Microsoft Word - FortunesFool.rtf (2 page)

"So how do you know my little Della?" the bartender asked, cocking his hip as he leaned against the bar. The unconsciously sexy pose shook

her attention loose from the blond giant at her side and back to the

darker-haired bartender. The way he spoke of her aunt was just a little

too familiar, and Adele suddenly wondered if maybe Aunt Della had

made a conquest.

Only a few years older than herself, Della was a beautiful woman, if

a bit on the spacey side sometimes. Still, this bartender would be just her type, though to Adele's knowledge Della had never dated a soldier

before.

She shrugged. "She's my aunt."

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D'ARC, GALE, KENT, MARCH

"Really?" The bartender looked truly interested. "I didn't know she had family on-station."

"I only just got here. This is the first chance I've had to look her up.

I'm glad to know she's still employed here. I was afraid I'd come all this way for nothing."

"Honey," the bartender straightened and placed both hands on the bar, his muscles flexing in mouthwatering ways, "as far as I'm

concerned, your Aunt Della will always have a place in this bar as long

as I own it." The piercing look in his blue eyes intrigued her. This man knew something, and she had a sneaking suspicion it was her family's

secret gift. He nodded just slightly and her breath caught. The knowledge was in his eyes. It was almost as if…but no…it couldn't be.

"Tell me," he asked with an intent gaze, "do you take after your auntie? Even just a bit?"

Dammit. He definitely knew. And the smile in his eyes told her

Aunt Della had been talking out of turn about her as well. She tried her best to shrug it off.

"Only a little." At that moment, a wave of precognition broke over her, disorienting her.

The bartender reached out to steady her as she momentarily lost her

balance. The men on either side of her put out their hands, too. All three soldiers touched her in some way as a fierce flash overcame her with

dizzying speed.

It had never been like this before, though her abilities were getting

progressively more powerful. That was the main reason she'd come all

this way out near the rim to see Aunt Della. She needed advice on how to deal with this.

Ghostly images clouded her mind, layered on top of each other. It

was hard to see any one thing before it was replaced by another and the

men touching her didn't help. She started seeing them and flashes of their immediate future that shook her badly. Then just like that, it was over.

Blinking rapidly, she came back to herself.

"Are you okay?" David spoke from her left side.

She nodded, looking up at his concerned face. He really was the

most handsome man she'd ever laid eyes on, though the bartender was

running a close second.

"Fine," she croaked. "I'm fine." The way she swayed on the stool did little to convince them, she knew, but she tried to put a brave face on her distress. That vision had been potent. And scary.

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The bartender let go and returned a moment later with a small cup

of powerful espresso.

"Drink it down, honey. The caffeine will help. At least, that's what Della says. I got the espresso maker just for her."

Adele drank the brew down like a shot, glad of the rush when the

caffeine kicked in a moment later. All three men were staring at her, the men on either side in confusion and the bartender with concern.

"What did you see?" Dammit, he definitely knew, and after her little display there was no way to hide it.

"An attack," she said, still not quite herself. "Here on the station.

Soon." She blinked to clear her thoughts and realized all the big men at the bar were watching her avidly now. Her eyes were drawn to the

younger man on her right. "You're Timothy, right?"

"Yes, ma'am. That's my name. How'd you know?"

She shook her head. "Not important. You need to take the left hall

when the time comes. Remember that, okay? The left hall. Not the right.

Do you understand?"

He shook his head. "No, I don't, but I'll remember."

The bartender cleared his throat. "Better listen to her, Tim. Her aunt is the most gifted psychic I've ever met and she told me the gift runs in the family."

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"Dammit, Alex!" Della arrived behind the bar just in time to hear the last few words. "That's on a need to know basis."

"And these men need to know, Del," the bartender shot back, his smile for Della, though she pushed past him to reach for Adele's shaking hands.

"Sweetie, what happened? Was it a bad one?"

Adele nodded, drawing comfort from her aunt's presence. "The

worst yet. Something's coming. Something bad, Aunt Del. Soon. We

can't escape it."

"I know, sweetie. I've seen it, too. It's why we've been drawn here, I think."

"What's going on, Del?" The bartender crowded behind her aunt, demanding attention.

She whipped around to look up at the frowning man. "An attack. In

the next few days, I believe. You all," she looked around the bar at the gathered men, "have a role to play."

All around her, Adele saw determination and a sort of excited fire

ignite in the eyes of the soldiers. This is what they were born for. They had no fear, only strength in the face of an enemy as yet unknown.

"Will we win?" one of the men down the bar wanted to know as he raised his glass.

Aunt Della laughed. "You'd better or I'll haunt you, Perkins. Mark

my words!"

Just like that, the dire mood was dispelled. Della came around the

bar to Adele's side.

"I'm so glad to see you, sweetie!"

"Me too, Aunt Del." Adele was enveloped in her aunt's hug. When they broke apart, Timothy shifted over so Della could sit. She thanked

him with a smile. "So, tell me what you're doing here? Dealing cards or reading them?"

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"A little of both, actually." Della's curly hair sparkled in the low light as she shrugged. She produced a deck of old Earth playing cards

from the pouch at her hip and began shuffling them expertly on the bar.

Della was a bit of a card shark and had been employed as a dealer in

some of the finest establishments in the Milky Way. Adele recognized

the pattern Della was laying out on the shiny bar. This wasn't any sort of game. No, this was an ancient layout that could divine the future. Adele feared what the cards would reveal.

Della flipped the cards one by one, keeping her own council as to

their meaning. Timothy took an interest and started asking questions as

both Alex and David watched closely.

"What game is that?"

"Oh, it's not really a game. I'm just looking at the cards. See this one?" Della held up the King of Spades. "Old legends from Earth claim this card represented King David." She held the card up next to David's blond head and smiled. "This could be you, Colonel."

David took a swallow of his beer and shook his head. "I'm not a

colonel anymore, ma'am."

Della lowered the card and looked hard at the man. "Our past never

leaves us, Colonel," her expression lightened, "or should I say 'King'?"

She passed the card to Adele and she noted the tingle of energy that came off the card as her aunt placed the deck to one side, pulling another deck of cards out of her pocket. Adele knew those cards. They were the tools

of the prophesier. They were the tarot. Her aunt sorted through them until she pulled out two cards, placing them face up in front of her. The King of Swords and the King of Cups.

"This card," Della said, caressing the King of Swords with one fingertip, "corresponds to that King of Spades. See the resemblance now?" She held up the card depicting a blond man with startling blue eyes sitting on a throne and holding a gleaming sword.

He did indeed look like David. At least, superficially.

"And I suppose that one's me?" Alex asked, pointing to the other tarot card on the bar. The King of Cups had darker hair and blue eyes

with a devilish smile in them, not unlike the bartender's. Adele marveled at the likeness.

"This one corresponds to the King of Clubs in the other deck. He

was said to represent Alexander the Great." All the men listening either laughed or groaned.

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"Don't give him any ideas, ma'am," one of the men down the bar called out. "He already has delusions of grandeur enough."

They all chuckled while Della continued to deal the cards, shaking

her head.

"What is it, Aunt Del?"

"The King of Swords will play an important role, Adi. For you,

personally, and in the coming conflict." A pensive look crossed her pretty face before she shrugged it off, clearing the bar of the cards and putting them back into her pockets. She turned to face Adele with a

resigned air. "When the time comes, trust the King of Swords."

"Darnit, Aunt Del, I don't like this. Why am I here? All I see is

destruction and danger. What in the world am I supposed to do here? I'm

not a soldier."

Della laughed in her tinkling way. "You know fate bats us to and fro like so many ping pong balls, sweetie. It's your fate to be here at this time. Perhaps it's even more than fate. Did you ever think of that? You

have a role to play, Adi, and it's an important one. When push comes to

shove, shove back."

Adele hated the fatalistic tendencies of the women in her family, but

guessed if you saw the future on a regular basis, it was probably

unavoidable. She decided to stop fighting against it and just enjoy the

moment of peace with her beloved aunt. It was, after all, the calm before the storm if their visions were to be believed.

"It's good to see you, Aunt Del. I've missed you."

The women hugged.

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FORTUNE'S FOOL

David listened unabashedly to the odd conversation between the two

women. Both were petite and lovely, but the girl at his side stirred

something in him he'd never felt before. She lit a fire in his soul that made him yearn for more from his life. More from his expectations.

More from
her
.

He'd only just met the woman, but already he wanted to be inside

her. He wanted it more than he'd ever wanted anything, and once he got

inside her he wanted to stay for a good long while. Maybe forever.

Yeah, getting into that exquisite young body would be as close to

heaven as he might ever come. But if her premonitions were real—and

Alex seemed to think they were—trouble was coming. He'd left the

military behind, but not his training. Right now he was unarmed, but he'd remedy that shortly. He made an imperceptible hand signal to Alex and

was relieved when the answer came back immediately from all around.

The other men were armed and would protect the women should it prove

necessary. Alex also signaled he had a cache of weapons behind the bar

and that Dave was welcome to take his pick from among the stock.

Dave wouldn't leave the bar that night without at least some

protection. Procuring further weapons would be his task for the next day.

He wasn't sure if he really bought the ladies' supposed 'gifts', but he did believe in being prepared for every contingency. And being Enhanced,

he knew there were such things as psychic abilities, though they were

rare in the extreme. Still, he knew for a fact they existed, and Alex's

endorsement of Della's powers was a strong point in her favor.

"Can we interest you in a game, Colonel?" The aunt's voice came to him over the increasing noise in the bar as shift change began. Workers

were drifting in, looking tired and ready for a drink and some

conversation.

Dave sat back and regarded the women. Della had the old deck in

her hands again and was shuffling like a pro.

"What game, ladies, and who's playing?"

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Adele chuckled and the sound rang through him, straight to his

cock. Damn, the girl was pretty as a picture with those sparkling eyes

and dancing smile.

"Poker? You look like a poker man to me," she teased.

"How'd you guess?" He stood and followed the ladies toward one of the larger booths opposite the bar.

"Aunt Della will deal for the house. I'm in for my own stake and

Tim and Perkins are playing, too."

What followed was one of the most enjoyable evenings Dave had

ever spent in or out of the military. A fast-moving game of cards proved the skill and cunning of both women. They were tough customers and

didn't give an inch as they bet and played like pros.

Dave was used to the company of men and didn't normally know

what to say to civ women, but he didn't feel any of the usual pressure

with Adele and her aunt. The conversation flowed naturally, as did the

beer and the credits. He won a few hands and lost a few, but everyone

came away only a little poorer at the end of the game. Tim actually

ended up the big winner, and he told them how he was saving up to bid

for a homestead license, so the extra money would come in handy.

The boy had plans and Dave admired that. It made losing a few of

his hard-earned credits a little easier. From the gooey looks in their eyes, he got the sense the women felt the same. They asked questions and

encouraged the young soldier to talk about his plans for the future.

Dave listened to the women talk, liking the way Adele and her aunt

treated Timothy. He was shy, but the two ladies had him talking,

laughing, and enjoying himself. It was a kind thing to do for a soldier. A boy that young had many years left in service and his odds weren't good