Victoria sits up all of sudden in the middle of the night gasping for air. A sharp pain in her lower abdomen causes her to grit her teeth as the pain causes her to double over in bed. Her silk nightgown was soaked in sweat. Her jaw clinches tighter as other areas of her body remind her that she has been injured.

“Vicky!” Tammy comes running into Vicky’s bedroom after hearing her scream out in pain.

She rushes over to Vicky and uses her ability to soothe Vicky’s pain and help her. She wishes her best friend hadn’t had to go through what she did. It was a miracle that she survived having a building brought down on top of her. It was also a miracle that the first responders had found her still alive under all the rubble that had buried her.

Vicky feels the pain she was experiencing slowly subside. She could hear Tammy’s calm and soothing voice humming a tune her mother uses to do when she was scared and frightened. She feels a warmth enter her body.

Tammy helps Vicky sit up and lay her back down on the mattress. She wishes she could do more for her friend, but she wasn’t trained to handle the mental or emotional scars her friend has. The only thing she could do was handle the physical scars her friend has.

Once Vicky was lying back down on the bed. Tammy goes and gets a wet clothe to wash Vicky’s face and lay it on Vicky’s forehead to cool her down. Once Tammy feels Vicky has relaxed and fell asleep. She takes the wash cloth off Vicky’s head and put it back in the master bathroom.
She looks at her tired face in the mirror and hopes her best friend pulls through the pain.

Tammy washes her face and turns the light off as she exists from the bathroom. She walks back into Vicky’s bedroom and lays down on the bed next to Vicky. She holds Vicky as she falls asleep.

Tammy feels Vicky snuggle against her and relax. She holds Vicky and reassure her that she was safe. She was sleeping in the other room, but she decided it was better to sleep with Vicky instead.

Throughout the night Tammy feels Vicky’s body shiver against her own body. She holds Vicky to her body and hopes her friend gets better. She finally let her mind rest.

Vicky wakes up feeling a little better. She finds herself being held by her best friend Tammy. Her face was buried between Tammy’s ample breasts. She could smell the lavender scent left over from the body wash Tammy uses.

Vicky inhales Tammy’s scent and let it washes over her. She carefully extracts herself from Tammy’s arms trying not to wake her. Vicky carefully stands up, using the bed post for support. Her legs still felt wobbly as she makes her way towards the bathroom.

Walking over towards the toilet and sitting down on it. Her body protested as she sat down, but she manages. All her muscles and joints were sore and breathing was still difficult, but she wouldn’t let it stop her. After doing her business, she strips out of her nightgown and fill the tub with hot water. She adds some of her favorite scented bath balls to the tub as it filled with hot water.

Vicky slides into the hot water and let the heat from the water soak her sore and abused muscles. She looks at the bruises covering her whole entire body. The ones on her chest hurt the most and the ugly scar that went the length of her left leg was jaggered and inflamed.

Her mother and several other doctors did everything they could for her. The physical injuries she could deal with, but the mental and emotional injuries she suffered were going to take time. Until she got a clean bill of health, she couldn’t go back out into the field.

“Hey, do you mind if I come in and uses the toilet?” Tammy woke up because of her bladder threating to empty.

“Come on in, Tammy.” Vicky didn’t care if Tammy came in and used the toilet while she was in the tub.

The two of them have been friends since elementary school and there wasn’t anything that the two of them didn’t know about each other. If nothing else, Vicky was kind of envious that Tammy had the bigger breasts and fuller hips. She took after her aunt on her father side of the family.

Tammy on the other hand took after her great aunt that looked like Velma Dinkley from the Scooby Doo cartoon. According to Tammy, the artist who drew the character Velma Dinkley was inspired by Tammy’s great aunt Violet. Tammy on the other hand looks like she was related to the cartoon character, except she had bigger breasts and a curviest body.

Once Tammy was done doing her business and wipes herself. She washes her hands and looks over towards Vicky in the tub. She walks over and sits on a stool she brought into the bathroom to wash Vicky.

When Vicky first came home from the private hospital, she had been unable to move or care for herself. Mrs. Wolfhart had contacted her and asked if she wouldn’t mind helping to care for her friend, since Mrs. Wolfhart knew how close the two of them were. She said yes, Vicky was her best friend and there wasn’t anything she wouldn’t do for her friend.

Tammy knew all about Vicky being a special agent for the US government. She had followed in her father’s footsteps and went on missions that were so classified, that if her team got caught. The United States government wouldn’t acknowledge them.

This last mission was a set up. The terrorist group they had been assigned to go after had set them up and dropped a building on them. The terrorist managed to kill most of her team members. She would have died if the first responders hadn’t found her when they did.

She had been trapped in a small space under some heavy rubble. The space had a limited amount of air, and it was almost gone by the time she was rescued. Besides being bloody, beaten, and having several of her bones broken. She managed to survive.

“How are you feeling this morning?” Tammy looks towards Vicky as she soaked in the tub.

“Better than I did last night. Did I wake you?” Vicky looks at her best friend as she sat next to the tub.

“Yes, but you’re my best friend, Vicky. You should know by now there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you. Plus, I promise your mother I would look after you.”A smile appears on Tammy’s face.

“Still, thanks.” Vicky was glad her best friend was here with her.

“I better go and make us something to eat. Are you going to be able to get out of the tub on your own, or do you need me to stay here with you?”

“I’ll managed. Go ahead and make us some breakfast, please.” Vicky figures she could get out of the tub on her own and dry off.

“Okay, but if you can’t press the call button and I’ll come running back to help you. I’ll also lay out some clothes for you to wear as well.

Remember, your mother and aunt said no pants or leggings for a while.” Tammy knew the pants and legging would irritate the scars on Vicky’s legs and also make it hard for Vicky to push down her legs to do her business.

“God, I hate wearing dresses and skirts.” Vicky wasn’t a dress or skirt person.

“I know, but I agree with your mother. Besides, you got to let your kitty breathe as well.” Tammy had noticed that Vicky had trimmed her pubic hair to the bare minimum. She had shaped it into a short landing strip.

Tammy stands up off the stool and walk out of the bedroom. She lays out some clothes for Vicky to wear, and afterwards, get dressed herself. Once she is dressed Tammy leaves her bedroom and head towards the kitchen to fix breakfast for herself and Vicky.

Once the water starts getting cold, Vicky releases the drain stopper and stand up. She felt her muscles protest, but she manages. She grabs her towel and starts patting her body dry, before stepping out of the tub carefully, using the hand bar on the wall next to the tub.

She finishes drying her body and make her way back to the bedroom. She notices Tammy had laid out some clothes on her bed to wear and notices Tammy had selected a pair of panties with Hello Kitty on them for her to wear. A smile appears on Vicky’s face, because she loved Hello Kitty. She also loved her Spider Woman cartoon printed panties as well.

She notices that Vicky didn’t lay out a bra for her to wear, but one of her camisoles. It matched the material of the light color dress that came down to her knees. She was lucky that she could get away without wearing a bra. Her breasts were smaller than Tammy’s and not as round and full as her friend’s.

After getting dressed and slipping on her slippers. She walks towards the kitchen where she smelled bacon cooking. Her house had an open designed, so if someone was in the kitchen, they could see their guest in the living room and dining room. Also, the house had a beautiful view of the beach, just outside the back door and the front door.

“Watch you making, Tam?” Vicky walks over and sits down on a stool in the kitchen.

“Omelets, I know how much you like them. I’m making a western one for you.” Tammy knew Vicky loved the way her father made them.

Vicky’s father was the cook in the family. He was a hell of a solider and could kill people in hundred different ways. But, put him in the kitchen and he could turn military rations into a gourmet meal. He passed on some of his knowledge to her when she uses to visit Vicky.

“Sometimes I think my father liked it when you helped him in the kitchen.” Vicky knew her father loved teaching Tammy how to cook.

“I enjoy cooking when I’m upset or just want to relax. It’s too bad you didn’t pick up his talent for cooking.” Tammy knew Vicky was a lot like her mother. Vicky’s mother could cook, but it wasn’t in the same class as Vicky’s father’s cooking.

“Well, not all of us can be outstanding chiefs, like my father.”

“True, do you want coconut juice or Pineapple juice to drink?” Tammy had grabbed a juice glass form the cabinets for Vicky.

“Coconut juice, please.” Vicky loved her coconut water and coconut milk.

Tammy fills the juice glass with coconut water from a cartoon in the refrigerator. She hands it to Vicky. “Drink up.”

“Yes mom.” Vicky picks up the glass and drink some of it.

“Your dad sent me a text informing me that the burial of your fellow teammates will be in four days. Do you want to attend or stay home?” Tammy knew each and every member of Vicky’s team.

“I want to attend. I owe them that much. I shouldn’t have survived having that building dropped on us.” Goose pimples form on her skin as she shivers.

“You’re not the only one who survived, Vicky. Your communication specialist Sergeant Ralph Jones and your explosive specialist Sergeant First
Class Henry Grassfeild also survived. They are still in the hospital you guys were sent too.” Tammy has been checking in on them. She knew the nurses looking after them.

“Ralph and Henry are still alive?” Vicky was surprised to hear that news.

“Yes, but they are still in a coma. Your commanding officer and field officer were found dead. Colonel White was found shot in the head from a sniper bullet and Captain Grossfeld, was blown up in his Jeep, according to our friend.” Tammy and Vicky had a friend that was a special investigator that had a knack for solving crimes.

Their friend and his specialized team were brought in to investigate all sorts of crimes scenes. They had a high success rate and no one in all the different military branches could match their record. They also had clearances that gave them access to any record they needed.

“Did Jay say who did the job?” Vicky knew it had to be Jay who told Tammy about the deaths.

“Nope and you know he won’t give us the information. He keeps things close to the chest.” Tammy knew Jay never gave out any information that
might jeopardize his investigation, that included any suspects he was investigating.

“Are all the burials going to be at the same place or do I need to fly out to Washington D.C.?” Vicky didn’t want to fly out to Washington D.C. with everything going on there.

“We’re going to have to fly to Washington D.C. All your teammates remains are being buried at Arlington Cemetery.”

“I was afraid you were going to say that. When do we leave?”

“In two days. I’ll pack something nice for you to wear. Now, enough of the shop talk, let’s enjoy these fabulous omelets.” Tammy sets a plate in front of Vicky with her omelet on it, hashbrowns cooked just the way Vicky liked it and some toast.

Tammy sits down next to Vicky and enjoys her own meal. She was drinking papaya juice and a cup of coffee afterwards. She loved papaya juice and her dark roast coffee with just cream added to it.

After breakfast, Tammy cleans up the mess she made and escorts Vicky to the exercise room. She was instructed to start Vicky on some light exercises by Mrs. Wolfhart.

“Who put you up to this?” Vicky looks at her friend.

“Your mother. Don’t worry, you won’t have to changed. We are just going to use the treadmill at a slow speed.”

Across the Country In Washington D.C.:
A small person wearing a decorated fox mask with shoulder length white hair darts out of the shadows and attack a bunch of Ice agents and National Guards men. They have been patrolling the streets of Washington D.C. on the orders of the jackass in the White House. She tosses several egg shape bombs at the feet of them and watches as the people starts coughing and throwing up. For the soldiers and Ice agents in their vehicles, the figure aims a paint gun at the vehicles and shoot the front windshield. The figure covers the front windshield in neon bright paint balls, covering it entirely.

The figure tosses down something and a smoke cloud engulfs them. By the time anyone could react or do anything, the figure was gone. All over the city, anyone following the order of the jackass in the White House was being attacked by nonlethal means. The person manages to sneak onto the grounds of the White House and set off paint bombs to ruin the umbrellas and the new patio.

Before the security team or snipers that protect the White House could do anything, the figure disappears. The security team and secret service agents that responded to the attack can’t find a sign of them and the dogs they use to try to locate them, fall unconscious.

The fox wearing figure manages to make their way back to where they had hidden their air bike and take off. They knew there were satellites and video cameras that monitor the city. The person cuts across the Potomac River and disappear on the other side.

The figure approaches a store front and touches a concealed button on the console of their air bike. A garage door silently opens and the figure flies inside and lands. The metal garage door starts to lower and when it shuts completely, the figure dismounts the air bike and takes off the kitsune mask they were wearing.

Under the mask is an Asian looking girl with frosty white hair. Even her eyebrows were the same color as her hair. She refuels the air bike and afterwards walks up a flight of stairs towards her apartment. She hangs her mask on the mannequin head and places her outfit inside the decom unit to make sure no one managed to spray her with the special dust the CIA developed.

She stands there in the room in just her panties and bra. She was upset that business had decrease because of the jackass in the White House. She would love to take the bastard out, but he was to well-guarded, and it would take more than her to do anything. She could harass the National Guards and Ice agents and get away with it. They were too slow to do anything and even if they managed somehow to capture her, she had a few other tricks up her sleeve to deal with them.

Miko strips out of her panties, bra, and tosses them into the dirty clothes hamper. She walks into the bathroom and set the water temperature for the shower. Once the temperature reaches what she likes, she steps into the shower and let the water cascade down her body. The water hides the tears as they start to fall.

Her best friend Sergeant Freddy Mitchell of the Black Talon squad was recently killed along with several other members of the unit. She didn’t know the exact details of how he died, but she did know it took a very skillful person to kill him. They had attended boot camp together and even joined the Green Berets. The training was harder for her, because of her being a woman and because of how tall she was. She was four foot eleven inches tall.

Freddy was five foot six inches tall but could move like a jungle cat. The two of them had to prove themselves to the other recruits who tried out. The thing was, they both passed all the requirements and set new records.

Miko lets the tears fall as the water covered them up. She was going to miss her friend. She washes her body and shampoo her hair. She exists from the shower, after patting her body dried. Miko puts on a pair of flowery print panties and an oversized t-shirt that she could wear as a dress if she decided to go out anywhere.

She walks into the kitchen and start fixing herself something to eat. The Chinese restaurant that was below her didn’t open until eleven o’clock. She owned it but let someone else run it.

After fixing herself some fried rice, Miko sits down and watches the news. A mischievous smile appears on her face when they show footage of her embarrassing the Ice agents, and the National Guard protecting them. She knew it was going to take special chemicals to remove the paint off the windows of the hummers she painted with her paintballs.

As for the paint on the patio and the umbrellas the jackass brought up from Florida were ruined. The patio could be pressure wash, but the umbrellas couldn’t be. Miko makes plans to harass the agents again in a few days. She wanted them to relax some.

A Few Days Later at Arlington Cemetery:
Miko looks at all the family members gathered to honor the members of the Black Talon Squad. Some of them she recognized, from the special gathering she attended with Freddy. She notices Victoria was there with a woman who looked like she could be related to the cartoon character Velma from Scooby Doo.

The other woman was staying close to Victoria as she stood in her uniform. She saw tears leaking from Victoria’s eyes. She also noticed the nasty scar running the length of Victoria’s leg as well. The cover up story the military was telling the family of each solider that it had happened during a training exercise.

After the ceremony was over, Miko walks over to Victoria, who was sitting down. She had wiped her eyes and her markup was all messed up.

“Vicky, I’m Miko Liu. I was a close friend of Freddy Mitchell. He spoke very highly of you.” Miko knew Freddy held Vicky in high regard.

She had gotten out when the rapist in the White House had taken office a second time. She didn’t feel like serving in the military any more under him or the dork he put in charge as Secretary of Defense. So, she got out just as Frumpy took office.

The Chinese restaurant she has owned since she joined the service. She bought it with the money her great-grand father left her.

“It’s nice to meet you, Miko. Freddy spoke highly of you too. He said you always pushed him to be better. I’m sorry that he didn’t survive.” Victoria liked Freddy a lot as a friend.

“Vicky, I know you can’t tell me exactly what happened to you guys. But how did my best friend die?” Miko was trying to keep from breaking down.

Victoria leans forward until she was next to Miko’s ear and whisper “we were set up and had a building dropped on top of us.”

Miko looks at Vicky “who set you up?”

“Don’t know, but someone I trust with my life is checking into it.” Vicky couldn’t give Jay’s name out.

“Is it the same people responsible for the death of Colonel White and Captain Grossfeld?” Miko had seen the announcement in the newspaper.

“I don’t know.” Vicky wasn’t sure who did what.

“If you and your friend have time, why don’t you come and have a free lunch on me today at my restaurant?”

Tammy had stood quietly by Vicky while she spoke to Miko. She tried not to pay that much attention to what they were talking about, but when she mentioned food. That got her attention.

“What type of food do you serve, ma’am?” Tammy was curious.

A smirk appears on Miko’s face “Chinese food, of course.”

“What style of Chinese food?” Tammy was curious.

“It depends on what you order. My staff makes it differently all the time, but it is always of the nature they were taught.” Miko knew what the other woman was asking. Was it Cantonese, Mongolian, Shandong, or some other version.

Tammy looks towards Vicky “are you up to going out to eat?”

“Yes, that way Miko and I can talk about Freddy and the rest of the team.” Vicky squeezes Miko’s petite hand.

“Just follow me, ladies.” Miko stands up.

Tammy helps Vicky up and the three ladies walk to the cars. Miko had come in her BMW convertible. She had the top up, because she didn’t want to ruin her hair.

Miko spotted that Tammy and Vicky had arrived in a black Nissan Altima. She bets if she ran the plates, it would be a rental. She helps Vicky into the car. She wonders what exactly happened to Vicky and the rest of the team.

“Just stay close, and I’ll lead you to the restaurant.” Miko starts walking towards her car.

“Okay.” Tammy gets into the Altima and puts her seatbelt on. She hopes no one tries anything while they are in D.C.

Nothing occurs on the way to the restaurant. Tammy manages to follow Miko without getting cutoff or lose her. When they arrive at the restaurant, she notices they were already busy. She parks the rental they were in next to Miko’s car.

Tammy helps Vicky out of the car and walk inside the restaurant, by passing several people waiting in line to be seated. Miko leads them to a private are. Tammy helps Vicky sit down and then she sits down.

“We should be okay in here. I normally reserve this area for myself or special functions I sometimes host.”

“How often did Freddy and the guys come to eat here?” Vicky was curious, because Freddy uses to bring food with him whenever they were about to go on an assignment.

“Freddy, I would say about four times a week. The other guys use to bring their families here sometimes. I always gave them a discount.”

“That was nice of you.” Tammy looks at Miko when she says that.

“I used to serve with a lot of them before they were recruited into Black Talon squad. I turned down the request because I saw where the political wind was blowing. I can’t serve a president that I don’t respect, especially a rapist.” Miko pours sweet tea for all of them.

“I can respect that.” Vicky knew that Trump was the wrong person to be president. He proved that the first time he was president and later when he left office.

“So, how close were you and Freddy, Miko?” Tammy was curious.

“Probably as close as you and Victoria are.” Miko noticed how Tammy looked after Vicky.

“We grew up together and grew close as friends. We joined the military together and trained at the same boot camp. I became a nurse, while she became a Ranger.” Tammy takes a sip form her tea.

“That explains why you’re hovering over her.” A smile appears on Miko’s face.

“You try having a building dropped on you and see how you feel afterwards.” Tammy knew her friend was still suffering mentally from the experience.

“That brings me to my next question. Why did you guys go inside the building.” Miko looks at Victoria when she asks that question.

“We had intel informing us that the group we were after was inside. So, we infiltrated the place and when we got to the room where they were supposed to be. All that were in there were dead bodies; someone had rigged to appear alive on the scan we did before entering. No sooner after we busted down the door and entered. We found out we had been tricked. Explosives went off at the base of the building. The building started coming down around us.”

Tammy noticed that Vicky was starting to relive the experience. She places her hand on top of Vicky’s to calm her down. She sends her gift to Vicky, letting it calm her down.

Miko saw Vicky’s eyes take on that faraway look, and her breathing started to become ragged, her body trembling slightly. She picked up the fear in Vicky’s voice as she recounted what happened. She saw Tammy lay her hand on top of Vicky’s, and after a few minutes, Vicky began to calm down.

“I’m sorry for making you relive that experience, Vicky. I just needed to know what happened to my best friend.” Tears were sliding down Miko’s cheeks.

“I know, I miss them as well. I can’t figure out why I was spared?”

“Vicky, from what I learned, you were barely alive when the first responders found you. If they hadn’t found you when they had. I would have been attending your funeral today.” Tammy squeezes Vicky’s hand.

“That still doesn’t explain why I was spared.” The tears begin to flow from her eyes.

Tammy turns Vicky towards her and holds her as she cries. She rubs Vicky’s back and uses her ability again to comfort Vicky. She wishes her best friend had never had to experience what she did.

Miko was kicking herself for what she did. She just wanted to know why her best friend had to die. She knew in their line of work that it would happen, and she knew Freddy and the others had accepted that. But having a building dropped on you just seemed so extreme.

Miko helps Tammy with Vicky and sends a meal home with them. She was going to investigate why they had been given a setup. She let the manager on duty know that she was going out and might not be back for a while.

Miko goes upstairs to her apartment and grabs her gear. She walks back downstairs and outside to her vehicle and gets in. She looks at the folder containing the operation details and programs her GPS to direct her there. She’ll be gone for a few days to conduct the investigation.

She was lucky that the terrorist was on American soil, instead of overseas. She backs out of the parking space and heads towards the destination.

Vicky’s and Tammy’s Hotel Room:
Tammy unlocks the hotel room and escorts Vicky inside. She helps her friend undress and go to the bathroom.

“A good soak will do wonders for you, Vicky.” Tammy helps lower Vicky into the tub after filling it and adding Vicky’s favorite scented bath balls.
She brought them along, just in case Vicky had a breakdown.

Tammy stays by Vicky’s side as she helps her friend relax. When the water starts getting cold, she helps Vicky out and dresses her in her favorite nightshirt. She doesn’t bother with panties because she knows Vicky didn’t like wearing anything at night.

Once, Vicky was lying on the bed and fell asleep. She takes a shower, changes into her nightclothes, and lies down in bed as well. During the night, she is woken by some noise coming from the door to their hotel room.

Tammy grabs her can of mace and her hand-held stunner. She never leaves home without it. She waits until the door opens. She spots a single black dressed figure sneaking into her and Vicky’s room. She watches the person as he pulls a gun with a silencer out from behind his back.

Just before the figure can shoot Vicky, Tammy shoots the figure with the stun gun. She watches as he hits the floor as the gun goes off, hitting the wall just above Vicky’s head. Tammy springs onto the figure and sprays the mace right into the person's eyes. She also uses her elbow and strikes the figure in their ribs. She hopes she cracked some of them.

The figure tries to fight Tammy off, but she had them pinned, and the person couldn’t see thanks to the mace that was sprayed directly into their eyes. The person feels punched in their manhood.

“Let’s see who you are, asshole!” Tammy pulls the head covering off and looks down into the face of a young Middle Eastern man.

Amer couldn’t believe a woman with big tits had him pinned to the floor and managed to pull off his mask. He could barely see thanks to the burning sensation of the chemicals she sprayed into his eyes. He was fighting to escape from her, but she was holding him down with her knees.

Vicky is woken up by the sound of someone wrestling around in the room. She spots Tammy straddling a guy’s chest and using her legs to pin the guy’s arms down. She also spots a gun on the floor near her bed.

People were coming out of their hotel rooms because of the ruckus coming from the hotel. She dials the police and informs them.

“You'd better start talking or I’m going to smash your grapes.” Tammy moves her right foot and presses down on the guy’s private area.

The guy tries to force the woman off him, but she counters his move and punches him in his throat. She also presses harder on his manhood.

“Try that again and I’ll use my other foot.” Tammy looked the guy right in his face so that she wouldn’t forget him.

The police finally showed up and were surprised by what they saw. One of the officers chuckled because he had never seen someone restrained like the woman was with the guy. Tammy gives her statement and makes sure Vicky is alright.

Vicky looks at her friend, “I’m sorry, I was of no use to you.”

“It’s okay, Vicky. I had everything under control. I’m just going to have to find a way to explain this to your parents.” Tammy knew what Janet and
Leland would do when they heard what had happened.

“Why don’t you go back to sleep?” Tammy grabs the desk chair in their room and jams it up under the doorknob.

“Only if you sleep with me.” Vicky didn’t want to sleep alone in her bed.

“No problem.” Tammy grabs her pillow from her bed and lies down next to Vicky in her bed.

Vicky snuggles up close to Tammy and slowly drifts back to sleep again. Tammy stays awake for a while, holding Vicky next to her body. She was wondering who the man was and why he was sent to kill Vicky. There had to be some sort of connection between him and her. She also wasn’t looking forward to calling Janet and Leland tomorrow either. She closes her eyes and lets Vicky’s warm body put her to sleep.

Earl’s Diner, Alexandria, Va.:
Ada and Alya were having breakfast together, just as they normally did every morning, before heading to work. Lately, things have been strained at the Museum of Native American History. Alya’s hand was still wrapped up from when she punched a DOGE agent and his US Marshal escort when they tried to come into the museum to get access to their computer system.

She was ready to go full fox on them, but didn’t want to expose who she was. She looks over towards Ada, who is reading her tablet. “What got you so engrossed this morning?”

“The funeral announcement of members of a special ops team and their commanding officers.” Ada looks over the top of her tablet towards Alya.

“Is that it?” Alya knew that unless Clair or Jack gave the word, they were to stand down.

“Nope, there was a disturbance down at the Marriott last night.” Ada watched as the article she was reading was updated.

“What happened there?” Alya was now curious.

“It seemed an armed assailant went after one of the guests staying there. The armed assailant was taken down by the person he was sent to kill.”

“Does it give the name of the guest or why they were targeted?” Alya’s curiosity was piqued.

“Nope, it doesn’t. Aren’t you dating that Metro police officer?” Ada knew Alya had a new boyfriend.

“Yeah, and he was working last night. I can ask him tonight when we meet up for dinner.”

“Cool. So, any more trouble over at the museum with DOGE?” Ada knew Alya had fun punching one of their agents.

“Nope, none lately. I threatened to cause bodily harm to them next time one of their agents tried to enter and access our computer system. It
seems that every time they work on the computer system of a department, They manage to fuck it up so badly that it takes weeks to fix it.”

“That’s what I have been hearing all over the hill lately. Our department is so ignored that they aren’t even going to bother to mess with our system. Not that it would do them any good. I still have half of one room to finish and a new one that has been assigned to me.” Ada hated working in the archives, but it had its advantages as well.

The advantages were that she could work at her own pace and was largely ignored even by her coworkers. If she didn’t feel like working that day, she could skip it as long as she doubled her efforts the next day.

Also, having access to all those records has let Deanna and Becky update their computer system at the Den. So, it worked out for them, and no one was any wiser. It also allowed them to tap into the government computers of several different departments right under DOGE’s nose.

“You said a unit was killed. Did it say which unit?” Alya had seen a few people she knew dressed for a funeral the other day.

“Nope, but that’s typical. The government wouldn’t want that information to get out.” Ada knew that from experience.

“Who were the commanding officers who were killed?” Alya was curious.

“A Colonel White and Captain Grossfeld. Have you ever heard of them?” Ada looks at Alya for an answer.

“No, forward their name to Deanna and see if she can find out about them.” Alya was curious now.

Ada types up an email and sends it to Deanna. She uses their special encryption that Becky created for them. The two of them finish their breakfast and head to work.

Marriott Hotel:
Tammy and Vicky transferred to another room, as theirs had been invaded the previous night. Tammy knew Vicky wanted to visit the Wall. So, they get dressed and have breakfast down in the hotel. Tammy had received a message informing her that some bodyguards had been hired and would meet them downstairs. The code word they were supposed to use to identify themselves was cats in the cradle.

After Tammy and Vicky finished their breakfast. They received an email informing them that their protection detail was waiting for them and was at the front desk. When Tammy and Vicky arrived at the front desk, two women were waiting for them.

One woman had shoulder-length strawberry-blond hair and was wearing a custom-fitted business suit. She was rather tall, even in her dress shoes. Her companion was shorter than the three of them and had light blonde hair. It was cut in a Paige-style haircut.

Tammy walks up to them with Vicky by her side. She wonders who they worked for.

“Hey Deanna, I think those two women are our clients.” Becky spotted a younger woman who looked like she could be related to Brooke. And the
other woman with her had dirty blonde hair and looked tired.

Deanna looks over towards the two women and checks them against the description Jasmine gave her. Jasmine owned a specialized private security company that focused on protection for high-end clients. Since Deanna didn’t have anything planned for the week, she took the assignment.

“I think you're right, Becky.”

When the women approach them, the one woman who looks like she could be related to Brooke stands and holds out her hand. “Hi, we were told to expect you.”

“Don’t you want to hear the code word first?” Deanna looks at the brown hair woman who approached her.

“Sure.” Tammy smiles at the strawberry-blonde-haired woman.

“It’s Cat In The Cradle.” Deanna wonders who came up with that.

“See, I was right about you. I’m Tammy Gatlin, and my companion's name is Victoria Wolfhart.”

“It’s nice to meet you, ma’am. I’m Deanna Wixx, and my companion here is Becky Gannon. We’ve been assigned to protect you until you leave Washington, D.C. Where would you ladies like to go today?”

“I would like to visit the Wall if we can and later, Arlington Cemetery afterwards.” Vicky wanted to visit her comrades one more time.

Tammy looks at her friend, “Are you sure?”

Vicky looks at Tammy’s face, “Yes. I want to say goodbye to them one more time.”

“We’ll, your chariot awaits, ladies.” Deanna takes the lead and leads everyone out of the hotel to a black Cadillac Escalade.

Becky opens the door for Tammy and Vicky to get into the SUV. Deanna stood nearby watching everything. Once Tammy and Vicky are inside the SUV. Becky walks around and gets in on the driver's side.

Becky drives the SUV over to where the Wall is. She notices that the woman, Victoria, is staring out the window.

“Do you ladies have friends and family members' names on the Wall?” Becky was curious.

“Yes, both of us do,” Tammy answered for Vicky because she noticed Vicky was lost in thought.

“Did the two of you serve?” Deanna was curious because of the way both women acted.

“Yes, I’m a nurse currently in the military, and my friend here is a ranger.” Tammy couldn’t really state what Vicky was.

After the Wall, the ladies head toward Arlington commentary. Tammy helped lead everyone to the section they had been at the other day. Becky leans close to Deanna. “Brooke would have a field day here.”

“I know.” Deanna was being watchful.

They follow Tammy and Vicky to the recent grave sites. Vicky kneels at the headstones and cries. She was still feeling upset that she had survived.

Deanna and Becky stood discreetly nearby, giving Tammy and Vicky space, but keeping an eye out for trouble. Becky was about to say something to Deanna when she spotted a drone hovering nearby.

“Deanna, to your right.” Becky glances to her right.

Deanna taps the side of her shades and zooms in on the drone. She’s never seen a design like it before. “Someone is spying on us.”

“Let's see how serious they are.” Becky takes out a simple laser penlight from her pocket and discreetly aims it at the camera on the drone.

She watches as it tries to avoid the penlight after being hit by it. A sly smile appears on her face as she keeps contact with it. The drone keeps trying to avoid the pen laser Becky was shining at it..

Deanna pulls her cell phone out and activates the frequency finder app. She scans the airwaves to find the frequency and locks onto it. She had to admit she was impressed by what she saw. The frequency it was using was shielded, and also jumped from one band to another before someone could lock onto it.

“I’m impressed, whoever is controlling this drone has designed it well.”

“Can we do anything about it?” Becky kept blinding it with the pen laser pointer she carried with her.

Arlington Cemetery, Arlington, Va.
“Can we do anything about it?” Becky kept blinding it with the pen laser pointer she carried with her.

“Not without drawing attention to ourselves.” Deanna didn’t have any of her special gear with her.

Tammy spotted Becky and Deanna looking towards an object. She looked in the direction they were looking towards and spotted a drone. It wasn’t built like normal drones were, but more like a flying saucer.

She pulls her taser gun out and aims it at the drone and squeezes the trigger. The gun fires the taser prongs towards the drone and sends a millions volts to it. The drone was taken by surprise because of Becky blinding it with her laser pen light.

Becky looks over towards Tammy, “Do you always carry a taser gun with you?” As she walks towards the downed drone.

“Yes, I follow the old Boy Scout motto, Be Prepared.” Tammy reloads her taser gun.

“Where did you learn that?” Becky wonders if Tammy was like Jasmine and herself.

“My father. He was a boy scout troop leader.” Tammy watches as Becky walks over towards the downed drone. She was also keeping an eye on Vicky.

Becky picked the drone up and couldn’t believe how small it was. It looked like it was about half the size of a Frisbee and had a hard outer skin. She tries squeezing the shell to determine what it was made of, but it doesn’t bend. It also had four rectangular solar cells on top of it. She notices it was built to record video and sound.

Deanna walks over to where Becky was standing. She was curious about the drone as well.

“So, what is it?” Deanna was curious as she looked at the drone in Becky’s hands.

“Well, this is a professional stealth drone. It has a carbon fiber body with small blades that encircle the disk, providing lift. This is something I would say the CIA or NSA would use in the field.” Becky was surprised at how light it felt.

“Why would they be sending something like this to observe these women?” Deanna was puzzled.

“That’s a good question, Ms. Wixx.” Tammy was walking towards them.

Vicky was walking next to Tammy. She was curious about the drone Becky was holding.

“Have the two of you ever seen anything like this before?” Deanna looks at Tammy and Vicky for an answer.

“No, but we might know someone who might.” Vicky snaps a few pictures of the drone and sends it to her father.

“If you don’t mind me asking, who did you send those pictures to?” Becky was curious.

“My father, he is well known in the Black Ops community.” Vicky figures her father might know. If not, she could always ask her aunt Tabitha.

“Who’s your father?” Deanna wonders who Victoria Wolfhart was related to.

“General Leland Wolfhart.” Victoria had to hide who she was related to when she joined the military. She didn’t want anyone to know she was related to a well-known black ops commander.

Her father and mother were well known in the black ops community. Especially her mother, who was a civilian. She was a performer and a medical doctor. According to everything she heard about her mother, she was capable of getting into countries or places others couldn't and get out again without being caught. Her father was a former Delta Force operative and was well respected among the different branches of special forces. There were a lot of stories about him among the community.

“I’ve never heard of him; then again, I’ve never been in the military before.” Becky didn’t feel right joining because of how she felt about her body.

“Well, let’s continue this conversation in the SUV.” Deanna felt they'd better get out of the open.

“I think that might be a good idea.” Tammy felt like eyes were watching them.

The four of them start walking back towards the Cadillac. As they get close to the black Escalade, a beeping sound starts sounding from Becky’s pocket.

“Stay here.” Becky moves towards the SUV and carefully looks around it and under it. She spots a block of C4 attached to the frame of the SUV.
She traces the wires coming from it towards the electrical wires going to the brake lights.

“What did you find, Becky?” Deanna saw Becky reached up under the SUV.

“Oh! Someone left us a gift.” Becky disconnects the wiring going to the C4.

She didn’t see any backup explosives or anything else that could be dangerous to them. Whoever did this wasn’t a real professional. However, this was military grade C4 explosives.

Becky stands up and looks towards the group, “Who is trying to kill you two?”

“We don’t know.” Victoria wonders who was trying to kill them. This was the second time since arriving in Washington, D.C., that someone was trying to kill them.

“I think we need to move you two, to a safe house. Going back to your hotel room is going to put innocent people in danger.” Deanna didn’t want any innocent people to get hurt.

“I think that might be for the best. Where do you suggest?” Victoria looks towards Deanna and Becky.

“Let me make a call,” Deanna calls Clair as they get into the SUV.

Clair’s Place:
Carol was in the kitchen when the telephone started ringing. She couldn’t believe her grandmother still used an old-fashioned landline. She picks the receiver up “Hello?”

Deanna recognized the voice who answered the phone, “Carol, this is Deanna. I need to talk with your grandmother. Can you let her know, please?”

“I wish I could, Deanna, but she and Brooke are at the grocery store. Is there anyone else who can help you?” Carol knew what her grandmother and the other ladies did.

“Is Jasmine around?”

“Yeah, she’s upstairs changing out of her work clothes. I’ll let her know you want to speak to her. Hold on one minute.”

“Okay.” Deanna waits for Jasmine to pick up.

A few seconds later, Jasmine's voice comes over the cell phone.

“What’s up, Deanna?” Jasmine hadn’t even finished getting dressed when Carol informed her Deanna was on the line.

“We need a safe house. This protection detail has become a lot hotter. Also, have Ada and Alya go by the Marriott and pick up our client’s luggage.”

“Where are you guys?” Jasmine wonders why the situation has escalated.

“We’re about to leave Arlington Cemetery.” Becky was driving slowly towards the entrance of the place.

“Go to 3571 Military Rd. Let me know when you arrive, and I’ll send you the entrance code to the place.”

“Is it prepped?” Deanna knew some of the safe houses were and some weren’t.

“It’s got some provisions already there.” Jasmine figures she could always have Ada and Alya bring whatever Deanna and Becky needed or wanted.

“Alright, I’ll call you in thirty minutes.” Deanna looked up the address on Google Maps.

Deanna ends the phone call and looks at Becky, “Go here.”

Becky glances at the address on Deanna’s cell phone. Since joining Clair’s crew, she has become familiar with where some of the safe houses are located.

Undisclosed Location, Middle East:
Miko arrives at the site where Black Talon Squad was murdered. She had her mask on to hide her features. The area was still active with hostiles, so she was sticking to the shadows and moving quietly. The black bodysuit she was wearing hid the fact that she was a woman. She had her sidearm on and her web belt. She also brought her custom-made rifle and specially made grenades and flash bangs with her. Normally, she tried to use non-lethal means to subdue people, but in this case, she decided to carry more lethal rounds instead.

She examines the remains of the building where her best friend was killed. She could just tell from the destruction that the building had imploded in on itself. If this had been a normal explosion, the debris would have been blown away from the building, spreading out away from it. However, this explosion caused the building to implode inward towards the center of the building.

This proves it was a setup, but why? Who would want to kill the team? And why? She tries to collect some residue to determine what type of explosive was used. She started thinking of several different types of explosives that could do the job.

3571 Military Rd., Arlington, Virginia.:
Becky pulled in front of the address Jasmine gave her and loved how the place looked. It was so nondescript that no one would ever think about it being a safe house. It was a modern ranch-style construction, and as she got closer to it. She noticed it had a two-car garage.

Becky calls Jasmine to get the access code. She steps out of the SUV and starts talking with Jasmine. She walks over to an innocent-looking statue and tilts a flower pot back, revealing a weatherproof keypad. She inputs the code, and two keys drop out of a little door.

Becky walks back to the SUV and over to the passenger side. She knocks on the blackout passenger window. Becky watches as the window lowers. “Let’s go in.”

“Alright.” Deanna opens the SUV door.

The passenger doors open as well. Tammy helps Vicky out of the SUV and closes the door behind her. The four of them walk towards the front door, with Tammy and Deanna keeping an eye out for trouble.

“Hey, Becky, how did you know the SUV had been tampered with?” Tammy had heard the alert on Becky’s cell phone when they got close to the SUV.

“It’s a program I wrote for all our vehicles. The SUV has micro-cameras embedded around it, and when someone comes close to it, it records their presence. So, when I or any of my teammates get close to any of the vehicles equipped with the cameras. It lets us know.” Deanna had explained the process to them.

Becky walks up to the front door and inserts the key. After unlocking the door, “Voice verification required.”

“Bubba, come and get it.” Becky gives her password.

“Verification accepted.” A clicking sound sounded.

“Come on, ladies, let’s get inside, and I’ll park the SUV in the garage.” Deanna opens the front door and walks inside.

Vicky and Tammy follow next. Becky had turned around and headed back to the SUV to drive it into the garage.

“This is a nice place.” Tammy walks into the place and looks around.

Vicky follows and stands next to Tammy. She will be happy to get off her feet. Her legs were killing her.

“Why don’t the two of you make yourself comfortable, while I let Becky in?” Deanna walks towards the kitchen and out into the garage.

Tammy noticed Vicky was trying to cover up the pain she was in.

“Come over and sit down, Vicky.” Tammy figures the wounds on her legs were hurting her.

Vicky walks over and sits down on the nice sofa. She wished she wasn’t in so much pain, but there wasn’t anything she could do about it.

“I brought your pain pills and antibiotics with me.” Tammy pulls out the pills for Vicky and hands them to her.

“Thanks.” Vicky accepts them and takes the amount her doctor prescribed for her.

Deanna and Becky return a few minutes later and sit down in the living room with Vicky and Tammy. The two women look towards Vicky and Tammy. “Do you ladies have any idea who is trying to kill you?”

“Nope, but I think you got it wrong, Deanna. They are trying to kill my best friend.” Tammy squeezes Vicky’s hand.

“But why, is the question.” Vicky knew it had nothing to do with her family because her mother would send her older siblings and Sasha after them.

A ding sound could be heard coming from Becky’s cell phone. She pulls it out and looks at the message.

“What is it, Becky?” Deanna looks at her short cohort.

“It’s from Ada. She said that the hotel room looked like someone had tossed it. She also said that she and Alya will bring groceries and dinner with them as well.” Becky shows the text message to Deanna.

Deanna looks at it and sends a message to them to bring her armor from her secondary storage unit. She sends them the access code to Ada.
After she does that. She looks towards Vicky, “Start from the beginning on the assignment the government sent you on.”

“You know I can’t tell you everything about the assignment.” Vicky looks at Deanna.

“That’s fine. I can get the original order from the source itself. Just tell me what you were told.” Deanna hits the record app on her cell phone.

“Alright, we were sent to eliminate members of a terrorist organization known as The Shadow Collective. They have been operating behind the scenes on a lot of conflicts going on around the world. They’re also responsible for supporting a bunch of terrorist organizations and donating to several senators and congress members in our government. They want to change how our government works and get their agenda pushed through.”

“That explains a lot about our current political environment.” Becky hated the current person in the White House.

“Well, we were told a meeting was supposed to happen, and to eliminate everyone there. It’s standard practice for my team to do a thermal scan before entering a building to give us an idea where everyone is. We did the scan and picked up seven people sitting around a table. So, the order was given to break into the room.”

“Is that where you discovered that the information was false?” Deanna was starting to see this was a setup.

“Yes, it was. No sooner had my team entered the room than we discovered someone had been there before us. The bodies were dead and made up to make us believe they were alive. Just as we discovered the truth, the bombs started going off. We couldn’t react fast…” Vicky starts
breaking down as the tears start to flow, and a horrified look appears on her face.”

“Easy, Vicky.” Tammy wraps her arms around Vicky and holds her close to her body. “You’re not there, sweetie. sshhh!!” As Tammy brushes Vicky’s hair.

Deanna and Becky were concerned about Victoria’s mental state. She was suffering from PTSD. Becky figures that what happened to Vicky has scarred her for life.

Tammy uses her gift to calm her friend down. Vicky was going to need to see a specialist to help her overcome what happened to her. Tammy feels Vicky quieting down and relaxing as Vicky calmed down.

Deanna noticed that whenever Vicky broke down, Tammy managed to calm her down. “How do you do that?”

Tammy inhales and slowly exhales before speaking. She looks directly at Deanna and Becky, “I was born with a special gift. I can influence a person’s emotional state when I touch them. Vicky has always known about my ability, and her parents as well.”

“So, that’s why you became a nurse?” Becky could see how Tammy’s gift could be helpful as a nurse.

“Yes.”

“I see. Vicky, are you okay to answer a few questions for me?” Deanna wanted to know who gave them the order.

“Yes, what do you want to know?” Vicky takes a tissue out and wipes her eyes.

“Who normally gives your group your orders?” Deanna wonders how they got their orders.

“Don’t know. Colonel White normally receives the orders and then passes everything along to Captain Grossfeld to give to us. After that, Captain Grossfeld and Lieutenant Highwater, our strategist. They plan out how we are going to handle the problem.”

“Which means, they give you your matching orders. What was your position in the group?” Becky was curious.

“I was the team sniper and hand-to-hand expert. We didn’t need sniper support on this mission. So, I went in to support my teammates.” Vicky takes a breath and tries to relax.

“I really need a drink.” Vicky wanted a stiff drink.

“Which you can’t take with the pills you are taking.” Tammy knew Vicky couldn’t drink any alcohol with the pain pill she was taking.

Deanna turns the recorder off and gets up to stretch her legs. She had to admit that Vicky and her team had been set up. She gets an alert letting her know Ada and Alya were approaching.

“Well, dinner is here.” Deanna stands up and walks towards the garage.

The garage was big enough to park four vehicles. Becky looks towards Vicky and Tammy, “I hope you ladies like Thai.”

“We grew up on Thai food.” Tammy loved Thai.

Vicky didn’t say anything. She just looked over towards the door leading to the garage. She wanted to see who these other women were.

3571 Military Rd., Arlington, Virginia.:
Vicky and Tammy watches as two women they haven’t met yet come walking in with their stuff and food. One woman looked like she was Native American and was dressed like someone who worked in an office or museum. As for the other woman, she was about the same height as her partner, but she was wearing a custom fitted business suit. Even her shoes look like they were government issue.

Tammy leans next to Vicky “I bet one of them is either FBI or a US Marshal.”

“I think your right.” Vicky figured the other woman had to be some sort of government agent.

Ada and Alya spotted the two new women. They walk over with their luggage and whatever personal hygiene stuff they had in the hotel room.

“Hi, I’m Ada and this here is my partner Alya.” Ada had a smile on her face. She also noticed one of the women had bandages and bruises on her face.

“It’s nice to meet you Ada and Alya.” Tammy reaches out and shakes their hands.

Alya does the same thing. A smile appears on her face. “So, which room has been assigned to you two?”

“We haven’t chosen one yet. We were waiting for you ladies to appear.” Vicky had a pleasing smile on her face.

“Well, we got everything that was in your hotel room. We also brought food, so why don’t you choose a bed room and after you do that. We’ll sit down to eat.” Ada watches both women.

“Sounds like a plan.”

Just as Tammy stood up, her cellphone beeps letting her know a text arrived. She pulls her cellphone out of her pocket and check who was texting her. She reads the text and types a reply.

“Who was that?” Alya noticed the expression on Tammy’s face.

“A nurse I know looking after two members on my friend’s squad.” Tammy looks at Vicky.

Victoria looks into Tammy’s eyes and could see the sadness in them. “Who passed away?”

“Ralph and Henry just passed away an hour ago. According to my friend, both of them died from embolism. She said they were doing fine, and there was no reason for that to happen to them.” Tammy knew her friend could be trusted.

Ada and Alya heard the news. They look at the two women they were protecting “why are people trying to kill you?”

“I don’t know.” Vicky was trying to figure out who was trying to kill them.

Undisclosed Location, Middle East:
“Shit!” Miko was driving like a mad woman in the Range Rover she stole.

She had two black SUVs chasing after her. Whoever they were, they were trying to kill her. She makes a sharp turn, bring the range rover up on two wheels, almost tipping over. She spots a place where she could lose them. She makes a quick right and jerk around and back the range rover into an alleyway.

She watches as the two black SUVs zoom past her. She waits before pulling out and going back the direction she came. She knew a place where she could hide. She wanted to know who was chasing after her and why?

Miko makes herself comfortable and puts her disguise on before heading out again. She wants to know who those men were and why they started chasing after her. She mingles in the market looking for the men who had chased her. Gathering intelligence was what she trained to do and she was good at it.

Miko manages to locate the two black SUVs but has to be careful, because the place where they were parked. There were surveillance cameras watching the court yard where the SUVs were parked. She takes two small baseball size balls from under the abaya she was wearing. She rolls them into the courtyard and maneuvers them right under the two SUVs. She presses a special button and six spider legs unfold from the ball and attach itself to the undercarriage of the SUVs.

After they were attached, she pulls out two medium size match box boxes, but longer. She presses the center button and they transform into small drones. She gives them a little toss and the blades start up. She guides them towards the main house and listens for where the people could be. Only one of them had infrared sensors built into it.

Once she finds the room the figures were in. She lands them against the window and records the conversation going on inside the room. She wants to know who is behind killing her best friend.

Undisclosed Location, Middle East:
Miko wakes up and searches around for her supplies. She barely got any sleep last night. She looks over towards the windows and the door to make sure the alarm system she set was still set. Anything could have happened last night, and she didn’t want to be caught unprepared. She searches through her supplies and takes out some instant coffee.

She boils some water and mixes it with the instant coffee she brought with her. She couldn’t believe the intel she learned last night. Someone in the States was smuggling American-made weapons to the terrorists here in the Middle East. But why did they kill her best friend? The elite group he belonged to was sent to eliminate a criminal organization.

Miko drinks her coffee and chews on a granola bar. She needs to find out who else in this part of the world was connected to these men. Miko thinks about eliminating each of the men, but all that would do is alert them. I would let them know someone is watching them.

Miko reviews what she has so far and makes plans to infiltrate the building she was at and plant some bugs. She already knew some of the layout of the place, but she needed to know more about the personnel coming and going. She was going to make a map of the place and learn everything about it.

After Miko is done with her simple breakfast, she puts together an identity that would allow her to pass as one of the people. She double-checks her disguise and leaves the safehouse she was using and blend in with the crowd.

3571 Military Rd., Arlington, Virginia.:
Tammy looks down at Victoria as she gets out of bed. Vicky woke her up twice last night from the nightmares she had. She really needed to get Vicky to someone who specialized in PTSD. This matter about Vicky’s friends was taking a toll on her best friend.

Tammy grabs her robe and slippers and puts them on. She leaves the bedroom and heads towards the bathroom. After doing her business in the bathroom, Tammy heads towards the kitchen. When Tammy enters the kitchen, she spots a woman who looks almost identical to her, except more like the live-action character from the Scooby Doo movie. The other woman’s chest was bigger than her own.

Brooke turned around when she felt the presence of another person in the kitchen. She was covering for Ada because Ada was going to see if she could get her hands on the original mission assignment given to Victoria Wolfhart. She noticed the other woman looked identical to her, except a little younger. The other woman’s chest size was a little smaller than her own.

“Well, good morning, twinsies. Would you like a cup of coffee?” Brooke had already poured hers.

“Yes, please.” Tammy couldn’t believe she was looking at a double of herself.

Brooke pours another cup of coffee and hands it to Tammy.

“Thank you.” Tammy accepts the coffee cup.

Tammy walks over to the refrigerator and adds cream to her coffee. She puts the cream back in the refrigerator. She turns around and notices that the other woman hasn’t taken her eyes off her.

“I bet you're wondering if we have a common ancestor?” Tammy was thinking something like that.

“My name is Brooke. I’m the forensics expert of my group.” Brooke takes a sip from her coffee cup.

“Tammy, I’m a certified nurse. Vicky is my best friend.” Tammy takes a sip from her coffee cup.

“How long have you two been friends?” Brooke was curious about the two women.

“Since we were kids. We attended the same private school and went through the same boot camp. She became a Green Beret, and I became a field medic.” Tammy has always wanted to be a nurse.

“Since the two of you have been friends for that long. Do you know if your friend has any enemies?” Brooke drinks some more of her coffee.

“Personally, no. Vicky doesn’t go out of her way to piss people off, unless you’re being a bully. As for her family, they have a lot of enemies.
The thing is, I don’t think the accidents and attacks against Vicky and her team are personal. I think it’s on purpose.” Tammy has been thinking about the situation and why someone would be after her friend’s team.

“Is the coffee ready, Brookie?” Joker comes walking into the kitchen and notices two Brookes.

She rubs her eyes to clear the sleep and stares at both women. She shakes her head, “I must be seeing doubles.”

Tammy looks towards the woman who walked into the kitchen. Her face and hair look like she was the Joker from the Batman cartoons. She wasn’t wearing very much clothing. She had on a tiny thong that barely covered her groin area and a tan color camisole that draped over her huge breasts.

“You’re not seeing double, Joker. Tammy, here is one of the women we are protecting.”

Joker walks over and looks down at Tammy. She looked identical to her teammate Brooke, except her chest wasn’t as big as Brooke's, and she looked older.

Tammy looked at the woman named Joker and wondered why she looked like she could be her namesake. She could smell the strong perfume the woman was wearing and noticed the madness in the woman’s eyes. She has seen that look before among certain vets who experienced a very traumatic event.

“Well, Brookie, if I didn’t know you had a child, I would say she was your daughter or something.” Joker walks over to the coffee pot and fixes
herself a cup of coffee.

“So, how many people are going to be babysitting us today?” Tammy looks back towards Brooke when she asks that question.

“Just me and Joker today. Ada, Alya, and Deanna are looking into the orders your friend received and getting me the forensics report on the two accidents. They are also getting me the blood work on the two members who died in the hospital.”

Hopefully, we will find something.” Joker takes a sip of her coffee.

After Tammy finishes her coffee. She takes a shower and gets ready for the day.