John Ringo - East of the Sun, West of the Moon

“And we removed the carcass, ma’am,” the sergeant said, sighing. “But we would prefer not to disperse out guards. Please stay in the councilwoman’s chambers.”

“’M goin’ to my room,” Shanea said, lunging forward and grasping the neck of his armor. “An’ you’re going with me.”

“If you insist on going I’ll detach a team to ensure your safety,” Sirous said, reaching up and gently prying at her hand.

“You don’t understan’, soldier boy,” Shanea said, yanking him forward. “I’m talking about you ! Going with me . To my room . Come on. S’ an order. Bring some more guards. Gonna need lots a guards…”

“Megan,” Herzer said, lowering her onto the bed. “Are you sure about this?”

“You bet ,” she said, pulling off her shirt. “Will you look at these?”

“They’re lovely,” Herzer said, smiling. He was barely buzzed and he was afraid that if he actually took her in this condition it would screw things up royally.

“Suck ’em,” Megan said, lunging up and grabbing him by the hair to drag him down. “I want you to suck on ’em! I know you want to. I’m going to give you everything you want, Herzer. Everything .”

Herzer slid his hand under her breast to cup it and sank down on the bed next to her.

“I love you,” he said.

“You’d better,” Megan said. “Or I’ll turn you into a newt ,” she added with a giggle. “A well-hung newt . Keep you in a pot.”

“Well, as long as I’m your newt,” Herzer said, unbuttoning her pants and lowering his lips to her small, pink aureoles just as there was a knock on the bedroom door.

“WHAT?” he shouted, gritting his teeth.

“Herzer,” Cruz said. “We have a… bit of a situation…”

“I’ll be right back,” Herzer said, slipping off the bed. “I promise.”

“You’d better be,” Megan said, pouting. “Turn you into a newt.”

Cruz led him out into the corridor where Herzer nodded at the sight of the reinforced guard force. He noticed that the guards were… unusually wooden.

“Miss Shanea insisted that Sergeant Sirous accompany her back to her room,” Cruz said in a low tone. “And now she’s in there, crying.”

“Why?” Herzer asked.

“Because he won’t have sex with her,” Cruz said bluntly.

“Is he gay?” Herzer asked, puzzled.

“No,” Cruz ground out. “He’s on duty . And she’s the councilwoman’s friend . And she keeps asking where the rest of her guards are!”

“He doesn’t want to be turned into a newt?” Herzer asked. “Cruz, listen to me very carefully. Get… four more guards. Have them ensure her safety from inside her room. In… plain clothes or no clothes as the case may be. Tell them to screw the ever living daylights out of her.”

“What?”

“Screw her,” Herzer said. “Bang her. Fisk her pretty little ass off. Whatever she wants. Just get the girl laid for the Bull God’s sake. If one of them gets tired, switch them off until she gets tired or passes out or whatever. Call for another platoon if you have to but don’t bother me again unless the world is ending. Clear?”

Cruz looked at him befuddled for a second and then grinned.

“Clear,” he said, trying not to laugh. “Combat reaction?”

“Worst case of it I’ve ever seen and the girl is a nymphomaniac,” Herzer said. “And she hasn’t been getting any. So… whatever it takes.”

“I wasn’t actually talking about her ,” Cruz said with a grin. “Do you mind if I… take a short break from duty?”

“If you’ve got an able assistant,” Herzer ground out.

“I do,” Cruz said, still grinning. “Night.”

“Good night .”

When Herzer got back to the bedroom, Megan was snoring softly.

When Herzer walked into the kitchen the next morning, Megan was sitting in the breakfast nook, her elbows on the table and her head clutched in her hands. Shanea was lying back in her chair, eyes closed, mouth open, breathing slowly. She’d apparently taken time to do her hair and makeup so she looked like a very pretty corpse.

Herzer tiptoed across the room to the percolator and started to get out the makings.

“Is there any coffee?” Shanea said, softly, smacking her lips. “I have this… really familiar taste in my mouth.”

Megan groaned, softly, and shook her head.

“GOOD morning, troops!” Duke Edmund said, striding through the door.

“I do not need this,” Megan muttered, clutching her head. “I can’t turn you into a newt.”

“I think I can take one more soldier,” Shanea muttered.

“Have a fine time last night?” Edmund asked jovially.

“No,” Megan said. “Ashly is dead.”

“And everyone else is alive,” Edmund replied, sharply. “That is a very good thing.”

“Except for the nearly getting killed part, I had a good time last night,” Shanea said. “What I remember of it.”

“And I’ve never seen a group of more satisfied guards,” Edmund admitted.

“What, all of them?” Herzer asked.

“According to reports,” Edmund said with a nod.

“Good lord,” Herzer said, shaking his head.

“All of them sounds about right,” Shanea said. “Is the coffee ready yet? I mean, it tastes good at first but the aftertaste… yick.”

“Shanea,” Megan muttered. “You didn’t.”

“She did indeed,” Edmund replied. “But it’s okay. The guards are quite… discreet.”

“Closed mouthed,” Herzer said. “Unlike some around here.”

“Herzer,” Megan said, threateningly. “We were nearly killed. Don’t be…” She stopped and looked up at him. “What did we do last night?”

“You slept,” Herzer said evenly, finally getting the coffee going. “I put blankets on Mirta and Meredith and then checked the guards. After that, I slept.”

“Oh, God,” Megan muttered. “I’m sorry, Herzer.”

“It’s okay,” Herzer said, sitting down.

“Hold it,” she said, sharply. “What do you mean you checked the guards?”

“Some of them,” he snapped. “Not all of them.”

“Herzer wasn’t there,” Shanea said. “Herzer I’m sure I would have remembered.” She frowned and wriggled a bit. “Yeah. Herzer definitely wasn’t there.”

“Did you know that Daneh was raped right after the Fall?” Edmund asked Megan.

“Yes,” Megan replied, glancing at Herzer who was still looking, if anything, more pissed. Given that it was a rape he’d been unable to stop, it was not his favorite topic of conversation.

“I’m not talking about Herzer’s burdens in it,” Edmund said. “I’m talking about Daneh. And me. She took… quite a while to get over it. And even after we were having conjugal relations, there were still problems. But she did get over it, as over it as any woman can. When you’re done with this mission, if you’re still having problems, or even not, I’d strongly recommend that you have a long talk with her. Or many. There are specialists around as well. But while she doesn’t do it as a specialty, she’s probably one of the best rape counselors in the world. And she’s my wife so you can talk to her about things that you couldn’t talk to with the vast majority of the counselors. And there are things that you cannot… understand, without talking to someone who knows. Including, among other things, irrational jabs of jealousy.”

“I’ll keep it in mind,” Megan said dryly.

“Don’t ‘keep it in mind,’ ” Edmund said, firmly. “Do it. End of discussion. Given the events of last night, and by that let me make plain that I’m discussing the attack, we’re moving up the shift to the training facility. You should be out of here by tomorrow—”