Masoul (Harmony War Series Book 2) (34 page)

              Garcia caught up.

              “Having any second thoughts?” She purred.

              Jerome looked to her, blatantly looking her over.

              “Nope, not one, couldn’t understand what I was thinking,” he said, fighting away his thoughts to the contrary, grinning as they burst through the libraries door.

              ***

              Mark watched as Alexis and Tyler came down the aisle of the auditorium, looking embarrassed, anxious and excited as hell. Mark could see the way their hands were white from gripping onto one another.

              The Auditorium was nearly filled with people. Most of the Division had come out for the event.

              “Well that is a good sight,” Nerva said out of the corner of his mouth to Mark.

              “Your damn right Nerva,” Mark said unable to keep a smile from splitting his face wide open.

              They finally got to the stage at the centre of the auditorium. Mark was on Alexis’ side and Jerome was on Tyler’s side.

              “Alexis Xin will you look after this boy no matter what and try to keep him out of trouble?” Nerva asked.

              “Yes, though I can’t guarantee the trouble thing,” she smiled, looking to Tyler who looked like his face would crack with the massive grin across his mug.

              “Will you, Tyler Victor, treat this girl right and try to not make her a delinquent like yourself?’ Nerva asked.

              “I will try,” Tyler smiled, his eyes only for Alexis.

              “Mark,” Nerva said. Mark pulled out two rings.

              “Alexis,” Nerva said giving her a ring, she put it on Tyler’s hand. Nerva handed the other to Tyler who did the same to Alexis’ hand.

              “Let the records show that on this day, Alexis Xin and Tyler Victor were joined in marriage,” Nerva said, yells came from the watching crowd as they grabbed one another and kissed.

              They muttered words to one another, their eyes lost in one another’s gaze.

              Mark felt an itch in his eyes as the two looked to the crowd and then Jerome and Mark.

              Mark wrapped them both in a massive bear hug. Jerome added himself to the mess. Nerva tapped them on the shoulder with an honest to god smile on his face.

              “Get in here Major!” Alexis yelled. Mark and Jerome, not about to let the lady of the day not get her demands pulled the excusing Nerva into the embrace. Mark heard the rolling laughter as he felt Nerva’s arms wrap around them giving them a rough squeeze.

              Then the hugging five some came apart and everyone else was there congratulating the two. Mark patted his side pocket.

              “Damn, that was close,” he said, pulling out and displaying a box of Cohlean cigars from his side pocket. A twinge of memory as he remembered Gupta’s love for the smoke stacks.

              “Those will do very nice in the mess,” Jerome said, Mark putting them away to the smiles of Nerva and Jerome.

              “Food will be in the cafeteria, then drinks in the enlisted mess,” Nerva said, his commanding voice cutting through the commotion. People acknowledge the announcement and went back to talking.

              “See you later,” Mark said to Tyler and Alexis, half-interrupting their talk with Holm and Ali.

              Tyler grinned and nodded.

              Jerome and Nerva trailed off to the cafeteria, a message came in through Mark’s implants, he checked it. It was a message from a lady called Madeline Costa.

             
Dear Mr. Victor and Mr. Gomez,

             
My grandfather told me to send you a report every fifteen years or when something had happened. I am writing this to tell you two things, first the company is succeeding and we are looking to adding another dock to the shipyard. We are continuing along the plan you outlined to create massive inner-system freighters and then move to system to system freighter.

             
The mines have expanded and we are doing good trade there.

             
The second reason I am writing this instead of my grandfather. Is because he has died. He meant to send you a message telling you that Quentin Richter has also died but two years ago his mind started to slip. I took over and it is only as I am going through his message logs that I realized he never sent the message.

             
The gang that Richter led is now under the command of a man called Damon Merles. He had a message for Mr. Victor that I have attached as well with the records for our operating years. I have also added a secured transcript from the bank detailing your account details.

             
Thank you for the opportunities that you gave my grandfather and my family. I will make sure that ‘the yard’ keeps running. Please let me know if you need anything else.

             
Sincerely

             
Madeline Costa

             
Manager of ‘The Yard’

              Mark looked over to Jerome whose eyes were blank for a few seconds, Mark’s had sadness in his own.

              It had been a few months for them since they had seen Costa and Richter, while setting up their plans for the future. For Costa and Richter, it had been thirty-seven years. Life extension treatments had kept them going, but it was late in the game for them and damned expensive.

              Mark saw the rest of the message, other notes, various spreadsheets, blueprints and a data packet that contained the information of Mark’s account.

              Jerome sighed and nodded, telling Mark he was okay.

              “Something happen?” Nerva asked, watching the by-play as they got into the cafeteria.

              “Two of our close friends back home have died, Quentin was one of them,” Mark said, remembering that Nerva and Quentin had been Captain’s together before Quentin reached his retirement age.

              Nerva’s face became tight.

              “It’s hard being out here as those that you knew wither away in what feels like years,” Nerva said tired wisdom in those words.

              “Focus on celebrating the time you had with them, not being apart. Today of all days should be one of fun.” He brought himself up to full commanding height, his eyes chilling. “As your Major I now order the two of you to eat, drink, smoke and have a damned good day,” he glowered at them both.

              They gave their agreements, their pensive frowns turning into smiles.

              “Good, now get in front I want some damned food before the rest of them pile in here,” Nerva said.

              They went through the lines grabbing food and seeing the cake that the cooks had whisked up for the couple. Jerome, Mark and Nerva grabbed a table, shooting the shit. Others of the party flowed in, most of them kept away from the table, having a Major hanging around probably made a bunch of them nervous.

              Dashtund grabbed a seat.

              “I think I should get married,” he started off with, shovelling food into his face.

              “Just why the hell would you want to do that?” Jerome asked, others that were filling the table also looking at Dashtund in interest.

              “Did ew se de ize of dat ake?” Dashtund said through a mouthful of food.

              “Ahh, I guess this is the infamous Dashtund I’ve heard so much about,” Nerva said, looking to Mark.

              “I believe so Major,” Mark said, seeing Dashtund squirm a little in his seat.

              Alexis and Tyler came in through the doors, people all around them and cheers were coming from the people in the cafeteria. Tyler bowed and Alexis looked like she was going to melt on the spot.

              Tyler planted a kiss on her lips, cheers turning into whistles and hollering.

              It died down as the two made it to the food line, the cooks wheeled out a cake. Tyler and Alexis cut it, the cooks then started divvying it up so Tyler and Alexis could get some food into them. They sat down next to Nerva, people quickly filling the table. Everyone seemed to have something to say and smiles colored everyone’s faces.

              Trays were cleared away and Tyler announced their next destination.

              “To the mess!” He barked, pointing for the door. People laughed and joined the procession. They walked in, Mark and Jerome inviting Nerva, Captain Ortiz and Sholtz. They grabbed a table, Mark gave Nerva the box of Cohelans to distribute as he went to find Alexis.

              He tapped her shoulder, pulling out a wrapped package from his pants pocket.

              “Mark! What’s up?” She asked, Mark realizing that she was at a table of primarily girls and remembering what she had said about meeting more women.

              “I have something for you,” he said, hoping to cut her off before she made the same connections he’d just made.

              “Oh?” She said, spying the package. Mark handed it to her and she pulled it apart.

              She pulled out the twin knives, identical to the ones that Mark and Tyler hid under their arms, complete with a smart cloth holster.

              “Oh Mark,” she said, tears filling her eyes as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He hugged her.

              “Welcome to the family,” he whispered, holding his sister tight.

              ***

              It was the morning after the wedding, everyone was still buzzing about it. Mark was happy, it kept their minds off the fact that in less than twenty-four hours his platoon would be continuing their journey to Masoul Actual with Harmony dusters and guns aboard a captured shuttle. The rest of the troopers would be fighting their way across Shipping Station.

              The taste of booze and cigars still coated his throat. No orange juice or mouth wash could fully remove the taste.

              He’d been reminded how bad that combination tasted together as his orange juice sat by itself in an island of despair.

              He shook thinking of that particular mixture.

              He scrolled through his surface, he’d gone through the last minute checks for his section and now he was looking through the information that Madeline had sent.

              Jerome and Garcia walked in, grabbing food and coming to sit next to Mark.

              “Morning,” Jerome said.

              “You two look chipper,” Mark grinned, Jerome sighed as Garcia grinned happily.

              “What you doing?” Garcia asked.

              “Looking over a message and doing last minute checks, pretty boring stuff,” Mark said, putting the surface to sleep, catching the thoughtful look on Jerome’s face. It looked like he’d reminded Jerome of the message from Earth.

              “Though some people have other things on their mind,” Mark teased, smiling at Jerome.

              “Well yes they do,” Jerome said with his own smile, looking to Garcia.

              “Boys,” she laughed, Mark and Jerome quickly joining in

              They talked about the topics of the day, mostly Alexis and Tyler’s wedding, the debauchery that had gone on in the mess. How Captain Ortiz had drunk three groups under the table and continued to drink just because he could.

              “I swear that man was on a constant detox,” Jerome said, shaking his head. Alexis and Tyler came in looking like a million credits. People smiled and waved, they made quiet conversation as they made their way to the table.

              “Did you give it to him yet?” Tyler asked as he sat down.

              “Not yet,” Mark said, both of them looking to Jerome with smiles on their faces.

              “What?” Jerome asked warily, Mark could see he was checking around to see if someone was going to prank him.

              Mark pulled a package from his thigh.

              “Do you want to tell the story?” Mark asked Tyler.

              “Sure.”

              “So Mark was getting extra blades for both of us and decided to get a few extras made for our newest brother,” Tyler said, Mark gave Jerome the package, he opened it, finding identical blades to the ones Tyler and Mark wore. Which now Alexis did as well.

              “Oh you fuckers,” he said his eyes getting watery, as he reached across the table grabbing both of their necks and hugging them.

              “There is a hell of a lot of hugging going on,” Mark said, laughing and tapping Jerome’s back. They released and Jerome played with the blades.

              “So what do you think, bro?” Tyler said, leaning on an elbow and eating a piece of delicious bacon.

              “I think these are some damned nice blades,” he laughed.

              “We’ll show you how to use them, you’re going to get some uncomfortable callouses for the first little bit,” Mark said.