Page 23 of Subchief Flander

Hel got distracted, but she was still going through the paperwork, picking out people, and putting them in a pile so she could talk to them later. The problem was she couldn't stop thinking about her mate and what they needed to do to get their life on the right track. It was possible. It had to be because she wanted to be with him, and since he had mated her, that showedhe wanted to be with her. If two people wanted something badly enough, she believed they could achieve it. Her parents hadn't been a perfect match because they had been interested in different sciences and had often argued about where they should go and what they should do because her mother often liked remote locations. Still, her father needed to be at the hub of technology for his work. They eventually agreed, and that was when they moved to Purgatory. It had been a remote location, but eventually, it had become a high-tech hub, even if only because of her father's company.

All she could do was hope that she and her mate would eventually work things out and figure out what would work best for both. She knew that he was bad at expecting everything to go his way, and that was what she would have to overcome. Her assistant came in to remind her it was lunchtime. Reba knew Hel would work through lunch if she wasn't reminded. She called the office daily to tell her it was lunchtime. The base cafeteria was packed, but her squad was there claiming a table. Getting her tray loaded with food, she sat with them.

A seat was always left for her next to her mate. She never had a choice about where she could sit because she was usually the last one there. Hel ate a bit less than the guys, but she still never managed to be the first one done. The food seemed to get better every time she ate at the cafeteria, and it might even get better yet. They couldn't afford gourmet ingredients, but a good, solid cook with talent was all they needed. Experienced kitchen help from Purgatory was hard to find since so many had fled when the attack occurred. It was a surprise that she had managed to find a few.

She was sure the kitchen manager would be pleased since she was always overworked and never had enough people to dowhat needed to be done. The squad finished individually and left the table, leaving only her and her mate behind.

“I need a kiss before I go to sustain me until the end of the day," Flander said.

It was a surprise that he could be romantic, so she gave him a kiss and sent him on his way. He's shown her a side lately that had been warm and gentle. Yes, he was still a warrior, but now he was also a lover. That made her more hopeful that they would find a compromise to please them both. Especially since she thought she might be pregnant. It was a surprise that he hadn't known first since warriors could often smell that change. She planned to go to the doctor, and then she would know. Hel wouldn't tell him until she knew beyond a doubt that it was true.

How would it be to have a child with her mate? She knew pregnancy could be rough and remembered that her sister had difficulties of her own at that time. The birthing process itself was painful and messy, but everyone said that as soon as that baby was laid in your arms, you forgot all about that. It might be true, which might be why so many populations flourished. Hel also wondered if it might be a boy like his dad or a girl more like her. She wasn't sure she wanted to know until the baby was born.

On the other hand, it might help to know what colors to choose when buying equipment and clothing for an infant. It was also possible that Flander would want to know. If that were the case, then they would both know.

She finished that last bite on her plate and cleaned up her area before returning to her office. Her life was so regimented that she didn't know how to fit a baby into it. Yes, there were people available to watch children, but it had to be hard to leave them behind while you went to work for the day. Babies were so lovable, and even toddlers were cute as hell. Sometimes, whenthey got older, their behavior was a little difficult. Sitting in her chair, she was lost in daydreams.

"Hel, it's quitting time," Reba observed.

She was a perfect assistant, keeping her on target and letting her know anything she needed. If she had an office she oversaw, Reba would be her personal assistant. Maybe she should recommend her to her sister to get her a better job and out of this place. She knew that Reba was single and had no ties to the camp other than that the planet below was so dangerous. Maybe she was selfish because, right now, she needed help to get this place organized. Later, she would help Reba get a better job.

It was time to head to the ship and load. When she arrived, her squad was already there. As soon as she was onboard, they headed to the ship. She sat in the back and tried to stay awake but failed. When she woke up, someone had their hands wrapped around her throat. How embarrassing for a warrior. Flander immediately seemed to know and headed to the back of the ship.

“Stop right there!” the man yelled.

“What do you want?” Flander asked.

She could smell a terrible odor. This guy never took a bath. Hel could see a reflection in the window. This guy was a gang member. His hands relaxed. She was tired of what he was doing. There was more than one way to deal with this, but the easiest way was how she decided. Relaxing her body, she slammed her head back into his, and he immediately let go as blood gushed everywhere. Hel had a terrible headache. Flander rushed up, grabbed the guy by the back of his neck, lifted him, and threw him across the aisle, where he hit the plane's wall. Ouch! That had to hurt. She knew that because her head hurt too. Maybe she should have picked one of the other ways.

“Who are you?” Flander asked.

“JC. I'm part of the gang, but I wanted to negotiate for a place in the refugee camp.”

“I think you picked the worst possible way to negotiate. Why should we let you join the camp after you've shown your tendency to violence?”

“I didn't plan to hurt her. I just wanted your attention and to have something to deal with. The life down there isn't worth having, and I don't have a family yet, so they have nothing to hold me in place," JC admitted.

"You'll be locked up while we check out your story, and my boss will decide what we'll do with you."

Hel had sat down while she waited for her headache to ease, and she listened to the gang member who had taken her. If he was telling the truth, this man could help them. He would have information on the gangs that might help speed up their attempts to get rid of them. Knowing their weaknesses and strengths is important when you are waging war against a group like this. She wouldn't have any say in any part of this, but the discussion gave her hope that they could speed along reclaiming Purgatory. Some might say she shouldn't care because it was no longer her home, but in her heart, it would always be her home, and once the planet was cleared, she would want a place there that they could visit for vacations.

Kasey had mentioned the same desire, and she was sure they would claim one of the places her family owned. Hel had to do everything she could to ensure that Purgatory was returned to its former glory. She didn't know how she would do that, and she wasn't sure that the empire would do what was necessary to get it done. All she knew was that they had to try and that right now, she could only continue as she had been.

Ranni decided the next day that they would go forward with working with JC and see what they might do with the gangs. They would watch him closely because trust took time to develop, and all they had right now was an agreement that they hoped would benefit all of them. JC seemed relieved, as he should be, because had he not been accepted, he would have ended up in a horrible prison, which would have been even worse than living on the surface of Purgatory. Empire prisons were generally not bad because prisoners were usually given hard labor. If you didn't mind working, good work got you out early. Only the worst and most dangerous were thrown into prisons, and few survived in for long.

He would have been given hard labor, but he would not have managed to have a good life until he was released. While he said he didn't have any family or anyone they could hold against him, she didn't believe him. Someone in his life made him want better things, and once they got going, she had a feeling that he would have someone he wanted brought to him. She understood his need for secrecy regarding a relationship that could be used against him. Hel would have done the same thing, but she was interested in how he reworked his agreement to include this mysterious person.

Her squad would be the major group working with him, and they would plan and carry out everything that they determined from the information he gave them. A meeting was about to take place in one of the soundproofed and secured rooms, so no one else would be getting this information.

“I hope you are doing well in the quarters that we gave you and that you're finding the food and other things satisfactory," Hel remarked.

She had been placed in charge of making sure that he cooperated fully and that he was kept alive, which could be aproblem since many people on board knew that he was a gang member who had turned. That placed a target on his back because gangs were the enemy, and there might have been a gang member that had come up here that was hiding and waiting to see what they could do to cause grief. If they were caught, they would be destroyed painfully, but until then, if they managed to hide, they could cause a lot of difficulty.

“Are you kidding? This is almost like heaven compared to where I was. I've heard that the refugees are being treated well, although not as well as I have been. I hope this means we'll get a plan so the planet can return to what it once was. I've heard wonderful stories about the lives that the people on the planet once had. I believe your family was at the center of prosperity, and hopefully, it will be again. There are also rumors about what may have happened to your father and that he may not be dead.” JC admitted.

“Until we get information one way or the other, there is little we can do about that," Hel offered.

“I understand, but maybe once we get a little work done and things aren't so chaotic on the surface, I can track down some information about your father.”

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