you smiling like this?"

Sam giggled, which was an amazing sound from her gravelly voice. "Oh, there are some wonderfully talented musicians here tonight!"

Ashley rushed up to Ben and grabbed his arms as she looked into his eyes. "Ben! The lead guitarist from Epsilon Fields is here!"

Ben grinned at her excitement as Sam happily bounced on her toes, sharing a smile with Ashley.

"I'll assume that's an amazing thing based on your reactions. I know nothing about musicians or the music scene--Oh! It looks like I'm about to be introduced."

The ladies turned to see Reg and Thierry approaching with a group of people. The man in front looked roughly the same age as their hosts, but he wore his greying, straight black hair long and loose over his shoulders. He had many fading tattoos and wore multiple leather and beaded bracelets, as well as silver rings.

Reg made the introductions with a twinkle in his eyes. "Ben Shepherd, I'd like to introduce you to an old friend of ours, Lonnie Lidd, guitar legend and apparently a fan of your Shepherd Foundation."

The man in question shot Reg an annoyed look, then held out a hand to Ben, who shook it.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Ben said.

Lonnie nodded and got his voice back. It had a strangled quality like he'd smoked far too much in his youth, which might be the case.

"What you're doing with your Foundation is a breath of fresh air in these times of struggle for so many young people!" the man rasped.

"Thank you!" Ben said with a nod.

Lonnie half-turned and gestured for the young couple behind him to step forward. "Speaking of young people, I'd like you to meet a young man who's teaching an old dog like me how to play with my soul, not just my hands. Gary Truman and his lovely wife Emma."

Ben faced the slim but fit man carrying a guitar case and smiled at Emma's infectious ear-to-ear grin. He guessed they were both in their mid-twenties. Emma seemed to radiate vitality, while her husband was a calm presence beside her. Ben shook their hands.

"It's very nice to meet you both. Will you be playing during the jam session Reg spoke about earlier today?"

Gary glanced around at the dining hall and seemed to be gauging the number of seats in the room. He smiled at Ben. "Perhaps."

Ben chuckled and gave him a nod.

Gary then gestured for the two young people behind him. "These are our friends and neighbors from back home in New York, Raphael and Samantha Graves. Lonnie offered to have them join us when he flew us here."

Ben faced the two equally young people and smiled, as again, the couple seemed to balance each other. Raphael was tall, dark, and serious, while his more petite blonde wife seemed to gleam with joy.

Raphael gave Ben a firm handshake while maintaining eye contact. "You run the foundation?"

Ben shook his head. "No, I just pay for it. I'm a mechanical engineer. You?"

"I'm in a surgical residency program," the serious young man said, and his wife smiled proudly. "My wife works in the hospital's administrative wing," he added with a smile for her. He turned back to Ben. "It's too bad your charity didn't exist when we were starting out."

Ben chuckled in surprise at the implied message but gave the man an evaluating look. "It seems you had what it took to make it on your own."

Raphael paused, then smiled. "Yes, we did."

Ben glanced at Gary, whose face was pink from embarrassment. "Are you a music instructor?"

Gary smiled and shook his head. "No. I'm a chartered accountant. I just play music for fun and... do workshops for friends, like I'm doing this weekend." He gestured to Lonnie.

Ben's eyebrows rose, and he looked at the older man. This felt backward, since the senior musician should have far more experience.

"Gary's too modest. His guitar work is brilliant. He was the lead guitarist on three albums for Selina Moreno," Lonnie insisted.

Ashley gasped in delight as her eyes widened. "Ah! You're the secret musician!"

Sam gasped as well, but with her proportions, the effect was more visibly dramatic.

Raphael seemed amused by Gary's embarrassment. Samantha poked her husband for teasing their friend, and he raised his hands in surrender, but his smile remained.

"I look forward to later... should you decide to play," Ben added.

As they moved on with the party hosts, Ashley looked toward the door and chirped again upon seeing someone else she recognized entering the room.

It was a tall, muscular black man wearing a Snoopy t-shirt and carrying a guitar case. He was approaching with a surprised expression on his face.

"It's Eric Gladstone! He plays bass guitar for Selina Moreno!" Ashley gushed as Sam sighed.

"You two really know your musicians! Are you groupies?" Ben asked teasingly. Ashley gently swatted his arm as Sam stuck her tongue out at Ben, then giggled.

"As I live and breath! Ben Shepherd? I had no idea you knew Reg and Thierry!" the bass player said as he stopped before Ben.

They shook hands as Reg returned. "Eric! Glad you could make it! Have you met my friend Ben?"

"We just met him today," Thierry admitted as he joined them as well. Reg shot Thierry a fake scowl for spoiling his fun, but Thierry continued. "Mr. Shepherd is a friend and guest of our neighbor, Ed Walters, as they worked together on the Shepherd Foundation headquarters."

Ben made the introductions for Sam and Ashley, who did their best not to act like groupies in front of Eric. From his smile, he knew.

The man in question suddenly spotted someone across the room and looked at Reg curiously. "How do you know Gary Truman?"

The drummer grinned. "He's here as a guest of Lonnie Lidd, whom I invited."

"It's a small world, after all," Ben said with a smile, and nods went through their group.

Angie stopped by with Lakshmi and Taj. "Find your seats! Dinner will be served momentarily." Ben saw they'd hired some wait staff to assist with this, who seemed ready to begin.

Ben nodded as Tina and Lucy returned, joined by Moon. Dinner was being served, and it smelled wonderful!

He was looking forward to it. He could eat a moose!

-=-

"I'm ruined for steak. Nothing is going to taste as good as this," Gary said sadly as Emma grinned while enjoying her first bite.

"These fries are dangerously delicious," Samantha sighed. She looked at Raphael, but he was quietly enjoying his steak. He felt her gaze, so he wiped his mouth on his napkin and took a sip of his water before responding.

"If they're a threat, just resist eating them. The salad is fresh, crisp, and delicious. It goes really well with the steak."

Smiling at her playful pout, he glanced over at Gary and saw him staring across the room with an odd expression. "What's wrong?"

Gary came back to himself as he glanced at his neighbor. "What? Oh, uh, nothing really. I'm just having the strangest feeling of displacement. This all feels a little unreal."

Emma looked at him with concern, but he just smiled and placed his hand on hers to give it a gentle squeeze. "I mean traveling across the country and ending up joining a party with Ben Shepherd and his extended family."

Lonnie grinned and nudged Eric's elbow. "Gary is unfazed by a room filled with famous music celebrities but goes fanboy when he encounters one reclusive..." His voice tapered off as he struggled to categorize the kind of celebrity Ben was.

Eric chuckled. "Yeah, I'm not sure how to classify his fame either. I mean, they're making movies about his life, but he's not an actor, though he rubs elbows with them. I've seen video clips on social media of him dancing with R&B artist La'Shia, but he's not a dancer. They frequently discuss him on the news, and he was in Washington to speak to a panel of congressmen. He's a... famous public figure?"

Raphael shook his head. "Maybe he's just a private citizen with too much unwanted attention on him. He said he's a mechanical engineer. That sounds like a solid profession. People make too noise over celebrity status. It's fine to appreciate talent, but people should be allowed to live their own lives."

Eric opened his mouth to argue, but lost steam. "I... can't argue with that."

With a nod, Raphael returned to his meal.

Eric smiled at Gary. "How do you feel about playing tonight?"

Gary nodded as he swallowed another bite. He glanced around again and felt himself relaxing. "Yeah, I think it'll be okay. Nice place." He glanced up at the high ceiling and noticed some subtle dampeners on the hard surfaces to improve the acoustics. "They've set the room up nicely to eliminate echoes."

"Nothing but the best for my friends!" Reg said, suddenly appearing at Lonnie's elbow with a grin.

The older man grinned at Reg. "You're in for a treat as Gary has agreed to play with us! Oh! Does this place have recording capabilities? I'd love to have a recording of our session."

"Yeah, it's all fed into a mixing board, and we'll record it. I'll make sure we all get copies," Reg said, clapping his friend on the shoulder, and he moved on to speak to the next table.

"Are you going to grace us with your photography?" Eric asked Emma, who smiled and nodded. He grinned happily in return.

Contented silence resumed as they returned to their meals.

-=-

Once their place settings were cleared, Ben eased back in his chair, pleasantly full. Tina and Lucy left to check on the kids. He noticed Liliya joining them to check on Rose.

Tables in the middle of the room were removed, and the dance floor was opening up.

Slower music was playing over the speakers as the musicians moved to the stage to begin setting up their instruments.

Ben noticed Gary was up there as well, so it looked like he'd be playing with the band after all.

The younger people were gathered close to the stage, watching the activity excitedly.

Ben saw Gabriella on the edge of the dance floor, swaying gently to the music, so he left his chair to join her.

"May I have this dance?" he asked as he slipped up beside her.

She turned with a loving smile and nodded to him as he took her hand in his.

They stepped out and were soon flowing across the floor to the dreamy music.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" he asked as he pressed his cheek to hers.

"Very much! They're so comfortable to talk with! Truly lovely people!" she sighed as she enjoyed being in Ben's arms.

Ben nodded. "Yes, we're a good fit. They'll be joining our Ashburn Court summer party." Gabriella smiled at the news.

They spotted Chanel and Catherine out on the dance floor, then Ed and Rachel glided past them with smiles. Soon, the floor began to fill up, and more tables were moved to expand the space.

When the song ended, Ben gave Gabriella a sweet kiss before she stepped back. Hannah placed her hand in his, and they were moving to the next song.

Ben stayed on the dance floor through several more songs, and he noticed Ed was equally busy, switching partners with each song.

As Tina sighed happily in his arms after their dance, Ben heard a microphone switch on, and they looked to the stage.

Thierry stood behind his keyboard and spoke into his headset microphone. Each musician was wearing one so they could talk to the audience, join in the singing, and have it recorded during the session.

"Good evening, friends, family, neighbors, and guests! We're delighted to have you all here tonight to share in our celebration of good food, good people, and good times!"

Applause erupted from the crowd, accompanied by whistles and shouts. Thierry grinned and looked over at Reg, who was behind his drums. The man had his arms raised as he tapped his drumsticks together like he was about to begin.

Thierry waved at him to put his arms down, then continued. "Tonight, we have a little behind-the-scenes entertainment for you. Musicians love experimenting with their creations by sharing them with other talented people. Jamming is a crucial tool for creativity. We get completely new perspectives on our music, which can lead us in directions we hadn't contemplated. We've gathered a few friends together to do some experimenting, and we'll also play some favorites for you to move to.

First, a little introduction for our bandmates. Playing lead guitar and gracing us from Sedona, Arizona... Lonnie Lidd, from Epsilon Fields!"

The guests cheered as the man bowed to his audience.

"On bass guitar and bringing his talent all the way from New York City, Eric Gladstone, bassist for Selina Moreno!" Thierry said, gesturing to the man as cheering erupted again.

"Our surprise guest is also from New York City, and we lucked into his presence tonight as he was visiting Lonnie this weekend and came along for the fun. He's the one and only secret guitarist for Selina Morino, Gary Truman!" More applause erupted.

"And the local crew on drums and keyboard, Reg Saxon and Thierry Dumas!" More cheering as he and Reg took bows.

"I've also been told we have a talented vocalist amongst the guests tonight," Thierry said as he dramatically looked out over the crowd.

Ben smiled as he looked at Sam, who seemed to be trembling. Was it fear or excitement? Maybe it was a little of both.

He saw Hal lean in and whisper into her ear. She turned and looked at him with love in her eyes and gave him a tender kiss as she held his face between her hands. Then she moved forward and climbed the steps of the stage to join Thierry. They spoke quietly for a bit, and Sam nodded happily to him as she accepted a microphone.

Thierry smiled out at the audience. "To begin, we're going to play an old favorite from Selina Morano, My Soul, Your Sanctuary, and Gary will take the lead."

Ben watched as the young man smiled and nodded at Thierry. He looked down into his lovely wife's eyes, standing before the stage, and whispered something to her, then smiled.

His eyes closed, and after a moment, he began to play.

The room went quiet as everyone listened to the achingly lovely sounds Gary was pulling from his guitar.

As he approached the end of his intro, Ben noticed Sam was swaying slightly to the music as she lifted the mic to her mouth. It was clear that Gary's playing equally enthralled her, but it seemed to have relaxed her. Unlike the shaky start she'd made when he'd last heard her sing in Las Vegas, Sam's voice joined the song strong and clear, her emotions filling her voice and drawing her audience in. The gravelly quality of her singing seemed to emphasize her connection to her emotions.

Ben was mesmerized.

-=-

Thierry grinned at Reg as they played their parts. He was surprised at the difference Sam's voice made to the song. Not that it was better than Selina's version. It was... Sam's unique interpretation. He was truly impressed with how well she sang and the depth of emotion she conveyed through her unique sound. He truly hadn't been expecting this level of professional tonal control. He shamefacedly admitted to himself that he'd been expecting far less due to her outrageous cleavage and her connection to the rich and powerful man. He felt bad about this assumption, but he was also excited to be at ground zero of discovering such a talent. If she was interested in starting a career, he'd love to help her get started.

As Gary brought the song to its finale with Sam, Thierry felt his scalp tingle with excitement. The listeners emerged from their trances and clapped and whistled in appreciation.

"Holy Fuck, that was so good!" Reg bellowed excitedly from his spot behind his drum set, and laughter erupted from their audience.

Sam spun to look at him and burst into giggles as she saw his huge grin.

"It's true! You are an amazing talent! Your vocals gave me chills! It was perfect," Thierry sighed and turned to Gary, who was smiling at Sam as well. "Gary, you play beautifully! You could easily go pro."

The younger man shook his head gently. "It's not my path. I love music. It brings me so much joy and peace. Pursuing a career in this field might take that away. I'm content with this."

Eric chuckled and added his two cents. "You're not the first to try to talk Gary into joining a band. Selina would love to have him as a permanent member, not just a secret contributor on her studio albums."

"I suppose that means going on tour with Epsilon Fields is out of the question?" Lonnie asked sadly.

Gary smiled and shook his head at the man.

"Is there a song you'd like to play?" Thierry asked Gary.

Gary's smile meant he had one in mind. He looked to their lead singer, wondering how her remarkable voice would sound with the song. He was eager to find out!

-=-

Ben was so happy for Sam. Her singing was even better than it'd been in Vegas. She seemed more relaxed and polished. He locked eyes with Hal from across the room and gave him a nod as the man smiled in return.

He looked around the room at his family and friends from Ashburn Court and saw how happy they were, and how much they seemed to be enjoying the night with their new friends. Ed's group was equally delighted, which made him feel content.

He wrapped his arms around Tina and Lucy, who were standing in front of him, and they giggled as he pulled them back against him in a hug.

The band was beginning to play their next song, and Ben recognized the Dire Straits tune immediately.

How Sam's voice enriched it with her unique style gave him goosebumps.

What an amazing evening!

-=-

It was the wee hours of the morning when the final guests from Ashburn Court made their way back to their vehicles to begin their trek home. Sam and Hal were still present, as they were staying at a local hotel and would fly back to California later in the day.

Ed, Angie, Emma, Raphael, Samantha, and Hal stood by the stage watching the musicians pack up their instruments and chat excitedly. Sam's toothy smile was wide, and Ed felt his smile grow to match hers as she looked down from the stage to seek out Hal.

Angie turned to Ed. "I think we can say the day was a success," she added with a grin of her own.

Ed nodded emphatically. "I can't wait for Ben's neighborhood party so we can all get together again!" he gushed.

Emma smiled at his enthusiasm. "I'm so grateful we were included so graciously."

Angie smiled at her. "We're the ones who benefited so much by your joining us! Gary plays like a dream, and I saw you out circulating with your camera tonight. Will we be able to get copies?"

"Of course! Just give me your email address, and I'll send you a link to the site I use for this," Emma said with a smile. Angie pulled out her cellphone to exchange contacts.

Ed shook Hal's hand as Sam joined him when the musicians left the stage. "Thank you for coming today!" he said to his guests.

"We had a wonderful time," Hal said as he wrapped an arm lovingly around Sam's waist to give her a little hug.

Raphael shared a look with Gary, who nodded. "It's late, and we should probably head back." He gave Lonnie a look, and the man nodded with a grin.

The rocker shook hands with his friends, and they headed for the door.

"That's us as well. Thanks again. See you at Ben's place," Hal said.

Reg had an inspiration. "Do you think Ben would like a little music for his event?" Sam's eyes widened with excitement.

Ed's thrilled smile threatened to split his face. "I'll ask him!"

The Ashburn Court party was sounding better and better!

Epilog

Ben relaxed back in his lounge chair on his driveway, enjoying the warmth of the summer sun on his face as the sound of children's laughter tickled his ears. It was such a happy sound.

He opened his eyes and watched the children playing together in the park, their mothers standing together, sharing stories of their days, and glancing back toward him from time to time.

His smile dimmed a little as he saw concern and discomfort in those expressions. What was wrong?

The mothers called to their children and, one by one, led them back to their homes until the park was empty.

Soon, only Ben remained outside.

Shadows from the clouds began to darken the court, and Ben felt a slight chill. His body ached, and he tried to it up in his chair but slumped back when his head spun.

He tasted whiskey on his tongue and wondered at that. He hadn't had a drink in years!

Ben stared at the long road leading out of the court and remembered when he used to sit here waiting for Wendy to return. A pulse of depression shot through him, and he raised his hands to his face and stopped when his fingers touched the coarse hairs of his unkempt beard. He was frozen with confusion.

Anxiety began a burning in his heart, so he rubbed his chest through his shirt. Something was wrong there, too.

His skin was smooth and flabby. There was no sign of the scars he'd received from Elijah Ray Sturn nor the muscles he'd worked on every day.

This made no sense!

A car pulled out of a driveway, and he saw it was Larry and Beth Wilson with John and Jane sitting in the back seat. Jane looked at him out her side window with a sad expression.

No. Larry wasn't with them anymore. Beth married a professor from Canada... didn't she?

His mind was so befuddled as it always was when he drank.

His eyes swung back and locked on Beth's home. Big, ugly, and blunt. What happened to the rebuild?

He tried once more to get out of his lounger, but the effort winded him, and he leaned back with a gasp. He slowly panned his eyes across the whole court, and none of the changes he remembered were there.

He turned his head awkwardly and was stunned to discover the tower behind his home was missing as if it had never been.

What was going on? What happened to his new life, the women he loved, his fabulous new inventions?

A sharp pain went through his mind, and he looked down at himself. Doughy, smelly, hairy, and worst of all, unloved.

Who could love him? He wasn't worthy of it.

Inventions? He'd lost his edge long ago. Nothing new sprang forward from his dull mind to make the world a better place. Especially not that escalating range of outrageous creations! Ridiculous!

Instead, he coasted through life, living inside a bottle.

Who would want that?

What a sick fantasy he'd been deluding himself with!

These women deserved better than he could ever be.

He was nothing and undeserving of love.

The weight of his despair threatened to crush him.

Soft hands suddenly cupped his face as thumbs wiped away his tears. The warm spice of Gabriella's perfume swirled around his head, and her soft lips pressed against his. He almost moaned when they pulled away.

"Ben! Wake up! You're having a bad dream," she said earnestly.

His eyes blinked open, and his body jolted as he saw he was still in his lawn chair on his driveway. It looked exactly like it had in the dream he'd been having!

He turned his face to see Gabriella watching him with concern.

"I came to see you as you were twitching in your sleep. Then I saw you were crying. What were you dreaming?" she asked gently.

A shudder went through Ben, and he glanced over to see the beautiful replacement for Beth's home and further down the street, the one he'd replaced Rochell King's home with. He flicked a glance back to see the tower behind his home.

He sat up and swung his leg over to sit on the edge of the chair.

"It was just a... stupid nightmare," he said with a shaky voice. He wrapped his arms around Gabriella's waist and tugged her down to sit on his lap. He cuddled against her as she smiled at him in sympathy.

"It must have been a bad one to linger like this," she said quietly.

He huffed a breath out and lifted her hand to his lips and tenderly kissed each finger, silently blessing her for loving him.

When he was done, she kissed his lips until his head spun.

He pulled back and gave her a wobbly smile as he calmed himself. "I-I dreamed it was all a drunken delusion. I was just a lonely drunk sitting by myself on my driveway, waiting for love I'd never have." He trembled again, then locked eyes with her. "I need you in my life, Gabriella."

She smiled. "You have me in your life, Ben. Always and forever. I love you!" She saw his relief and wondered how bad that dream had been. "You have so many women who gratefully share their lives with you! We all love you!"

He gave her a small smile. "Why am I still such a basket case?"

"Silly man! You're not! Your insecurities just mean you're human. They were learned early, so they're more tenacious, but they don't define you. Your love defines you!" she insisted.

She gestured to the large group of neighbors and guests mingling in the park. "Look at all those happy people! You brought them together today!"

Kids ran back and forth as the adults laughed and talked. The Silverton Heights people mingled with the Ashburn Court locals, and everyone seemed happy.

Guest musicians prepared their instruments and smiled in anticipation of tonight's concert. This would be the sixth annual unofficial jam session amongst the highly talented friends. Album sales of the recording they'd make tonight were expected to exceed all previous years, and all proceeds went towards music programs in schools to teach the next generations of artists. Doing a charity gig bypassed city bylaw restrictions. As did inviting the mayor.

Ben spotted Sam's long blonde braid of hair and brilliant smile as she laughed with Thierry and Lakshmi.

Hal was always nearby, watching his wife with a calm but loving smile on his lips.

Ed was surrounded by the ladies who loved him, and his smile told Ben how content he was.

Ben was pleased to see that Gary and Emma were there. He wasn't sure if they'd be able to make it this year as their lives in New York City were so busy!

The Good Neighbors Get-Together had evolved. It was now six years old and going strong. Ashburn Court and Silverton Heights joined their communities in the large round park in the keyhole court. This event was separate from the Ashburn Court block party, but they were usually held within weeks of each other.

He faced Gabriella once more and kissed her lovingly. When he leaned back to look in her beautiful green eyes, he saw were filled with love. The remnants of the nightmare dissipated in the glow of those eyes.

"Shall we go mingle?" he said, feeling the weight of the nightmare finally fall away.

As they walked down his driveway, a convoy of black SUVs came around the court and stopped before them. General Davis stepped out with a smile on his face. Ben shook his hand, and Gabriella kissed his cheek. The man's face was glowing as he turned back to Ben.

"I wasn't sure I'd be able to get away, but I didn't want to miss the concert this year," the General said. The man joined them as they walked toward the park.

"I understand the power plant project is well underway," Davis said.

Ben smiled and nodded. "The Gabriella Wallace Power Generation Plant in Texas has been functioning optimally for the past year, providing the power needs for all the Sturn manufacturing plants, and the excess is going into the state's grid. Sturn's production line is up to speed, and the drones are being shipped to the bases that ordered them."

Gabriella gave Ben a thrilled hug, hearing his tribute to her once more.

"How many more power generation plants are currently under construction?" Davis asked.

"Eight now, four are near completion, with an additional seven planned to start construction soon, when the others go into service. In total, there will be sixteen, spread out across the country. There's one for every woman in my life. They're named after them, too," Ben said with a smile as he looked at Gabriella, who smiled up at Ben.

Davis grinned. "So many changes coming for so many industries! I've heard you've made some new enemies," he grinned.

Ben sighed. "At least these don't attack with guns and knives. They're keeping my legal team hopping, though. Walter's never been happier! They haven't lost a case yet."

Evelyn jogged up and kissed Ben before saluting the General. She seemed a little embarrassed that she'd done that out of order.

"Did Ben tell you about our new security net?" she gushed.

Davis shook his head.

Evelyn's eyes were almost sparkling with excitement. "Custom surveillance drones running randomized passes over the neighborhood and fully autonomous! They charge themselves at feeders on the far side of the tower and the west-facing wall of the garage next to the Spa," she said, pointing to the tower on the back of Ben's house and toward 1 Ashburn Court.

The landing/charging decks mounted on the far side of the structure were hidden at this angle, but a steady stream of drones came and went on their tour of the neighborhood and the forest beyond in almost total silence. The micro-drones return to the nearest charging point when their power reserves need to be topped up.

The Major pulled a small control unit from a belt pouch and touched a button. They looked up as one of the drones changed course and drifted down to land on her upraised hand. It was just a little longer than her hand, and its orb rotors were whisper quiet.

"It's painted to look like a monarch butterfly!" the General said in surprise. He looked up. "Are they all painted that way?

"It prevents birds from trying to eat them," Ben offered helpfully.

"What's it for? I thought we already had surveillance cameras," Davis said.

"This system is far more flexible and accurate than static cameras in fixed locations, as all video signals are fed into a master computer that merges the streams to see a real-time full three-dimensional model of the neighborhood, tracking all movements."

"They're pretty, too," Ben said.

"These are mini versions of the logistics drones," the General said, and Ben nodded.

"Lots of potential," Ben said with a smile.

Davis' eyebrows slowly rose as the implications finally dawned on him. "You've miniaturized the power cells!"

Ben's grin widened as he nodded.

"Does Kendricks know about this?" the General asked, and Ben nodded. "You'll make more enemies," the man said.

Ben hugged Gabriella and Evelyn to his sides as he shrugged. "Rechargeables that last are far healthier for the environment than traditional disposables. It's just progress."

"Enough business for now! Let's enjoy the party!" Gabriella insisted with a smile.

Ben nodded to her, and they moved to join the others.

-=-

Many hours later, the party had ended, and the last of their guests headed to their homes, hotels, or the guest rooms in 12 Ashburn Court.

Ben remained outside, enjoying the court's peacefulness at night. He reflected on yet another successful gathering of good friends.

Smiles had been on everyone's faces as they'd enjoyed good food, good music, and good company.

There'd been exciting news from Sam as one of her songs from her second album hit the charts with an impressive debut. Thierry and Reg were enjoying this as Sam's producers and her bandmates.

Ben walked back toward his house and paused at the end of his driveway. He looked up at the twinkling lights of the drone net protecting the neighborhood. It was just another precaution, but there hadn't been any threats of a violent nature in years.

The dream returned to him as he saw the court as it had been years ago. Wives and husbands lived their lives in silent pain until a tragedy changed everything.

Ben had been living in his own silent pain and isolation. He'd stepped up when all those men died and ensured those left behind didn't suffer. He hadn't expected to fall in love and certainly hadn't expected anyone to fall in love with him.

He just wanted to be a good neighbor.

While he saved them from losing their homes, he'd had no expectations for reward, but they'd saved him in return.

He'd be forever grateful for that and would never allow himself to take their love for granted. He would earn their trust every day. He would ensure they never had reason to doubt his sincerity, as that's what it took to protect their hearts.

He recalled the self-image he'd created earlier in his nightmare. He wasn't that man. He never would be.

Walking back up his driveway, he saw three faces watching him through the glass of his storm door. He couldn't keep the smile off his face as he climbed the steps and saw the excitement in their eyes--three petite protectors of his heart who'd vowed to keep him from overextending himself further.

They deserved to be rewarded for their efforts.

He'd reward them until they said no more with a satisfied flush on their faces.

Those sparkling eyes knew exactly what was in store for them.

Who was he to deny them?