Hello, my name is Jack.\u00a0 I\u2019ve never been one for liking plans.\u00a0 I tend to act by the seat of my pants.\u00a0 No need to trust a plan that will die the moment the enemy comes into the equation after all.\u00a0 But when there\u2019s a bunch of people cooperating, a plan can be helpful to keep everybody pointed in the right direction at least.\u00a0 And Charles does come up with effective plans.\u00a0 A part of me wishes I could like them more.\u00a0 Another part just wants nothing to do with them.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The sound of soft humming filled the briefing room.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t loud, but in the utter silence following Charles\u2019 predatory statement, it dominated the small space.\u00a0 Jack took several seconds to place the song, even though the first three notes sent his mental antennae screaming in recognition.\u00a0 He smiled when it finally came to his mind.\u00a0 It was one of Michael McEntyre\u2019s songs.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t remember the title, but it described some woman hunting down all the boyfriends that did her wrong and getting some payback.\u00a0 It was a darkly appropriate tune for the current discussion.<\/p>\n
\u201cWasp?\u201d Charles\u2019 quiet question cut the humming off.<\/p>\n
\u201cSorry,\u201d a blushing Virginia repented, and silence returned to the room.<\/p>\n
Charles shook his head, an amused quivering that looked suspiciously like a smile twisting the corners of his mouth.\u00a0 Most of the Cowboys had their own nervous habits, the unconscious things they did to keep their minds from wandering.\u00a0 They rarely realized they even did it, and as a group they rarely noticed what the others did either.\u00a0 It was just background noise or actions.\u00a0 But the silence had been too long, the enjoyment of Charles\u2019 declaration too pronounced, and the song too perfect for the moment to go unnoticed.<\/p>\n
Charles finally gave in to the smile.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t be.\u00a0 It\u2019s appropriate.\u201d\u00a0 The Cowboys around the table nodded in agreement, and Virginia cleared her throat as she tried to shrink back into her chair despite their support.\u00a0 She hated being caught in the act.\u00a0 It was a real pity.\u00a0 She really had an amazing voice.\u00a0 Jack found himself wondering, again, what she would be doing now with that voice if The War hadn\u2019t come along.<\/p>\n
\u201cActually, it brings up a good question,\u201d Ken said, taking the attention from the embarrassed Cowboy.\u00a0 Ken shrugged at all the eyes focused at him.\u00a0 \u201cWho are<\/em> we planning to help bite the dust?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack and Charles shared a sobering gaze for over a second before the older man nodded towards Jack.\u00a0 Jack nodded back and scanned the other Cowboys to see them staring at them.\u00a0 The non-verbal exchange was not lost on them.<\/p>\n \u201cI met the President the day I returned,\u201d he said to all of them.\u00a0 \u201cShe was supposed to meet with Charles too, but\u2026\u201d he faded away with a shrug that everyone understood.\u00a0 But then she disappeared in the middle of the Great Lakes.\u00a0 \u201cWell, she said that with The War over, they didn\u2019t need us any more.\u201d\u00a0 He glanced at Charles and the older man nodded in approval.\u00a0 \u201cAnd she suggested that \u2018they\u2019 were the Hurst family.\u201d<\/p>\n All eyes turned to Charles and he frowned.\u00a0 \u201cNot all of them.\u00a0 Oh, I am certain that some in my family would like me dead.\u00a0 And many of them are those who distrusted me the moment it became apparent that I had \u2018fallen prey to the side effects of the Peloran Treatments.\u2019\u201d\u00a0 Charles shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cBut such racism is rare even in my<\/em> family.\u00a0 And it would be stupid<\/em> of them to kill me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, to be fair you did<\/em> steal an impressive amount of money before they caught you,\u201d Christian broke in with a frown.\u00a0 \u201cTo some people, money\u2019s important enough to kill over.\u201d<\/p>\n Charles smiled.\u00a0 \u201cStealing is such an ugly word.\u00a0 I prefer \u2018unauthorized reallocation of family assets.\u2019\u00a0 Or so I said when they finally caught me,\u201d he finished with a shrug.\u00a0 \u201cBut, to be serious, I defused the money incentive some time ago.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd how did you do that?\u201d Jessica asked, her voice twisted by curiosity.<\/p>\n Charles shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cThe family council agreed to close the matter if I paid for my\u2026indiscretions.\u00a0 Which I am doing.\u00a0 Slowly.\u00a0 With interest.\u201d\u00a0 He winced.\u00a0 \u201cRather high<\/em> interest at that, but the colony is showing enough of a profit to cover that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWait a minute, here,\u201d Jack said after shaking his head.\u00a0 \u201cI thought your break with the family was real permanent.\u00a0 Real hard,\u201d he emphasized by jabbing his finger on the table.<\/p>\n Charles smiled at him.\u00a0 \u201cGood.\u00a0 It was supposed to look that way.\u201d\u00a0 He shook his head as Jack sucked in a breath to say something rude.\u00a0 \u201cOh, it was rough alright.\u00a0 And I doubt they will ever trust me.\u00a0 But the tales of myself and my family being in virtual war with each other are greatly exaggerated.\u00a0 On purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n Jessica frowned at the explanation.\u00a0 \u201cThen\u2026why this<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n Charles echoed her frown and scratched his chin, once again deep in thought.\u00a0 \u201cHonestly, this is a surprise to me.\u00a0 I did not expect anything like this.\u00a0 I expected them to be more\u2026circumspect than this.\u00a0 These actions are far too direct.\u00a0 On the one hand, it does make me doubt that my family is involved.\u00a0 But, I will not say that the President\u2019s sources were wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFine,\u201d Jack growled at the older man.\u00a0 \u201cCan you tell us why<\/em> they might want to do this then?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell,\u201d Charles answered with an amused smile at Jack\u2019s obvious annoyance.\u00a0 \u201cThat is easy.\u201d\u00a0 He cleared his throat and all amusement disappeared again.\u00a0 \u201cIt is for the same reason they don\u2019t trust me personally.\u00a0 Or any of us.\u00a0 The Ageless.\u00a0 We are\u2026unplanned mutations at best.\u00a0 At worst, we are more alien than human, and that makes us a threat in their eyes.\u201d\u00a0 Charles sighed at the deadly silence from the other Cowboys.\u00a0 \u201cThey do not trust the Peloran, the Peloran Treatments, or those like us who have been most affected by them.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSee, that\u2019s something I\u2019ve never understood,\u201d Jesse grunted out.\u00a0 \u201cWhat does\u2026this<\/em>,\u201d he continued with a wave at a body tanned even now by a lifetime spent under a Kansas sun, \u201chave anything to do with being trustworthy<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n Charles chuckled and smiled.\u00a0 \u201cAh, to see the world from the eyes of a farmer.\u201d\u00a0 The other Cowboys joined his chuckle, and Jesse glared at them for a moment, before joining in with a rueful expression.\u00a0 \u201cIt is more an issue of power than people,\u201d Charles continued after they all settled back down.\u00a0 \u201cMy family is\u2026very powerful.\u00a0 Very old.\u00a0 Kings and queens owe us favors.\u00a0 Politicians are elected because we fund their campaigns.\u00a0 Some of us even held<\/em> such seats of power, though we generally took the position of being the people who would not lose our heads if our plans did not work out.\u201d\u00a0 Charles cleared his throat again and smiled as a low rumble of amusement rolled through the Cowboys.<\/p>\n \u201cThen the Peloran showed up and blithely ignored our rightful place in favor of\u2026well\u2026everyone else.\u201d\u00a0 Charles frowned and shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cI was there.\u00a0 I watched.\u00a0 It was masterfully done.\u201d\u00a0 He chuckled and laughed, shaking his head back and forth.\u00a0 \u201cThey made the treatments available to everyone, for free.\u00a0 They taught young, upstart inventors how to use their technologies.\u00a0 Everything they did was designed<\/em> to reduce our influence in favor of\u2026everyone else<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0 Charles waved his hand to take in the rest of the Cowboys at the table.<\/p>\n \u201cThey refused to play the political games that my family and others lived by.\u00a0 And in so doing, they hurt our power base.\u00a0 Badly.\u00a0 That alone would have made us unwilling to trust alien influences.\u00a0 But then the Shang flew in and wiped out the greatest concentration of people in the world who still<\/em> owed us favors,\u201d he finished with another dark chuckle.<\/p>\n \u201cWashington,\u201d Jesse whispered in understanding.<\/p>\n Charles nodded towards the other Cowboy.\u00a0 \u201cExactly.\u00a0 My family feels like they are losing control of this world to alien influences.\u201d\u00a0 Charles smiled and met all the looks around the table.\u00a0 \u201cAnd can you honestly say anything other than that we<\/em> have to be among the people most<\/em> influenced by aliens?\u201d<\/p>\n No one could disagree with him, and Jack relaxed back in his seat as he waited for Charles to get to the money shot he knew was coming.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you wanted to \u2018take Earth back\u2019 would you not start by taking out the people who might just side with those who took it from you in the first place?\u00a0 That is the reason they are targeting us.\u00a0 I am afraid to say that it makes sense, from a certain point of view.\u00a0 But I am glad to say that few believe it, even amongst my family.\u00a0 I have reached out to those I know<\/em> do not share it, and they are commencing an investigation into those we all suspect.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo what are we going to do?\u201d Katy asked in a stubborn tone that dared anybody to say they weren\u2019t going to do something about it.<\/p>\n Charles smiled at her.\u00a0 \u201cWe will start by breaking their blockade.\u201d<\/p>\n And there it was.\u00a0 The money shot.\u00a0 \u201cYou mean we\u2019ll start shooting them up?\u201d Jack asked with a smile and waved a hand at Ken.\u00a0 \u201cLike Buckaroo?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d\u00a0 Charles aimed a wry smile at Jack, and Jack shrugged.\u00a0 It was the obvious first step in his mind.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy wouldn\u2019t we report this?\u201d Jessica asked and Jack blinked.\u00a0 That had actually not occurred to him at all.\u00a0 He wondered why.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause they have contacts in the Pentagon,\u201d Charles answered with hesitation.\u00a0 Jack nodded in approval.\u00a0 Maybe that was why he hadn\u2019t thought of reporting it.\u00a0 \u201cIf we reported our suspicions,\u201d Charles continued, \u201cthey would know we are onto them and might pull their forces back before we can catch them.\u00a0 And we need proof that this is more than rogue operations.\u201d\u00a0 Charles spun his chair to face the cyber standing behind him.\u00a0 \u201cDorothy.\u00a0 Please show us the incoming schedule for the next\u2026two days.\u201d<\/p>\n Dorothy smiled and the holographic display over the table updated with a half dozen more data tracks.\u00a0 Jack scanned them quickly, recognizing every single one.\u00a0 It was the first one that caught his undivided attention though.\u00a0 Major Tom Rogers.\u00a0 The first man to fly through The Wall.\u00a0 The first Terran at least.\u00a0 A whisper ran through the other Cowboys as they recognized the names too, and Charles grimaced.<\/p>\n \u201cDamn,\u201d the former Major muttered under his breath.\u00a0 His eyes flicked up to the clock over the door and shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cThree hours from now.\u00a0 We have to move quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n Christian pursed his lips and looked around the table.\u00a0 \u201cI think you should count us out for now,\u201d he said, a gesture pointing out the Cowboys in the Marine Corps service uniforms.\u00a0 I don\u2019t think we should be involved in what amounts to military maneuvers without reporting our suspicions to our superiors.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAgreed.\u00a0 Dorothy?\u201d Dorothy smiled and the holographic display over the table flashed to show four highlighted names.<\/p>\n \u201cThat leaves myself, Buckaroo, Swan, and Minx for this operation.\u201d<\/p>\n Christian and the others in uniform nodded in approval and relaxed back into their chairs.\u00a0 Jack frowned though, wondering why he wasn\u2019t included.\u00a0 He opened his mouth to protest, but Ken moved first.<\/p>\n Ken raised one hand, his collected manner demanding attention as much as Charles\u2019 command presence.\u00a0 \u201cWhat should we<\/em> do?\u201d\u00a0 He patted the hand of his cybernetic partner to emphasize his question.\u00a0 \u201cWithout the Blaze<\/em>, we\u2019re short some heavy firepower.\u201d\u00a0 Sara\u2019s face twitched in sorrow and Ken patted the hand again.<\/p>\n Dawn made one of the small graceful move that earned her the Peloran name of Swan, and all attention shifted to her.\u00a0 \u201cYou can fly with us.\u00a0 I always thought we were a good team in the old days,\u201d she added with a warm smile.<\/p>\n \u201cIt would be my pleasure,\u201d Ken returned, and somehow made it look like he\u2019d given her a deep bow without ever leaving his chair.<\/p>\n Jessica smiled at the two before shrugging in Charles\u2019 direction.\u00a0 \u201cI suppose that leaves me flying on your wing, Chief?\u201d she asked with an impish smile.<\/p>\n \u201cExcuse me,\u201d Jack said, clearing his throat and waving a hand at his name floating in the hologram.\u00a0 \u201cBut I think you\u2019re gonna need me too.\u201d<\/p>\n Charles pursed his lips and sighed.\u00a0 \u201cYou already have<\/em> a mission.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack shook his head, a furious frown betraying his annoyance.\u00a0 \u201cHanging around doing photo ops with singers isn\u2019t a mission<\/em>.\u00a0 It\u2019s a vacation<\/em>.\u00a0 And I\u2019m not about to slack off while\u2026\u201d he trailed off as he realized what he\u2019d been about to say.\u00a0 That he wasn\u2019t going to slack off while they risked their lives.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t let them think he was getting all serious.\u00a0 \u201cWhile you get to have all the fun!\u201d he said instead, and heard the dull rumble of chuckles around the table.<\/p>\n Charles smiled and gave Jack a look that suggested he knew precisely what Jack hadn\u2019t said.\u00a0 But then he shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cYou will not<\/em> be on a vacation<\/em>, Jack.\u201d His voice was sincere, made all the more powerful by his rare use of Jack\u2019s actual first name.<\/p>\n Jack snorted in disbelief and leaned back again, rebellion written on his face.<\/p>\n Charles shook his head slowly.\u00a0 \u201cYou really don\u2019t watch the nets do you?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack frowned, shocked almost as much by the other man\u2019s sloppy language as by the change in subject.\u00a0 \u201cWell,\u201d he stammered and cleared his throat.\u00a0 \u201cNot really.\u00a0 Except for the fishing channels of course.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd the Playboy channel, right?\u201d Katy asked with a wicked glint in her eyes.<\/p>\n Jack snorted back at her.\u00a0 \u201cHardly.\u00a0 Those bunnies are pumped full of more silicon than a cyber\u2019s avatar.\u201d\u00a0 He paused for a moment, then aimed a wickedly matching smile back at her.\u00a0 \u201cI like real<\/em> ladies,\u201d he finished with a tip of his hat and a wink covering the ladies on the other side of the table.<\/p>\n A groan ran around his side of the table and he shrugged as if his statement was self-evident.\u00a0 The ladies shook their heads with knowing smiles.\u00a0 \u201cKeep shoveling,\u201d Jessica whispered, allowing her smile to turn slightly impish.<\/p>\n Jack assumed an offended look and placed a defensive hand over his heart.\u00a0 \u201cYou doubt the sincerity of my words?\u201d he asked in a hurt tone.<\/p>\n \u201cOh no,\u201d Charles interjected with a quelling motion to the others.\u00a0 \u201cWe all<\/em> know you are a paragon of truth and virtue.\u201d\u00a0 That generated a room full of laughter, including Jay\u2019s unmistakable booming gales.\u00a0 Jack glared back at the laughing Cowboys, raising a finger to them with the unmistakable air of someone sighting on targets.\u00a0 \u201cMy point<\/em> is that you should actually watch the news<\/em>,\u201d he finished, his quelling tone back to full bore.<\/p>\n Jack grimaced back at Charles, shaking his head.\u00a0 \u201cFishermen may commit perjury every time they say how big a catch they got the day before,\u201d he began, raising an eyebrow at Charles, \u201cBut I trust them way more than a newsies.\u201d<\/p>\n Charles grunted and smiled at him.\u00a0 \u201cI never said you should trust<\/em> the news.\u00a0 Just follow<\/em> it.\u00a0 At least then you\u2019d know what they are trying to make everybody think.\u201d<\/p>\n That caught Jack\u2019s full attention, and he frowned in thought.\u00a0 He made a quick glance around the table, and saw several nods of approval.\u00a0 \u201cOkay,\u201d he muttered barely loud enough to hear.\u00a0 \u201cYou got me there.\u00a0 What\u2019s up?\u201d<\/p>\n Charles took a long breath, and let it out in a calming wave that visibly relaxed him.\u00a0 But he still looked deadly grim as he opened his eyes to return Jack\u2019s gaze.\u00a0 \u201cThere has been a recent uptake in the reports of returning veterans\u2026being unsafe to be around.\u00a0 They are all very understanding of course,\u201d Charles continued in a bitter voice.\u00a0 \u201cEmphasizing the heroic soldiers who have sacrificed so much for twenty years.\u00a0 But that same twenty years of unrelenting warfare has left these poor unfortunate men and women utterly unable to act normal in common civilian situations, and they become unfortunately violent at times.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cExcuse me?\u201d Jack growled, not liking where Charles was going with that.<\/p>\n Charles just smiled unhappily and continued to bore on.\u00a0 \u201cThe more liberal news channels are less careful with their wording.\u00a0 They say we are outright threats to public safety, and there have been rumors of forced confiscations of weapons from veterans who chose to retire.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh, Hell,\u201d Jesse blurted out from Jack\u2019s right.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t tell me there\u2019s truth to that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI can not say,\u201d Charles whispered, shaking his head.\u00a0 \u201cBut the more liberal media is pushing for all they are worth the idea that we are too unstable to have any weapons at all.\u201d\u00a0 He glanced at the pistols that road the holsters on their hips.\u00a0 \u201cEven armed starships.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFrak me,\u201d Katy cursed under her breath.<\/p>\n Charles smiled at her first, and followed that up by scanning it across the other Cowboys as well.\u00a0 \u201cWell, we all know the only purpose of a weapon is to kill someone after all.\u00a0 And now that The War is over, we cannot be allowed to look for more targets.\u00a0 For the safety of the common people of course.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo they really think everybody will be stupid enough to fall for that?\u201d Virginia snarled.<\/p>\n Charles gave her a thin smile.\u00a0 \u201cThere is an old saying.\u00a0 \u2018Persons are smart.\u00a0 People are stupid.\u2019\u00a0 Beyond that though, they are desperate,\u201d he shrugged out.\u00a0 \u201cThey needed us as War heroes, safely away from Earth where we could drive the Shang away.\u00a0 But now\u2026now we are a threat to them.\u00a0 There are so many avenues of power open to us.\u201d\u00a0 Charles turned to Jack.\u00a0 \u201cThat is why we need you and those girls following the plan.\u00a0 We need veterans front and center, touring with the most visible music groups, going to award shows, and everything else.\u00a0 Showing everyone that we are all capable of living amongst them again without being a threat to them\u201d<\/p>\n Jack shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cOkay.\u00a0 Fine.\u00a0 I see that.\u00a0 But\u2026\u201d he paused, trying to straighten his thoughts.\u00a0 \u201cThis isn\u2019t their fight.\u00a0 It\u2019s\u2026they almost died once.\u00a0 If those people are so desperate, what makes you think they won\u2019t try again?\u201d he finished, his voice betraying more fear than he\u2019d meant to.<\/p>\n Charles sighed and shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cI can not promise you that they will be safe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen I won\u2019t involve them,\u201d Jack declared, no give in his voice at all.\u00a0 \u201cI won\u2019t risk their lives again.\u201d<\/p>\n Charles pursed his lips.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t happy with Jack\u2019s decision.\u00a0 That was easy to see.\u00a0 \u201cYou would make this decision for them?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAbsolutely,\u201d Jack proclaimed with no hesitation.<\/p>\n Charles nodded slowly, but his expression betrayed neither approval or disapproval.\u00a0 \u201cYour wish to protect them is\u2026understandable.\u00a0 But they have the right to answer the request for themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack shook his head harder and snorted.\u00a0 \u201cBut if I asked them, it wouldn\u2019t<\/em> be a request.\u201d\u00a0 He waved his hand in dismissal of Charles\u2019 frown.\u00a0 \u201cOh, I\u2019m not saying I wouldn\u2019t ask<\/em> them.\u00a0 But from me\u2026\u201d he trailed off and shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019re all the family I have left.\u00a0 And they\u2019ll never say no to me over something like this.\u00a0 They\u2019ll help.\u00a0 No questions asked.\u201d\u00a0 Jack shrugged and leaned forward, putting both elbows on the table as he willed Charles to understand.\u00a0 \u201cSo I won\u2019t ask them.\u00a0 I just won\u2019t.\u201d\u00a0 He voice was calm, but he made certain that granite undertones filled its depths so everyone would know how serious he was.<\/p>\n Charles smiled and nodded, and Jack thought he sensed approval in that look.\u00a0 \u201cWell, that I understand.\u201d\u00a0 Charles leaned back and let out a long breath.\u00a0 \u201cAnd maybe envy a little,\u201d he whispered under his breath.<\/p>\n Jack blinked at the admission, but leaned back to relax now that he\u2019d made Charles realize the situation.<\/p>\n Then a sorrowful look twisted Charles\u2019 smile.\u00a0 \u201cThey said you would be mulish about it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d\u00a0 Jack felt the snarl rip out of him before he could push it down and Charles actually twitched in surprise.\u00a0 Betty placed her hand on his shoulder, and he paused to catch his breath.\u00a0 When he spoke again, his voice was cold.\u00a0 \u201cYou didn\u2019t<\/em> talk to them about this,\u201d he said in as calm a voice as he was capable of, but everyone at the table shifted uncomfortably, looking around to see if the others had heard what they had.<\/p>\n Charles opened his mouth to respond, but Dorothy placed a hand on his shoulder and he stopped.\u00a0 They sat like that for several seconds, glaring at each other.\u00a0 Jack felt the contest of their wills filling the room with a mix of anger, determination, and sorrow.<\/p>\n Finally Christian came to his feet, and everyone turned to look at him.\u00a0 He focused on the other uniformed Cowboys though.\u00a0 \u201cWe need to prepare.\u00a0 On my authority, all leaves are cancelled.\u201d\u00a0 They nodded in understanding and came to their feet with indecent haste.\u00a0 \u201cWe will be on station, doing our duty for all to see.\u201d\u00a0 He looked at Charles and Jack.\u00a0 \u201cYou do what you have to on your side.\u00a0 I\u2019ll do what I can from mine.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, Christian,\u201d Charles said with a wane smile, sparing the man only enough attention to meet the new Major\u2019s gaze for a moment.\u00a0 \u201cYou take care of them.\u201d<\/p>\n Christian smiled and gave Charles a crisp salute.\u00a0 \u201cYes, sir.\u201d\u00a0 With that, the new commander of the Cowboys turned from the previous commander, and led the Cowboys still in service out of the briefing room.<\/p>\n Dawn and Jessica looked at each other for a moment, then at Ken.\u00a0 \u201cYou know,\u201d Dawn said, her impish smile at Jessica looking forced now.\u00a0 \u201cI always did want to see your ship.\u00a0 Wanna come along, Ken doll?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAbsolutely,\u201d Ken answered in what sounded like profound relief and the threesome evacuated the room as well.<\/p>\n The room felt smaller without the others, filled by the clash of wills of the two men.\u00a0 Only the cybers holding their shoulders kept them from moving as the seconds went by.<\/p>\n After nearly a minute, Charles finally sighed and shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Jack.\u201d\u00a0 It was another rare lapse in Charles\u2019 formal style of speech, but Jack barely noticed.\u00a0 He still fought the battle of wills that Charles had abandoned.\u00a0 Not given up, or surrendered to.\u00a0 Charles had simply ended his side of it.\u00a0 \u201cBut they volunteered.\u00a0 I just can\u2019t throw them away now.\u00a0 It was<\/em> and will always<\/em> be their choice.\u201d\u00a0 He gave Jack a wane smile and came to his feet.\u00a0 He pulled in a deep breath and held his hands palm out to Jack.\u00a0 \u201cAs long as I\u2019m in charge, that will always be the case,\u201d he added, his voice soft but as full of rock hard determination as Jack had shown.<\/p>\n Jack swallowed, recognizing Charles\u2019 statement for what it was.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t an offer.\u00a0 It was a simple statement of fact that left the ball in Jack\u2019s court.\u00a0 Charles had always led them because, whatever the official ranks given them, every Cowboy had chosen to follow him.\u00a0 Which was why Aneerin had demanded that Charles remain commander.\u00a0 And Jack had been the first to make that decision, twenty years ago.\u00a0 He\u2019d never regretted that.<\/p>\n Now, he felt himself on the precipice of doing exactly that.\u00a0 Those two girls were his best friends in all the worlds.\u00a0 They owed him their lives, in some ways literally.\u00a0 And he owed them too, for far more than he bet he would ever be able to tell them.\u00a0 They were family in every way that mattered.\u00a0 But the Cowboys were family too.\u00a0 And friends.\u00a0 And he had to do whatever it took to protect family.\u00a0 How could he put one family over the other?<\/p>\n Confusion ripped through him, and he didn\u2019t know what he wanted to do.\u00a0 And then he recognized the one important thing and said it before he had time to think about it.\u00a0 \u201cA long time ago, you asked me to tell you if I ever figured out why I stayed.\u00a0 Well, it\u2019s those girls.\u00a0 Knowing they\u2019re alive.\u00a0 If anything happens to them, I don\u2019t know what I\u2019d do.\u201d It was as truthful a statement as he could think of, and he met Charles\u2019 gaze with more trepidation than he liked as Betty\u2019s hand squeezed his shoulder in comfort.<\/p>\n Charles nodded, his smile filled with understanding.\u00a0 \u201cThen I guess we need to make certain that nothing does.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack pursed his lips and shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cYou know the easiest way to do that would be to just\u2026do something else.\u00a0 Not involve them at all.\u00a0 Right?\u201d<\/p>\n Charles sighed.\u00a0 \u201cEasiest, maybe.\u201d\u00a0 The older man shrugged then rose to his feet.\u00a0 \u201cThere is one thing I have learned, Jack,\u201d he said as he walked to the door.\u00a0 \u201cHow we treat family, and how they treat us, defines us.\u00a0 We are our family, no matter how hard we try to fight it or embrace it.\u00a0 You have a good one.\u201d\u00a0 And with that, Charles strode out of the room.<\/p>\n Jack remained seated, not certain what to do, as emotions raged through him.\u00a0 Betty sat down next to him.\u00a0 She crossed her legs, arranged her sundress carefully, and turned to face him with a calm smile.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is the cruelest thing you could do to them, Jack?\u201d she asked, her voice as calm as her face.\u00a0 \u201cLet them risk their lives, and see one or two of them hurt if the enemy gets lucky?\u00a0 Or deny them the option?\u00a0 Which would wound them worst?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack met Betty\u2019s gaze and knew the answer.\u00a0 He hated it, didn\u2019t know if he could act on it, but he knew it.\u00a0 And Betty smiled as she saw the knowledge in his eyes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Hello, my name is Jack.\u00a0 I\u2019ve never been one for liking plans.\u00a0 I tend to act by the seat of my pants.\u00a0 No need to trust a plan that will die the moment the enemy comes into the equation after[…]↓ Read the rest of this entry…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1932","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-2325-a-family-affair-1stdraft","uentry","postonpage-1","odd","post-author-jack"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1932","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1932"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1932\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1934,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1932\/revisions\/1934"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1932"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1932"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1932"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}