Page 25 of Subchief Flander

“This is the latest model. This is considered a test run. We need to evaluate the systems when we get back. I hope there are no problems," Flander admitted.

They got on the ship and settled in. A good run was all they wanted, and they hoped everything would go smoothly. As they headed toward the surface, the X on the radar began to flash. It was funny how many human things were integrated into their military and their general lives. X marks the spot where the bomb would be dropped. It was best not to think about anyone who would accidentally be in the zone when he pushed that X. There was no way to account for people who strayed into the area. It was only minutes before they were directly overhead, and Flander leaned over and pushed the button. The bomb was small and headed directly to the building that they had determined to be Headquarters for the Blues.

The explosion was small and well defined. Buildings right next to it weren’t touched. Flander had never seen such a thing. It was obvious when the building exploded, but it immediatelypulled back on itself. There wasn't even a fire left once it was done. All that remained of a building looked more like a wrecking ball had destroyed it than a bomb. Ranni turned the ship and headed back. Flander couldn't see that there would be much to say about it except that it was done. The next step would be to see how the other groups on the planet reacted to it and how the remainder of the Blues handled it or were handled because of it.

They landed on their main ship and got off, period. It was time for the meeting to summarize what had occurred and see if there was any information on what was happening next. With the Ortegas attack, would chaos rule as the others waited to see if a similar attack? One little bomb could cause so much trouble. As they headed into the meeting room, he saw a couple of warriors watching screens. Some focused on the demolished building, while others focused on areas where the other gangs gathered.

“There's nothing to report yet, Sir.” One of the warriors announced.

Obviously, that was true, but he didn't think it would be true for long. The Ortegas were gathering in large numbers, and he suspected they would be marching and searching for those Blues that were still alive. They would either assimilate them or kill them. It was hard to say which. Other gangs had figured out what had happened and were running to hide. Their lives had shifted, and they would never be the same once things settled. He also suspected that as the Ortegas searched, any gang members found from any gangs would also be dealt with.

All they could do now was watch and listen, and once they saw what was happening, it would be time to devise a plan to finish things. One thing was for certain; these gangs could not be allowed to stay on this planet. If they chose not to leave, theywould have to be dealt with so the people could return to their homes. It was true that every building on the face of the planet he had seen needed some work, but some were not so bad that they could not be repaired. Others would have to be torn down and rebuilt from the ground up. The places that seemed to be the least damaged had been the facilities owned by Mercury.

That was a good thing because, in the past, Mercury had been the biggest employer on the planet. They would be that once again once the planet was freed from its current difficulties. Purgatory was lucky because they had a business that could come in and immediately start paying workers. Mercury’s accounts had been frozen, and the money was still available to pick up where it had left off. Sometimes, on a planet that had gone through this kind of destruction, getting anyone to come in that would employ people was difficult, to say the least. At least this would not be a problem.

Flander watched a small group of screens and saw that Ortegas were searching for what they considered their enemies. Some were given a choice, but most were just shot dead on sight. That may have been a mistake since the word was spreading, and the other groups were coming together against them. They viewed it as their only hope of surviving. He didn't believe the Ortegas could take on all the gangs and survive. The tide began to turn as more of the other gangs joined forces, and soon, the Ortegas were the ones being hunted. It didn't matter because the attack they had initiated had led to complete chaos among the gangs.

It would be amazing and unfortunate if they could reorganize after this. It would also require that they take another action they hadn't intended to. At that point, they would have to target another gang headquarters, but first, they would have to find one. Ranni decided they had seen enough, and it wastime for them to quit for the day. Those working on surveillance would continue until the next shift took over. By tomorrow, they will have more information they need, and they might know what they will do next. It was too early for his squad to have returned, so he went for lunch and thought about what he might do with the two hours he had to play with.

After lunch, he took a shower and decided to try to take a nap because his mate seemed to love them. The problem was that Majuri didn’t require the sleep that a human did. It was still unusual for him to lie there even though he wasn't sleeping, trying to relax and think about good things. He tried to fight the dark ones about killing so many people with the press of one button by hoping that they were all bad people or, at the very least, enemies. Relaxing wasn't working, so he pulled up a video and watched two guys try to beat the stuffing out of each other. Those were the kinds of videos he liked and the kinds of things he liked to watch. Even Hel didn't seem to mind watching a good fight.

After the video was over, he noticed the time, so he went to take a shower and get ready for supper. He was barely finished when his mate came in and jumped into the shower to get ready. Maybe he should have been a little slower and could have taken his shower with her. The problem with that is they might not have gotten to supper on time. Would that have been such a bad thing? He didn't think so but wasn't sure what Hel would have thought. She was ready now, and he escorted her to the cafeteria. This was where they ate most of their meals even though, as officers, they could have gone to the officer's dining room. His squad was special and the only squad with more than one officer because everyone was an officer.

He was the highest ranked officer, and Hel was the lowest. They were all highly rated and capable in multiple areas. Hissquad was sent in when it mattered the most. When the risk was high, then the need was great. Flander was rethinking having his mate on his squad, especially if he ended up moving up and was no longer on his squad full-time. She could be carrying his child even now, and she should know that meant that the dangers she faced daily were too great. They've not spoken of it yet, but he knew he needed to. Normally, he was a courageous warrior, but when facing his mate, things were different. He wanted her to be happy and knew that being dropped from the squad would not make her happy.

Her hands lightly moved up his chest, and he thought he must have fallen asleep. It wasn't like he hadn't done this to her and probably would again. It felt nice just to have her touching him anyplace. Flander needed to feel closer to her, so he pulled her into his arms and on top of his body.

“That bad?” She asked.

He didn’t respond because he couldn’t admit how much it had bothered him. Warriors had to be strong and couldn’t show weakness. Hel knew what was happening and ignored what he didn't say, reacting to what she knew he was feeling. She gave him a soft kiss and a hug. Flander needed comfort, and she recognized that. This wasn't so much about sex as it was about knowing that there was someone who loved him and cared about how he felt.

They lay wrapped in each other's arms and fell asleep. A few hours later, at the time they would normally have gone to sleep, both woke up. Hel changed into a nightgown, and he changed into a pair of shorts, and they lay back down, holding each other and talking.

“You know you'll have to slow down on active duty since you could be carrying a baby.”

“I know. There are other jobs that I can do that will help as much as what I am doing now, but in a different way," Hel admitted.

“Just so long as they are not dangerous, you can pick any job you like.”

“You mean as long as I qualify?”

“I can't imagine anything that you would want to do that you wouldn't be able to do," Flander observed. “We'd best get to sleep since we'll be busy in the morning.”

Sleep found them eventually, and he hoped it would be a good day tomorrow. At least his mate had handled what he'd said, and she'd be looking for another job to work. That worried him a lot, and it was one less thing to worry about. As much as he'd thought about what he'd done when he pushed the button, he worried more about working things out with his mate. She was his priority and the most important thing in his life. She would have to come first even when they had a child or several children.

Maybe she was beginning to understand that because she seemed to be softening toward him. He'd not really understood what Ranni and Kasey had gone through as they had worked their mating out. Maybe he should have paid better attention or understood it better than he thought because his mate seemed to be giving him a chance. That was really all he could ask for. He finally got to sleep, but it seemed like there was no time before he woke up, just before the alarm rang.

“Wake up, Sleepyhead.”

“Go away. It can't be morning yet," Hel moaned.

“Ah, but it is. The guys will be waiting for us, and you won't have too many more times like this when you get your new job.”

“You don't need to rub it in.”

“I wasn't trying to; I only want you to wake up and get ready," Flander admitted.

It was a relief when she got up and dressed. They headed to breakfast, where they met up with the squad. This would be one of the last times they would gather like this when they were about to go on a mission together. Ranni had heard that he was getting the chief slot in this area, and as soon as he took charge, Flander would get the sub-chief position. Even if he occasionally ran with his squad, he wasn't sure his mate would ever be able to do that again. All he could do was hope that she would find a job that would give her as much satisfaction as working with the squad had.

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