Page 32 of Bullets and Dandelions

“In my backpack. I’ll get it.”

A wave of weariness rolled over me. The minute my head hit the pillow I fell asleep.

*****

A hand shook my shoulder. “Wake up, Tess.”

I instinctively kicked out as hard as I could.

The man hit the floor hard and groaned, “Fuck.”

Rolling off the bed, I assumed a fighting stance and my eyes widened in horror. Tex was on the floor cradling his genitals. “Sorry. My bad.”

“Why did you kick him in the nuts?” Stone demanded.

My shoulders slumped. “Part of my father’s training was sending strange men into my bedroom in the middle of the night to attack me. It has made me a bit twitchy.”

Johnson handed Tex an ice pack. “A bit?”

“After I shot three of my attackers, my father stopped that particular training practice.”

“Your father is a monster and we’ll be happy to take him down,” Rodriquez spat.

“My father is an apex predator with no morals. If you get in his way, he’ll kill you.”

Sergeant Stone opened a bottle of protein drink and handed it to me. “Drink this and take your pills. General Grandville is demanding to see you.”

“Like this?” I gestured to my over-sized tee shirt.

“We got you more uniforms, a toothbrush, comb, and some lady stuff from the commissary.” Rodriquez placed a bag on the bed.

“Thank you.” I took my pills and quickly finished the protein drink.” Where do I change?”

“Across the hallway,” Stone replied.

I grabbed the bag and my boots and frowned. “Wait. That’s the men’s room.”

“I’ll stand guard while you change,” Stone said.

“Okay.” I crossed the hallway and peered inside. “Have I been here before?”

“You have.”

Stone put a big hand on my back and pushed me inside. “General Grandville is getting antsy, you been asleep for the last twelve hours.”

“I was?” Holy shit! “My wounds aren’t that bad.”

“You were suffering from dehydration, exhaustion and starvation. The blood loss pushed you over the edge and you fainted.”

I fainted! How embarrassing. Time to change the subject. I held out the neck of my tee shirt and sniffed. “Why do I smell like spearmint?”

“Horse liniment.”

With a frown, I placed a hairbrush next to the tube of toothpaste. “Horse liniment?”

“We’ve been rubbing the ointment on your bruises. Works like a charm. Get dressed.” He walked out.

“Yes, sir.” What I wanted to know was who had been doing the rubbing. By the smirk on Stone’s face, it was him. I used the facilities, brushed my teeth and washed my face. My mental fog finally cleared, and I realized I wasn’t wearing a bra, and my panties were new too. Who had undressed me?

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