Quinn picked up his place and tried not to think too hard about what was going on right now in the transport. Dana throwing that stupid little ball, Blake knitting, everyone joking about until Morgan told them to shut the hell up in that motherly tone she had and with one little word. The girls arguing in the cockpit most likely about Savannah’s lack of a sex life or the meaning of one of their favorite songs, or the latest game or whatever they felt like arguing about at that moment, Blake passing out snacks. Quinn sighed and picked another shirt off the floor. He liked snacks.

His place had become quite the wreck in the last few days. And as much as he normally didn’t care, he had a weekend to himself because he’d taken vacation from work in order to cover the time needed to do the Africa job and work on the Clark’s roof. He had free time, felt like having company. He wanted to enjoy the view. He wasn’t talking about the sunshine shimmering off the lake out of his windows. If he was going to have company, it obligated him to pick up a little. Or at least make it look like he had a clean apartment.

He finished, took a quick shower, shaved, put on fresh clothes, and heard an auto pull up as he was fiddling with the little buttons to his black silk shirt, trying to make them fit through the matching holes. He checked out the window and grinned. It was Lindsey’s bright electric blue convertible. She’d gotten his message. He finished with his shirt as she knocked.

He opened the door and leaned against the doorjamb.

Lindsey tilted her head at him and pursed her lips. Her earrings brushed her shoulders, Quinn didn’t really get past her face. If he did, what little control he had was going to disappear with whatever little designer dress she was wearing exposing her cleavage and her long toned legs. “What is so important you couldn’t come over and that you had to call?” she asked.

Quinn repressed a grin. He reached forward and grabbed her waist. “I don’t know,” he said and pulled her to him, kissing her. “Maybe I miss you,” he murmured. She been sick earlier last month and then he’d been busy lately. Construction season was starting to peak and there had been that Africa job. Then the fallout from the job, which meant long hours repairing the transport, and little to no time to see his girlfriend.

Lindsey put her hands on his shoulders and smiled. “You’re wearing my favorite shirt,” she said. Quinn was handsome when he put the effort into it.

He did grin, kissed her again, and pulled her into the apartment. The door shut behind them and they didn’t notice. He breathed her in. “You smell good,” he whispered and kissed her jaw.

“I bought new perfume,” Lindsey said and tilted her head back.

He kissed the pulse of her throat. He didn’t think that was it. The new perfume smelled nice, and wasn’t as rubbing alcohol based or harsh as the last one. It went with her base scent more, but that’s not why she smelled good. “There are things I want to do to you that we can’t do at your parent’s house,” he said.

She smiled again. “Really?”

Quinn kissed her lips again. “Mmm,” he said.

Lindsey started going after the buttons on his shirt.

He pulled back. “I just put this on,” he said.

She fluttered her eyelashes at him. “I’ll wear it.” She paused. “Later.”

He growled at her and picked her up, carrying her towards the bedroom. She giggled and kicked her shoes off. “Later,” he muttered and kissed her again.

---

Skyler looked over at Savannah. “You’re over-planning.”

Savannah rolled her eyes. “We’ve been over this.” They’d been going round and round about this for hours now. Every time that Savannah thought she’d have peace and quiet, Skyler started up again. If Skyler would shut up, then Savannah could finish her contingency planning to include a new male who wasn’t integrated into the team, and they could bicker to their hearts’ content.

“Anyways, you missed the point of my question about the prospect.”

“I don’t care,” Savannah replied. She didn’t know which question Skyler was talking about.

Skyler tapped the flight yoke with her fingers. “The question was ‘would you have sex with the Prospect,’ not, would you have sex with the prospect right now.”

Oh, that question, once again, about Savannah’s lack of a sex life and particularly how Savannah would feel about having sex with the prospect, who she knew nothing about his basic skills and she had to work with him. Savannah went with her previous answer. “We are still drowning in tall dark handsome men with deep voices,” Savannah said.

She knew better than to ignore Skyler, who would get more insistent and loud and probably turn off the aural shield and announce to the entire transport that Savannah could not make up her mind about the prospect and sex or something to that nature, and Savannah would have to reach over and kill her, possibly crashing the transport and killing them all in the process.

Especially when they didn’t have Quinn, her back up pilot to take over the controls while she and Skyler fought it out and keep them from hitting the ground nose first.

Slug spit. She wanted Quinn back. All the prospect had right now that she knew of was a handy selection of guns. She could pick anyone out of the roster and they would have a handy selection of guns. She needed more than that. She poked around in her brain and still couldn’t decide what to do with him.

Skyler glanced back at her. “That is conveniently ignoring the question.”

“Your question was and I quote, ‘What about the prospect?’ And when I repeated it back to you, you told me a list of his traits. The question was not about if I would have sex with the prospect.”

Spike spoke up. “Would you have sex with the prospect?”

“No.”

“Too literal,” Frankie said.

Savannah’s brow furrowed and she looked at Frankie. “Why are you helping them?”

Frankie pushed her hair back. “Because I’m curious.”

Savannah scowled at her. “You aren’t a cat, Frankie.” She was conveniently ignoring that dogs were extremely curious.

Skyler interrupted, “Fine. Hypothetically, would you have sex with the prospect?”

“No,” Savannah said, beyond annoyed.

Spike and Frankie looked at each other. Spike raised her eyebrows and tilted her head at Savannah. Frankie bit her lip and sank down a little hoping to get out of Savannah’s direct attention. Maybe if the two of them were quiet, Savannah would ignore them and focus on Skyler alone instead. She met Spike’s eyes. Spike hunched over and seemed to agree with her.

Skyler didn’t notice their exchange and plowed ahead. “Why not?”

“Because he’s the prospect and I’m VP. Period. End of story.” She wasn’t going to consider it anymore and Skyler could stop asking.

Skyler glared at her. Savannah was deliberately being difficult. “All right, fine. If you were a girl and not the VP of the Club, not a member, a female and he was a male and not the prospect, hypothetically would you have sex with him?”

“I can’t think like that.”

“It’s a simple question.”

“No. It’s not.” Savannah scowled at Skyler. Maybe for Skyler it was a simple question. For Savannah, it wasn’t. The Club was her home. The members were her family. She was the vice president and they expected her to lead. She couldn’t think like she was a normal person. She couldn’t pretend she was human. She didn’t know how. The Heathens were her life and she didn’t know who or what she would be outside of it.

“Yes, it is. If there wasn’t anything in the way, would you have sex with him?”

“You’re asking if I would have sex with a random stranger. I can’t tell you that one way or the other.” Savannah simply didn’t know enough about him.

“Based on looks alone!”

“That doesn’t help,” Savannah replied. She wasn’t wired that way.

She’d never been wired that way. She didn’t determine whether or not she would have sex with someone based on looks alone. Sure, she’d like to be sexually attracted to them to date them, not that she’d been on a date ever, but sexual attraction was high on her list of desirable traits in a guy. There were other things too that were as important to her. People were people to her appearance wise. It was hard for her to determine the so-called ugly from the supposed beautiful, especially when it came to men and like she’d said. There were plenty more men in the Club in the basics of the Prospect’s looks department of tall, dark and handsome.

“All I’m asking is if he is remotely sexually attractive to you and you won’t look at him and find out.” Skyler glared at Savannah, frustrated. How was she supposed to be able to help Savannah find a mate in life, if Savannah wouldn’t provide her with the basic information to start weeding men down?

“Because I’m busy.”

“Over-planning.”

“Arguing with you!”

The two glared at each other.

The console beeped.

Spike and Frankie relaxed a little, hoping the argument would be over, at least for the moment. They paused their game.

“We are five minutes and counting from our drop point,” Skyler said.

Frankie and Spike stood up, and Savannah shut the shield off. She stood up.

Skyler continued flying. “This isn’t over.”

“Of course not.” Savannah rolled her eyes. “God forbid you ever let anything go.” She stepped out into the cabin. “Jordan,” she said softly. “Would you like to recite the Padre’s prayer before we go?”

Jordan turned off his book and clasped his hands together. Everyone stopped what they were doing or put it away. Morgan sat up. Savannah ducked her head. The others did too and Gideon quickly ducked his head, not knowing entirely what was going on.

“Heavenly father,” Jordan said, his voice low, “be with us today as we rescue from persecution those that are you doing your work, and may we do so with as little unnecessary bloodshed as possible. Amen.”

“Amen,” several voices said at once.

Savannah looked up, jerked her head to the side. Around her ear a shield of material grew to encompass the entire back of her head until she had a helmet. It grew inside of her ear and down her chin to create a microphone. Then lastly, her sunglasses formed over her eyes. She walked over to the side door. She hit the button and it opened it up.

“One minute,” Skyler’s voice said in her ear.

Savannah nodded. The others stood up and got into line. Turning on armor and double-checking things as they did. Gideon followed suit. Blake and Frankie both tied their hair back.

“Ten,” Skyler said. “Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. Go.”

Savannah jumped out the door.

“Ten second count,” Skyler said.

Eberron grabbed Gideon’s shoulder and pushed him at the door. “This is when it gets fun,” he said with a grin.

Gideon heard Skyler hit one. He didn’t wait for Eberron to push him. That seemed like a thing Eberron would do and Gideon didn’t need any help getting out of the transport. It wasn’t like this was his first time or anything. He jumped.

Ten seconds later, he heard a yell of delight.

“Yeaaaaah!”

Gideon rotated and laughed, keeping an eye on his altimeter.

“I love this shit!” Eberron shouted and dove past him.

Gideon flipped back around and headed towards the ground. He felt the primary rockets boosters kick in, and then the secondary, and he landed gently on the ground, knees bent, a gun at his shoulder. He looked around and glanced up to make sure he wasn’t in anyone’s way.

The rest of the team landed, guns ready. They scanned the jungle with their eyes and with their equipment. Their armor reacted to the new conditions. Small lines of light in hexagons formed all over it starting from their helmets down and changed the surface color from a neutral charcoal gray to a mottled green that blended into the jungle.

Savannah had her map out again. She looked around, glanced up at the sun, seemed to sniff, and then nodded. The map disappeared and she took off at a brisk trot in the direction of the camp that was nearest to the position that the doctor had been last heard from.

The group started off in a straight line in the direction that Savannah’s map and compass directed. They didn’t get fifty feet before hitting the edge of the jungle. The clearing where they had landed was the only possible landing spot outside of water within reasonable distance of the army camp. Savannah chose a ground eating lope that didn’t take much energy and tried to remember as much as she could that those behind her were a lot bigger than she was.

She hated the jungle to a degree. The jungle, no matter what country Savannah had ever been in, it had three things in common: heat, humidity, and far too many plants to get in the way. She preferred forest. And there had better not be any snakes in her way.

She cleared her mind and kept running.

---

According to Jasper natives, there were two coffee shops in the entire town. There were other shops that sold coffee, two were considered shops solely devoted to the sale of coffee. They had different clientele, had their own types of coffee, and each had their staunch defenders over which one was better.

Most of the Club preferred Thundering Plains Coffee Company. Their coffee was strong, and while they offered flavored coffee they didn’t offer a lot of choices with froth and syrups and things that made the coffee not taste like coffee. Thundering Plains had bagels, a variety of hot and cold sandwiches and wraps, and a dessert bar that trended more towards cookies, cakes, and tarts than pastries. Ice cream, hot chocolate, fruit and ice shakes, and support the school candy bars on the counter rounded out the menu. At Thundering Plains, you could sit down and get a meal. Werewolves appreciated that, as they were always up for calories.

If anything, the Black and Gold Coffee shop was the exact opposite. Their menu was full of cappuccinos, mochas, espressos, chai lattes, and as many flavored coffees and syrups one could ask for, plus hot cocoa, tea, and hot cider. And if you wanted more than pastries, cookies, muffins, or pound cake slices, you were at the wrong place. They catered to the college crowd. The name came from the colors of Jasper University. Their décor reflected this, piano black wood, gold accents, taupe walls hung with Jasper University pennants, flags and jerseys, and pictures of the teams, and a few donated trophies.

And despite the fact that Ashley had been born and raised in the Club, she found she preferred Black and Gold. She’d started going there when she’d been taking college classes, mostly to fit in, and discovered she preferred the taste of Black and Gold coffee over Thundering Plains Coffee, or any of the diner coffees or the donut shop coffee.

She still patronized Thundering Plains. She tried not to make it known that she was ordering their juice shakes instead of coffee. She had an image to maintain. Besides, the shakes had more calories than coffee, and that was what she was going to claim if she ever got caught.

Besides, it was a well-known fact that Savannah didn’t drink coffee. And it was because Ashley drank coffee that she was expected to drink it at Thundering Plains. And if it didn’t harm Savannah’s reputation to not drink coffee, Ashley was sure she could get away with drinking juice shakes at that shop, as long as she continued to patronize it.

With this justification fully in mind, Ashley smiled at her favorite barista and one of her good friends, and ordered, “Cappuccino, please, Cerise.” She added another argument to her internal defense. Cerise was her friend and she needed support her.

Cerise smiled back at her and winked. “Already on it, Sergeant.”

Ashley wrinkled her nose and pushed her hair behind her shoulder. She brought out her money and slid it across the bar. She added a few bills to the tip jar.

Neither of them noticed the next woman in line start and jerk her chin over to look at Ashley before turning away and studiously looking at the pastries on display. But she was listening to them.

“Cute dress,” Cerise said. “Where did you get it?”

“Oh, that place off of Main,” Ashley said and looked down. The black dress wasn’t too fancy under her kutte. She was going to Zeke’s after this and Zeke’s was a biker bar.

Cerise sighed. “They must have a new shipment in and me with no time to shop. Are you going to be at Zeke’s?”

“Yeah, when do you get off shift?” Ashley asked.

Cerise looked for a clock. “Ten minutes.”

“Then I’ll wait for you,” Ashley said.

Cerise sighed. “You’re wonderful.” She turned, got Ashley’s cappuccino, and handed it to her. “You think that handsome new prospect will be there?”

“I hope so.” Ashley lowered her voice. “I really need to introduce myself. I’m starting to feel like a stalker.”

Cerise giggled. “He hasn’t been in here either, I haven’t managed an introduction myself. And I do want to introduce myself.”

Ashley took a sip of her cappuccino and let out a long breath. “Perfect, Cerise,” she said and went to find a corner table. She sat and crossed her legs.

Cerise turned her attention to the next person in line.

Diane pushed the door open, her blonde hair flying around her pale face. Her bright red dress matched her lipstick and contrasted sharply with the black leather of her kutte. She saw Ashley in the corner and waved at her using her fingers. Ashley waved back. Diane got in line.

Ashley perused the available magazines. She didn’t notice Rory come in. Rory ignored the line and crossed straight over to the table, sat down, and dropped the latest auto magazine in front of Ashley. “Looking for this?”

“Looking for something,” Ashley said. It was preferable to thinking. She appraised Rory’s outfit with a quick glance. Rory’s dress was a teal and coral print that set off her slightly dusky complexion and sun bleached brown hair. Rory’s real name was Evita Aurora, a name that went with her several generations back Mexican heritage, but you’d never hear it from her lips. Her cousin a few times removed, Joaquin, enjoyed teasing her about her feminine pretty name—that is until Rory dunked him in the lake.

Rory leaned back in the chair, put one leg off to the side, and caught Diane’s eye. Diane nodded at her, and mouthed she’d order for her. Rory grinned at her. She returned her attention to Ashley. “Found Prospect’s auto.”

“Where?” Ashley asked.

Rory leaned forward, opened the magazine, flipped through the pages, and flattened it. “There,” she said.

“I thought you meant where it is right now,” Ashley murmured and read the information under the pictures.

“Oh, that one’s easy, the Club.” Rory waved a hand.

“His doesn’t look this nice,” Ashley said. The pictures were definitely of Gideon’s auto. They had the same lines and the same make and model emblems. This one, however, looked pristine and painted to a high gloss rally sport orange.

Rory snorted. “The thing is twenty years old and I bet he bought out of a scrap yard.” She rapped her knuckles on the table in a pattern. “And he hasn’t worked on it other than internal repairs since.”

The girl who ordered after Ashley approached the table. She bit her lip. “Excuse me,” she said.

Rory and Ashley looked up. The girl had the look of a college student. Her bright yellow blouse set off her dark skin and she wore black jeans. She had a yellow, black and brown bandanna wrapped around her curly hair. It didn’t occur to either Rory or Ashley that yellow, black, and brown were Rebel gang colors.

The girl licked her lips. “Are you reading the paper?” she asked.

Ashley blinked. “No.”

“May I have it?” she asked.

“Of course.” Rory shifted the magazine and handed her the paper.

The girl smiled, her teeth flashing bright white against her darker skin. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Rory said.

The girl retreated to a nearby table, and Ashley and Rory didn’t think any more about her. Rory sifted through the magazines, wrinkled her nose, and then picked them up and dumped them onto the nearest empty table by the simple expedient of shoving the chair there with her feet, dropping them on it and dragging the chair back with her.

Diane came over with two more cappuccinos. “Cerise will be off in five,” she said and found another chair.

“Cerise took off early,” Cerise said and unpinned her dark brown hair with one hand that gleamed red where the lights hit it. It fell about her shoulders and she finger combed it. She grabbed a chair and sat down with a groan. “Because I need five minutes for my feet to stop hurting.”

Rory glanced down. Cerise wore a shoe with small heel that didn’t look like to Rory they had any padding. Rory was wearing her motorcycle boots with her dress, they all were because they were riding their motorcycles to Zeke’s, but when she worked, she wore sneakers with lots of padding and good arch support. “Then wear more comfortable shoes.”

“The shoes don’t matter.” Cerise rolled her eyes. She was on her feet all day. “Sappho?” she asked.

“Dinner with Kolzak,” Rory said. “She’s going to meet us there.”

Diane looked over the edge of the magazine. “That’s Gideon’s auto,” she said. “Though, his isn’t as.” She paused looking for a polite word.

“Restored,” Ashley said.

“That’s a diplomatic way of putting it.” Diane wrinkled her nose.

Ashley shut the magazine and passed it back to Rory. Rory flipped it back open and turned it around. “She could be a beaut,” she said.

“I hope he’s as interesting as his auto,” Cerise sighed. “It’s always disappointing when their autos are more interesting than they are.”

The girls laughed. Ashley finished her cappuccino and stood up. “Then why don’t we find out?”

The girls stood up, finishing their cappuccinos quickly and left. The college girl watched them leave over the newspaper, and then she turned on her computer and started typing a message.