Chapter Seventeen: The Final Lap

Morning came, but I had no idea what day it was. We breakfasted and set out in the same formation we used to get there. We left the house an hour after the sun rose, and I called Sheriff Naile to let him know that we were on our way.

My next call was to Marshal Pope, who assured me that there appeared to be no Sa'arm activity in our direction. He reminded me, "You know that can change, so all of you listen for your phones. We've been able to set up so that there are phone alerts like you would get for bad weather if we see any headed your way."

We walked; we talked; we sang; we played silly word games. It was more like a pleasure hike than a desperate escape from horror. We enjoyed our charges and their continued enthusiasm, and they seemed to enjoy us.

Long before dark, we found an empty ranch house to settle in for the night. There was food aplenty, and it was well heated and comfortable. There weren't enough bedrooms, so we hauled all the mattresses into the spacious living room and laid them side-by-side and head-to-head. Sleep that night was in a monster puppy pile with me and my ladies in the center. I could think of no better demonstration of the trust these women placed in us again.

I anticipated two days of walking before reaching Valentine. My estimate would have been pretty close, but shortly before noon of the second day, Sheriff Naile called and told us to hold up. There were still no Sa'arm sorties in the offing, so he was sending out a bus to get us. "We'll feed you at the Bunkhouse restaurant, so hold off lunch," he warned us.

The hike, while chilly, had been fun, and the arrival of the bus seemed more like the end of a holiday than the end of a horror story.

Several people stepped down from the bus. Carole's two children called her name and ran to her for hugs.

A young teen boy looked around, and spotting Hannah, ran to her and grabbed both hands. She exclaimed, "Jimmy, I thought you were dead. Thank you so much for the warning call. Come over here, I want you to meet my new family."

She led him to where I and the rest on my ladies were standing. "Jimmy, this is my new husband, Michael, and my sister wives, Rachel and Cathleen. Loves, this is Jimmy - my neighbor who called to warn me about the thugs. He is also the one who got my cherry."

Jimmy gaped, turned bright red, and looked at his feet. To his further astonishment, he was enfolded in a group hug by me and my ladies.

The two remaining passengers stepping down were a tall, rangy man in faded jeans, boots, and a Stetson and a short oriental woman dressed in scrubs. They walked over, and the man held out his hand and said, "I'm Rusty Naile. Glad you finally saw fit to join us. This lady is Sunny Kim. She's a nurse practitioner specializing in assisting rape and assault victims. She'll be working with your charges for the foreseeable future."

Cathleen looked over, startled. "I know you! You interviewed me after the bozo brothers assaulted me and I was fired when I complained." She hugged the new arrival and turned to us. "This is Suni Kim, otherwise known as 'Sunny.' Girlfriend, this is my new family - Michael, Rachel, and Hannah. We're married."

Sunny looked at us, made a slight bow, and said, "You all look very happy together. Many blessings upon you." She inquired, "Is there anyone in your group needing immediate care or attention?"

Cathleen responded that we could best ask when everyone was aboard the bus.

We piled into the bus, Cathleen sitting with Sunny and Hannah with Jimmy. Both pairs conversed excitedly.

Sheriff Naile stood in the front and spoke, "Ladies and gentleman. We are going to take you into Valentine where you will be given an opportunity to eat, rest, and have a complete medical examination. The military has taken over our town. Much of the civilian population has been evacuated or picked up, so it is unlikely that there are many, if any, folks around that you know. We ask that you remain together until we can see to your needs, but feel free to contact anyone that you wish."

He looked over at me. "It is quite likely that you will be offered the chance to be picked up - as a volunteer if you are qualified, or as a concubine if your CAP is too low to volunteer. It would be good if you decide if you wish to be considered before you are confronted with the choice."

Rachel stood and went to the front of the bus. She took my hand, faced the murmuring group, and spoke. "Not so long ago, Michael offered you our protection for as long as you remained with us and desired it. That offer still stands. He also asked you, if circumstances permit, would you wish to be considered as a companion - a concubine - for our partnership. The time is drawing close when you might need to decide."

She paused as the murmuring became louder. "We can't know now everything that means or even implies. We do know you would be required to obey any order or direction given by your sponsor, and that you would be considered property - perhaps even slaves. You would also be required to have children - that means sex. After what you have endured, that may be hard to contemplate."

She looked around. "We would not require you to have sex outside our family, but it may need to happen with anyone within our group. As our property, we would cherish and protect you, but should you violate Confederacy or our rules, we would need to punish you." She took a breath. "Hold your questions until they become relevant, but please think on this."

I kissed her forehead and whispered, "Perfect, lover, perfect." We moved down the aisle and took seats behind Hannah, who was still sitting with Jimmy.

"We're going to need at least one more man, aren't we?" Cathleen turned and asked, "I think we should put Jimmy in the pool. Hannah says he's sweet, a gentle lover, and has no one else to turn to." She looked over at Jimmy. "Wadaya think, Jimmy? Wanna tryout for second stud in our harem?"

Jimmy's first blush was pale compared to his current shade of magenta. He stammered, "Well sure, but I'm not into guy-guy stuff, ya know."

"No worries, Jimmy my man, neither am I. Not a hint, and that's a promise." I responded, shuddering, "And you heard Rachel's promise for our family... 'protect and cherish ... .' "

While we were moving, Sunny asked if anyone had need for medical attention. Receiving no response, she moved back and sat next to Hannah. Cathleen had swapped with her to sit with Jimmy.

Hannah had been studiously avoiding our discussion with Jimmy, but now turned to Sunny and asked, "What about you? I like what I see and hear. If we have an opportunity, would you be interested in an offer? Same terms as for all the others."

Sunny nodded shyly, squeezed Hannah's hand, then held on tightly.

I told you that our Pixie was the smartest one in our family - right?

The bus pulled in between the Shell station and the Bunkhouse, and we disembarked and filed in. The pies were in the same display near the checkout counter, and the menu was the same as for the several times I'd eaten there on my way to visit Mom and Dad. I had two bowls of vegetable soup and an open faced meatloaf sandwich. Then I stuffed in a huge slice of apple pie. Heaven!

I thought my ladies were going to run the place out of 'Indian fry bread.' Everyone was pleased with the variety and quality of their choices.

Once we had eaten our fill, Sunny rose and spoke. "We've made arrangements to have you all seen at the Cherry County Hospital. I'll guide you through the process, then we'll meet back here for dinner. We have rooms for you at the Comfort Inn. You'll pretty much have the place to yourselves."

I watched carefully. We may have been safe, but from the time we boarded the bus and continuing through the afternoon, not one individual relinquished control of either pack or weapon. My ladies were always positioned where they could watch and respond to any threat. We took our commitments seriously. Impressive bunch, this, sponsors and companions alike.

The afternoon went quickly. We were pretty gamy, so we all showered and changed into hospital scrubs while our clothes were washed. Rachel and Cathleen, together with each of our charges, met with a counselor specializing in working with rape and violence victims.

After my physical, I spent my wait hanging with Hannah and Jimmy and getting to know him. Nice kid. I took the opportunity to point out that Patricia was thirteen and too young for penetration. He colored lightly and nodded in agreement.

Dinner was the solid offerings at the Bunkhouse. Then we were delivered to our hotel. The mood was happy and relaxed, with our entire group deciding to meet at the heated indoor pool for a dip. No one seemed to care that we lacked bathing suits. Chauvinist me again - there was wall-to-wall pussy in joyful abundance.

Jimmy was clearly enjoying himself. Sometime in the evening he disappeared and wasn't seen again until shortly before breakfast. More about that later.

My ladies and I had to draw the line on the number of "extras" that could join us in our king bed. We declined to choose, but weren't surprised to find Carole and Naomi snuggling in with us. I found out later that Carole's two children were bunking with Patricia and Carley in a double queen room.

I'm not the kind to dip my wick in a hurting or vulnerable woman, and I wasn't going to 'cheat' on my ladies. Soooo, I left our guests alone, maybe to their disappointment. I snuggled with my ladies in our usual configuration and fell asleep. My best intentions were thwarted in the morning when I woke with Carole mounted on my morning wood. My ladies and Naomi were cheering her on.

It was a sweet ride, and knowing Carole's recent history, a definite ego booster for me. She grinned down at me and winked. "I don't know what today or tomorrow will bring, but if we have to part, I didn't want to chance letting you go without a genuine, loving fuck. Just so you know, the answer will be 'yes' if you and your ladies ask."

There was barely enough room, but I managed to roll her over and pick up the pace. Even so, I could smooth her hair away from her face and lean down to lightly kiss her. She pulled me down - hard - and kissed me with ever increasing passion, until with a sudden intake of breath, she came in a series of spasms. Her grasping pussy milked my cock, and I unloaded several days' worth of cum deep inside her.

We must have been noisy. When I became aware again, our bed was surrounded by happy, vocal, naked women, one sheepish young man (arms around the two beautiful nerds) and three under aged kids ... .

"Okay, my peanut gallery, it's time for morning things and a shower. Unfortunately, these bathrooms and showers are a little small, so find a facility, and we'll meet for breakfast in half an hour."

My ladies each gave me a hug and a peck on the cheek, then scooted out to find a free bathroom of their own. My morning obligations only took a few minutes, and I gratefully stepped into a hot shower. I had just lathered my hair, when the curtain opened behind me, and soft breasts pressed against my back, well below my shoulders, and hands reached up to help with my hair.

"When will it be my turn?" came a soft whisper, barely audible above the streaming water. "Those men hurt me, and I need you to fix it."

I turned and hugged a weeping Naomi to my chest. "We'll have our time, little one, I promise. But let's be sure we make it special." I kissed her gently, then washed her hair and washed my way south, paying special attention to her pretty parts. Then I had her wash me. We dried each other and went hand-in-hand in search of something clean to wear.

We needn't have bothered. When we arrived in the breakfast area, it was a repeat of the teen slumber party - only more so. Happy chatter and beautiful bodies spread throughout the room.

The breakfast went far beyond a typical motel offering. It was more like the feast before we started on our journey east. The two servers were real beauties - on a par with our lovelies - and they were dressed closer to our minimalist style than the norm found in a motel breakfast room.