The Rapist Gets a Lesson

Power and Fury: Not For Display
by demented20
Muscle and Power come out of hiding.

Date: April 2006

The image shook just a little as the camera panned from right to left, catching some of the Cleveland skyline in the background, stopping when it found its real target. A plume of frosty breath gathered in front of Sara's face as she adjusted the headband making sure it covered her ears. She turned towards Brian, smiling with her rosy cheeks and Carmex covered lips. "It's way too cold to race!" she complained and began running in place, keeping her leg muscles warm.

Brian laughed, temporarily obscuring the image with his own breath. "This only qualifies as brisk where I come from," he told Sara who laughed.

"This would cause a state of emergency where I'm from,? she replied, her smile becoming bigger, warming Brian's image despite the weather around them. She was so damned pretty. Sara sometimes got overlooked because of her friends. She didn't have the in your face, take no prisoners beauty of Jan, or the kind of body that kept plastic surgeons busy like Alisha. She had a wonderful shape of her own with tight curves, full breasts, a hard round backside, and wonderful legs that marked her as the athlete that she'd turned herself into, but even that hard work sometimes got overshadowed by LaShaunta who looked like she'd been birthed fully formed from a mold with the words Beautiful-Elite-Athlete stamped on the side. Sara's mix of good looks and sweetness held their own against her roommates, although it wasn't a competition. Brian hoped Armen knew what a lucky jerk he was. It was too bad Armen couldn't join them in Cleveland or the trip they were taking to Chicago for dinner after the meet, courtesy of LaShaunta.

Just then LaShaunta came strutting over. Brian turned his camera to the right and moved closer. "There she is ladies and gentlemen,? he said in a horrible British accent. "The Queen of Track & Field has arrived to retake territory from those who last year violently snatched it away." LaShaunta looked at Brian and shook her head. "She rarely allows foreigners into her domain,? he continued as LaShaunta walked over to Sara. Both track girls' legs were covered against the cold wind coming off of Lake Erie, but LaShaunta wore form fitting tights that showed off the peerless muscular sweep of her lower body. For Brian, 'volunteering' to photograph track meets was a no brainer. He was in fit girl heaven. He just had to remind himself to take pictures of the guys sometimes too.

"Can you tie my hair off,? LaShaunta asked Sara. "It keeps coming loose."

"Sure,? the shorter blonde told her friend and started pulling the failed knot apart.

"The queen is attended to by her assistant,? Brian said in his made up accent.

"Sara's nobody's assistant,? LaShaunta told the camera.

"That's right,? Sara declared then laughed.

"The camaraderie between these two specimens is remarkable,? Brian kept it up as he moved around the pair, attempting to keep their faces in focus but straying from time to time. It didn't matter. Nobody was going to see this anyway.

"Don't you have pictures to take?? LaShaunta asked. "You better go do your job before they fire you, Brian."

When the meet began a bit later, Sara actually dreaded taking off her two layers of sweat pants. She just couldn't run fast in pants or leggings. She'd tried once and had been annoyed the entire time, so with teeth gritting determination, she removed her jacket and sweatshirt. Her pants were next. Finally she stood there with very warmed up muscles and extremely cold skin.

A photographer from a small town newspaper turned and caught Sara as she began tying her curly blonde hair behind her head. She wasn't looking in his direction, but she got a little smile on her face as she felt the intense lust coming from him. It wasn't that she was trying to receive anything from the guy, but sometimes strong emotions were hard to filter out. She could have left it at that and moved on, but she decided to see what this guy liked.

Sara leaned to one side like she was stretching, slowly shifting her hips so that most of her weight was on her left leg. She seemed completely oblivious as her quads, calves, and glutes firmed up, but she wasn't. Sara loved the body she'd built and apparently so did the photographer. She bent her knee just slightly, allowing her impressive quad heads to bulge above her comparatively dainty knees. She felt his interest and his lust kick up a notch. Just then she turned and swept her eyes across the photographer, using her training to take in a good deal of information with just that split second glance. His eyes were wide, his mouth partially open as he continued to stare. Sara rose onto her toes, taunting her prey, taking a peek at her thickening calves, the spikes at the side forcing her long socks to stretch around them.

She leaned to the side again, this time putting the weight on her right leg, making her quad bulge. She gave a little flex, just enough for the photographer to see her muscles tighten harder. She kept leaning though, until her shirt rode up on the sides, exposing her abs and obliques. The air was really cold, but this guy's lust was hot enough for the both of them. She twisted at the waist so he could get a good eyeful of her ass in profile. Sara was just as proud of her butt as she was of the rest of her body, and this guy responded just like she thought he would. She could practically feel his heart thunder in his chest as his libido shot into overdrive.

She straightened up and thrust her arms up over her head, lacing her fingers together as she locked her elbows. Everything flexed from her forearms to her triceps, to her deltoids, to her traps, and all of it was beautifully hard. Then she pulled her arms down and flexed both biceps hard for a moment while she pretended to fix her hair. Her hair was fine, but she wanted this guy to see that it wasn't an apparition. Her biceps really were that knotted and big. She put a little extra into the flex and watched the veins start to show beneath her frigid skin. She held the flex until her muscle fibers started to twitch before relaxing and sucking a big, chest-expanding breath. Sara's large breasts were already stuffed inside a sports bra, a body hugging athletic undershirt, and her uniform. Now they threatened to spill out as her cleavage surged upwards and outwards. Her nipples, already rock hard from the cold, poked forward prominently. The photographer was basically panting now as Sara stretched out, keeping her breasts pressed towards. Then with a slightly bigger grin Sara flexed her pecs. Her chest muscles swelled pressing her breasts outward until the uniform top looked ready to burst. Sara felt the resistance from her sports bra and reveled in the challenge, putting more into the flex to overcome it. Her breasts looked moments from spilling out completely.

Eventually Sara relaxed her flex and was in the middle of coming up with another 'accidental' pose when a bemused LaShaunta strolled over quickly. "You should be ashamed of yourself,? she told Sara. The photographer coughed twice, turned red, and beat a hasty retreat.

"I'm not,? Sara whispered and LaShaunta smiled.

"There's a naughty little minx down inside sweet Sara isn't there?

"Somewhere beneath my good girl Southern charm."

Armen Petrosian picked up a black ceramic horse, turned it over a couple of times then held it out. "Do you think Sara'll like this? I think it looks like Winston."

Jan didn't consider the figurine for long before nodding her head. "Yeah, I think it's cute." Winston had a blaze on his face, but it was close enough she supposed. She had to smile as Armen talked the vendor down from nine dollars to seven. He was pleased with himself as he walked out of the crowded stall to join Jan. He shrugged. "I just had to haggle. That's how it's done where I'm from."

"I didn't say anything,? Jan told him as she wove her way through the crowded flea market aisle. Anything and everything was for sale. It had drawn every bargain hunter, junk collector, and amateur antique picker in the area. They browsed the booths and stalls looking for this or that. Some of the displays were ramshackle, looking like a stiff wind would cause them to come crashing down, while others looked like show pieces.

Jan used to come to these more often, but had gotten out of the habit in recent months. She hadn't actually planned to come today either, but this morning the walls of her empty apartment started closing in. Sara and LaShaunta were in Ohio while Alisha was in nerd heaven getting to use one of the super computers at the Oak Ridge Labs in Tennessee. Jan remembered the flea market but hadn't wanted to come alone, so she'd called Armen. The entire time she'd listened to the phone ring she just hoped that he wouldn't decline, fearing that he might have been content to play video games all day long.

While it wouldn't have been his ideal day, Armen would have been just fine playing Madden or the new FIFA, but the simple fact that Jan had called and asked him to go was enough to make up his mind. She'd probably been trying to hide it on the phone, but something was a little off. Jan was one of the most confident, self assured people Armen had ever met. She wasn't arrogant, just comfortable in her own skin. There was no way for Armen to know that Jan hadn't always been this way. She'd built herself up to this point.

Growing up Jan had either been quite high or quite low, relying on others to pull her back to the center, like Armen was doing just by being with her this morning. Jan didn't know if Agent Wills had known exactly how important he'd been to her. From the day they first met, Agent Wills seemed to have a knack for dealing with the moody young woman with super human strength, durability, and regeneration abilities matched by very few on the planet. Sometimes he used to challenge her strongly while other times he gave her a shoulder to cry on. Jan wasn't selfish in her grief, thinking that Agent Wills' death had affected her more than her friends, because it hadn't. She just knew that one important piece of her cobbled together support structure was gone? never to return.

Jan and Armen stopped at an interesting looking stall. He went to one side while Jan went to the other. She immediately started sifting through a collection of first print Judy Blume and Beverly Cleary books. She smiled thinking back to when she'd read them as a kid.

"Oh wow,? Armen exclaimed. "They have genuine ColecoVision controllers!"

"Fifteen dollars each,? the vendor told the young man.

"Oh, I don't have that console,? Armen admitted and Jan rolled her eyes before picking up a pristine copy of Superfudge and a practically new copy of Ramona the Pest realizing that she'd found Taylor's birthday present.

While Jan pulled some cash from her oversized purse, Armen stepped out into the aisle. He looked around at the barely contained commotion but stopped when he saw two guys leering at the stunning amazon buying books. Armen turned his head, but his eyes wouldn't stay away and neither would theirs. They pointed and glared and one told the other just what they'd do if they ever got that fuckable long legged chick into the sack. They didn't see Armen staring back as they continued their lewd conversation. He wasn't sure why, but they were actually pissing him off. Usually Jan would have either handled those two guys herself or ignored them, but she wasn't her normal self right now so Armen decided to do something that he ordinarily wouldn't have.

Jan came out of the booth with the wrapped up books in time to see Armen stepping out of a stall, walking back towards her. The two guys behind him looked embarrassed and a bit frightened as they turned away. Armen allowed the anger to fade as he stood in the aisle. Jan looked past him at the two men would now wouldn't even look up to meet her gaze. "What was that?,? she asked.

Armen took a deep calming breath. "Those two need to learn some manners."

"You gonna teach 'em?,? she asked with a smile as they continued down the aisle.

"If I have to,? he replied. "I'm not helpless you know."

Jan laughed. "I never thought that for a minute."

Cassie Redwine could hardly keep focused as she worked ten feet from her boss Dr. Dan Horowitz. She'd done pretty well keeping up with his demands so far, but at least once a day her thoughts turned to the plight of her friends. The battle had ended weeks earlier, but in many ways the wounds were still fresh for the whole country. Her friends had been in the middle of that tooth and nail battle using their gifts to the fullest to do what they could to end it. The news stories about the battle were pure fiction, made up by the government to cover up the truth about enhanced humans. Cassie knew the truth, or at least some of it. She knew that her friends had lost someone very important to them.

After lots of thought she realized that the only thing she could really do to help them was to be there for them, and to try and help them get back to normal. That was why Cassie had suggested they get together that evening. She didn't want it to be anything formal. It just her way of helping them move forward. She looked up at the clock on the wall at the same time as Dr. Horowitz but neither of them said anything. Cassie had noticed though that her new boss checked the clock quite often, but didn't think anything at all about it? for now.

Jan pushed her purse further up her shoulder and walked into a corner stall run by a not quite elderly widow and her young, but eager preteen grandson. The widow struck up a conversation with the six foot tall beauty shortly after Jan came in and started looking around. She explained how she and her husband used to come to this market, but he'd died suddenly and without warning about a year before. She thought about closing up shop, but her grandson convinced her not to. Jan didn't say much, but continued to listen. She eventually stopped at a trunk next to a stack of hubcaps and reached out to move it so the lid could open. "Here let me get that for you,? the grandson yelled and ran over. Jan smiled and stepped back. She and Armen looked at him grunt and struggle and finally set the trunk down on the ground. "It's just bulky,? the kid explained then stepped out of the way. Jan gave him another smile before opening the trunk. Beneath some paper there was a gorgeous quilt.

"My neighbor made that for my mother long years ago,? the widow explained. "My brother used to use it before he moved off. It hasn't been used since." Jan pulled more of the neatly folded quilt out wondering how much the widow wanted for it when her expression dropped. There were some moth holes in it. She looked at the side of the trunk and saw the crack where they'd gotten in. A good seamstress could have patched that quilt and made it look brand new. Jan was pretty good with buttons or fixing zippers, but quilting was outside of her skill set. She was about to fold it and put it back into the trunk when she felt something inside the folds. She frowned and carefully removed two old 78s.

"I wonder how those got there. Anyhow, I usually charge a dollar a piece for singles and two dollars for albums,? the widow explained as Jan examined each record closely.

Jan looked at the records once more before asking the widow, "Would you take a check?"

"Umm sure,? the widow replied with a frown and told Jan who to make it out to. Jan finished signing then handed it over and waited. The widow pulled her reading glasses up, glanced down and gasped. "Sweetheart, I think you've got some zeros in the wrong place."

Jan leaned over and looked down. "No ma'am. It's correct."

"Honey, I know I gave you a hard luck story and all, but I don't want charity."

Jan chuckled as Armen came over to see what was going on. "This record is from an artist named Charley Patton, and this one is by a guy named Skip James. Everybody in the Blues collecting field is looking for copies as nice as these. Heck, I've got this one already but I think this could be better. I might keep it and sell my old one."

The widow was floored. "Honey, when I was growing up people would line chicken coops and things with those old records."

Jan laughed. "Yes ma'am. That's the reason I just wrote you a check for ten grand. These records are very rare, and I didn't give you charity. I just decided not to make a profit off of you when I sell these."

The widow came from behind her little desk and gave Jan a big hug. "Sweetheart, you coulda paid me the couple of bucks and ran out outta here but you didn't. You're a blessing, a real blessing."

"I try to be when I can,? Jan replied with a smile. She and the widow spoke for a little while longer before Jan and Armen left. "This was a fruitful trip,? Jan declared once the two of them were on the way to her car.

"An expensive trip,? he remarked.

"I mean in one way yeah, but I actually might make a little profit off of these if I play a couple of collectors against each other."

"So the capitalist is taking over inside you."

Jan laughed. "I grew up going to car auctions with my dad and that's what the sellers do. If I do it? without the fast talking, I think I might be able to make a couple thousand."

"I've never even heard of those guys and their records cost more money than I've made in my entire life,? Armen said with a sigh.

Jan smiled and wrapped one of her long arms around Armen's rather boney shoulders. "Once you're a successful doctor you'll be able to afford shelves full of records like this."

Armen shrugged. "I'd probably collect video games if I had your kinda dough. But until then, can you at least play those records when we get back? I'm curious what ten thousand dollars worth of records sound like."

"Of course,? Jan agreed immediately. She loved sharing music like this with anyone who'd listen. Armen was satisfied as he got into Jan's car, not because he'd get to hear those old records because he was pretty sure Jan would get way more out of that than he ever would. He was just glad she seemed to be in a better mood.

Sebastian had been awake for 36 hours working with Lloyd and half of the base's intelligence staff. The spoils of the Americans' latest mission had been laid out in the old prison gymnasium. There were hundreds of thousands of bank notes of different values from different countries and it all had to be counted and tagged. There were government bonds from a dozen countries and corporate bonds from three dozen companies that mostly existed only on paper. There was so much intel that Sebastian had been advised to send it to London or Washington, but he'd argued his case. They were close to the operation and chances were higher that his people would find something. An outside person had to be brought up to speed and that took time. Sebastian knew that he was in a race against an unseen clock. His eyes burned as he blinked away the dryness and chugged coffee. He had a box of bonds sitting in front of him, and only the number on the top of the box made this box look different from the three others that he'd gone through in the last couple of hours. He had to be meticulous as he searched for anything and everything. His mind did wander a bit, if only to protect itself.

He thought about how terrific it was that he had this intel to begin with. Sebastian had been singing Captain Steve Hodges praises for months, but this operation was the kind that built careers. He'd gotten two vans loaded with intel, computers, paper files, and prisoners all at the same time. Going to the secondary extraction point so he'd have access to a Chinook was pure operational genius. Sebastian wouldn't be surprised if Steve made general one day or got a high post in the CIA. In his debrief and in his written report Steve spent more time praising Norma than touting his own role though. He all but said that the credit should go to her. None of them knew yet, but Steve's report had put Norma's name in the cue to receive a medal.

Sebastian was so proud of Norma that he couldn't put it to words. The simple, rather na?ve young woman he'd met a few months earlier would never have had a single passing thought that there might have been a second target location in that city. The old Norma wouldn't have been able to compile and sort through the intel inside her head to come up with any conclusion whatsoever, let along come up with the correct one. Between Steve and Sebastian, they were creating a little intel monster out of Norma, and both of them realized it.

Sebastian wanted her in the gym helping go through all of this evidence, she was getting good but she still had lots to learn. He hadn't forced her though. She was exhausted, and even that tightly packed ball of muscle had to rest sometime. It didn't matter. There was plenty of intel left. Sebastian smiled at the thought, but that smile dropped away. He pulled the light closer and leaned down to look more closely into the half emptied box of bonds. "What's this?,? he asked aloud and reached for a pair of tweezers. He carefully pulled out a small scrap of paper and held it up to the light. It looked like a receipt of some kind, but he didn't want to unfold it to get a better look.

"Could you bring me a bag?,? he asked Lloyd who was just walking by. Lloyd retrieved the sterile evidence bag and held it open. "This could be something but more likely it's absolutely nothing."

"You must have hope,? the Welshman told Sebastian as he sealed the bag. "I'll take this up to processing. Just pray we have some luck with it."

"I always do,? Sebastian said then let out a held breath. It was time to dig through another box.

Cassidy had chosen a restaurant/bar in her old neighborhood of Lakeview for dinner with her friends. That place had some of the best Italian beef sandwiches in the world and great pizza too. She was at the head of the long table, surrounded by her friends, a gluttonous array of food and drinks, plus the good vibes that she'd been missing. Cassie hadn't felt so? normal? in more than a month. She felt so normal in fact that she looked down the table and waited for proper moment to say, "So Jan, LaShaunta and Sara told me that you're afraid of going out for the track team."

Jan looked up from her plate, her mouth stuffed with a half taken bite of deep dish Chicago pizza. There was a moment of awkward indecision on her beautiful face before Cassie laughed and the table joined in. Brian raised his camera like a samurai did his sword and snapped an image of Jan mid chew. It was probably the worse picture of Jan ever taken. "That is so wrong,? Jan mumbled around her mouth full of pizza. "I told you I'm starving. I try to eat and this is what happens."

"Slow down,? LaShaunta urged. "Chew your food Jan, we couldn't understand a word you said." Everybody laughed again. Jan just shook her head and blushed as she swallowed and immediately took another huge bite.

"Lay off guys,? a grinning Heather urged and put her arm on her cousin's shoulder as she sat back at the table. "I'm sure Jan is famished. It's like my sister explains all the time, it's hard work looking perfect, takes lots of energy."

"Exactly,? Jan mumbled. "Besides the pizza here is terrific!" Brian raised his camera again and Heather leaned over putting her cheek against Jan's. Both smiled broadly, but Jan hadn't bothered swallowing. Her cheeks were puffed out and there was sauce on her chin when Brian snapped the picture. He looked at the view screen and laughed hard. "Let me see it,? Jan asked after swallowing and motioned for Brian to hand the camera across the table.

Heather looked at the two inch viewer too and moaned. "Awww, that's so cute,? she gushed and the camera got passed around. Cassidy glanced down at the image before handing the camera to Alisha who handed it Sara, who didn't even look at the image before handing it back to its owner who seemed quite pleased with his needling of Jan.

"Hey Brian,? Jan began and wiped the sauce from her mouth. "I've been meaning to ask, have you seen Jitka in the last couple of days? She's been asking about you a lot." Jan's eyes had a little extra twinkle in them when Brian turned bright red. He tried to open his mouth to speak, but coughed instead. This time it was Jan's turn to laugh. Everybody else around the table just looked confused.

"Jitka the Czech girl?,? LaShaunta asked.

"Uh huh,? Jan confirmed and downed some of her Coke then offered it across the table. "You need a sip Brian?"

"I'm fine,? he wheezed and shook his head. Sara patted Brian on the back as his coughing abated. It started all over again when she knocked him in the chest.

"Brian Pronger!,? Sara exclaimed. "You're better than that!" Everybody looked confused except Jan who seemed satisfied.

"I didn't know you knew about that,? Brian finally managed to tell Jan. "And you,? he said to Sara. "I thought you didn't read friends' minds."

"I don't,? she defended herself.

"Sometimes strong thoughts get through,? Alisha explained and Sara nodded. She really didn't read her friend's minds. That didn't mean that she wouldn't use her gift to spread around what she'd just found out. Brian watched as everybody turned towards him with fresh knowledge.

"So you love 'em and leave 'em?,? LaShaunta asked, barely able to keep from laughing again.

Brian shook his head. "Look guys, I have my reasons. I mean, she's a great girl, but let me just say? Jitka's a lot of woman. My pelvis still hurts." The table erupted.

A few beads of sweat dotted Abay Isayev's brow as he lit a cigarette and took a couple of puffs, hoping to clear his mind. One of his carefully setup currency exchange locations had been hit by some American Green Berets. What they hadn't taken, they'd burned. It was bad enough that they'd made off with millions and millions of dollars, it was worse that they might actually find something to trace it all back to him. The chances of that were slim, but Abay worked in finance. Sometimes slim was the name of the game. He had to assume that he was burned, that the entirety of his financial house of cards was about to come tumbling down. He had to salvage what he could and fast. There was a protocol for this very scenario. It had always seemed very farfetched in his mind, but here it was in reality smacking him in the face.

He walked to his small office area and hastily spun the dial on his wall safe. He bypassed everything in there, cash, bonds, a few bits of juicy information on local politicians, to find a cell phone. The battery was dead because he never thought to charge it, so he plugged it in and made the last call he ever thought he'd have to make. The phone rang once? twice? three times and suddenly Abay's hands started to shake. What if they weren't going to answer? What if he was on his own? Then he heard a connection made. "Yes,? a man said in a flat tone. Abay wanted to smile but didn't.

"I was calling for Mr. Khan,? Abay said in as convincing a manner as possible.

"He's in Istanbul,? the voice on the other end of the phone replied.

"Oh. Please tell him to get back to me immediately,? Abay said then hung up the phone and removed the battery.

"Nope,? Sara declared after LaShaunta explained her posing display from earlier that day. "I'm still not ashamed."

LaShaunta squeezed Sara's shoulder. "Y'all shoulda seen the poor guy. He was putty. If she kept flexing he would have kept staring."

Sara shrugged and downed some Diet Coke. "I can't help it if my biceps are amazing." She glanced down at Brian before sliding up her sleeve and flexing her right arm. As if he'd been trained to do it, Brian raised his camera and snapped a picture. Sara laughed and put even more into this flex than the ones that had captured that photographer's attention. Her already toned looking arm transformed itself into a clearly defined peak.

"It's certainly cute,? Cassie said and Sara looked over quickly.

"Cute?,? she asked with a raised eyebrow. "This is grade A and rock hard,? she stated and squeezed her little fist making her forearm swell and her bicep gain just a bit more size. Cassie gave a little shrug which was an admission that Sara's arm was pretty nice.

"You guys know I messed up my training schedule, but I think my muscles have responded pretty well recently,? Cassie said as she rolled her sleeves up and for the first time in weeks flexed her arms where others could see. She was a pro competitor for a reason. The care Cassie put into sculpting her body showed with every bulging sinew. Her biceps flexed as if they'd been waiting for this moment jumping beneath Cassie's sexy permanently bronzed skin. The separation between her rising biceps and hanging, rock hard triceps was enough to make her arms stand out on the stage against other competitive body sculptures. Cassie looked first left and then right before turning back to Sara. "I think that photographer would have started drooling right then and there if he'd seen these babies!,? she declared before laughing.

Other groups of people in the restaurant had taken notice of the little flexing display and there were half a dozen comments about it happening all at the same time. Jan and Heather heard the comments even if the rest of them couldn't. When a woman told her boyfriend that his arms were pretty tiny compared to those two girls', both Jan and Heather snickered.

"Something funny?,? Cassie asked from the head of the table.

"No nothing,? Jan mumbled before downing the rest of the slice.

"Sure?,? Sara challenged. "I thought you might have had some comments." She fake yawned and gave her arm a really hard flex as she went to cover her mouth.

Jan glanced across the table and chuckled. "Sara and Cassie you know I think you're both beautiful as hell, but whoever that photographer was, he would have fainted if I'd unleashed just one of these." Jan didn't bother rolling her blouse sleeves up, instead she enjoyed watching her expanding muscles fill the sleeve to capacity. Her mighty peaks rose like the mythic Pillars of Hercules, bracketing her beautiful smirking face. Almost every eye in the place was on her. She held her flex for a moment as the claps and wolf whistles started, but she didn't even pour on the power. She didn't have to. Jan knew her biceps were big and wonderful no matter what. "And that's why bodybuilding shows have weight classes kids,? Jan boasted before reaching for more pizza. Brian reached into his pocket for the extra memory card because he'd used up all the room on the other card documenting this unexpected muscle fest.

A smirking Heather cleared her throat and looked at Jan before turning towards the table. "You said the guy would have fainted if he'd seen you arms?" Heather raised her arms and closed her hands into fists and flexed her mighty pipes. "Well, he'd have had a heart attack on the spot if he'd seen these babies!" Heather's entire upper body swelled in an instant, but her biceps and triceps practically exploded. Heather's peaks weren't quite as sharp as her cousin's, but she more than made up for it in expansive, mind blowing growth. Jan's muscles always seemed to more than double in size when she flexed, but Heather had her beat. By the time Heather's arms stopped growing they were at least an inch and a half bigger than Jan's. Heather's arms could have put some hardcore bodybuilders to shame. "Yep, drink it in." It was her turn to boast. "Took me a lot of work to get these!" Jan just grinned and took another bite of deep dish while Brian clicked away on his camera.

Heather turned towards Brian to make sure he could get a good shot of her biceps. Then she stood up, and brought her arms down into an awe inspiring most muscular pose. Her pecs and traps gathered, but it was her delts that took center stage as Heather's face turned pink as she put in some extra effort. She stuck her tongue out and cranked her arms again before plopping back down in her seat and reached for her Mountain Dew. She briefly stood back up to bow as she too got showered with applauds, whistles, and shouts.

"Wow,? Brian said to Alisha. "Did we just see a flex off?"

Alisha smiled. "Yeah, and I don't think it's over." Sara wasn't going to be outdone that easily. She might have been the smallest girl at the table, but her muscles weren't finished yet. She pumped her arm a couple of times before flexing her right arm even harder than before. What it lacked in pure size compared to the other girls, it made up for in rock hard expansion. Sara had thrown down the 'not embarrassed with who might be watching' gauntlet and Cassie as before was the first one to pick it up.

Sebastian had left the search for intel and gotten some much needed sleep only after threats from Lloyd and a promise from Norma to actually come help. Sebastian could have pushed ahead if he had to, but sleep was always better for clear thought. He was drinking a freshly brewed cup of coffee after his nap when a young, rather attractive, French soldier came up to him. "Sir,? she said in the cutest accent. Her face was all business though as she came to attention. "This communication came for you."

"Merci caporal,? Sebastian replied and unfolded the printed document before the French soldier started walking away. This communication had been marked TOP SECRET by the Americans and by Sebastian's own government meaning that it had made its way through both intelligence labyrinths in record time. His eyes narrowed as he got towards the middle of the page. His lips were curled into a smile by the time he reached the end. "Bloody Yanks!,? he exclaimed and ran towards the officer's dormitory.

The fun little posedown had quickly taken on a life of its own. Sara laughed as she leaned in and flexed right next to Cassie's surging arm. She wasn't dieted down to her contest shape, but she was plenty pumped right now. Her definition was as good as she'd ever seen it. The upstart Sara had held her own, but there was a reason Cassie had become a pro before her 19^th birthday. "Enough with the amateur poses,? Cassie declared. "Time for the advanced level." She put her hands near her waist, rolled her shoulders forward and unfurled her lats like flags in the wind, forcing out the sides of her shirt until it clung tightly against her flexing chest, washboard abs, and wonderfully capped deltoids. Her breasts forced the overburdened shirt outward even more and the knitted separation between her pecs deepened. The gathering crowd cheered, and suddenly an onlooker had seen enough.

A man urged his wife to go join in with gentle pushes, and when she wouldn't go, he started to take his own shirt off and jump in. That would have been too embarrassing for her to take so the former onlooker raised her arms and flexed up some nice biceps of her own. She'd competed in some regional shows back in her early twenties but for the last ten years or so the only person who'd seen her muscles flex like this had been her husband. She hadn't expected it, but it felt pretty damn good to hear some whoops and shouts coming her way. Alisha wasn't immune to pull of having some fun at her own expense. She didn't look it, but Alisha carried plenty of hard earned muscle on her swimsuit model frame.

The first guy to jump into the fray didn't really have any muscle to speak of. He was as skinny as a rail, but he'd had a few beers and his buddies had gassed him up. Everybody laughed as he pressed his small arm next to Jan's, prodding her into flexing. Jan laughed and obliged. His arm disappeared behind Jan's as she flexed her biceps until more veins appeared under the surface of her shredded dual headed peak. The guy tried to pump his arms to make his muscles bigger. It didn't work, but it made Jan laugh and she couldn't hold the flex any longer. A few more people joined in the arms race, but the flexing show didn't stay there. It was of course a rather chubby guy who first removed his shirt to show off his 'abs'. He had more of a keg than a six pack, and he was pasty on top of it, but he was having a good time just like everybody else. A few moments later a guy with a real six pack and some muscles joined the fray on the ladies cheered the loudest.

At first the restaurant's management and staff hadn't known what to make of the impromptu show, but everybody seemed to be enjoying themselves plus they were buying even more beer. All was right with the world, except to Brian. There were plenty of people taking pictures of the posedown, but none of them had a camera that cost thousands of dollars hanging around their necks. Brian was the official photographer of this fun few minutes. When it was over he'd get plenty of e-mail addresses and requests for pictures, but until then he had something else on his mind.

"You don't want a part of this?,? he asked LaShaunta as two strangers tried to outflex each other a few feet away.

LaShaunta shook her head causing some of her braids to sail over her shoulder. "Nope. This body is for work not for display."

Brian laughed. "You are so full of it! Those skin tight salmon colored jeans say otherwise." LaShaunta inhaled a breath and her eyes opened wider as she prepared to respond to him only he didn't give her a chance. He turned his camera towards her, flipped on the flash and began taking picture after picture. Her retort was all forgotten as she attempted to cover her eyes.

"Cut it out!"

"A real flex and I'll stop!,? Brian declared and kept it up.

LaShaunta waved the mental white flag. "Fine? fine,? she moaned and held out her right arm. Brian turned off the flash and quickly changed the shutter speed so he could capture Shaunie's sinews as they flexed with athletic might. Usually LaShaunta's muscles just seamlessly flowed from one perfect shape to another as they moved her amazing body with assembly line precision, but not this time. This time LaShaunta bore down and flexed hard. Her muscles surged forward like an army at war, the sinews bunching and gathering like soldiers ready for a fight. Her normally smooth skin took on contours like weathered stone, jagged and fibrous. Brian thought her peak had formed already, but she wasn't finished yet. Muscles shifted and continued to thicken and grow. Two heads formed as LaShaunta's bicep neared its full flex. Her peak was the equal to anybody's in the room. She didn't have as much mass as Jan, but her cuts were just as deep. Her triceps hung low and hard, adding the size needed to make an arm really look big. LaShaunta might not have flexed in mirrors often, but she hadn't neglected any of her muscles either. Brian captured a wonderful shot from the side as LaShaunta admired her own muscle. She had both an expression approaching awe and the cockiness of the fact that this belonged to her. She held the flex for a moment before relaxing her arm and shaking it a bit. Brian was instantly disappointed, but he had to remember that she had just competed in a track meet. He thought he might have to urge her to flex again. Once wasn't enough, but he didn't have to worry. LaShaunta tightened her fist hard and flexed her right arm again, this time with muscle busting tenacity. She wanted to see what she really had. Veins crisscrossed beneath her dark skin darting and throbbing next to cross striations near her peak and the intricate insertions created by her pecs, shoulders, and biceps. The look of awe was gone from Shaunie's cute face. Concentration and will replaced it. She demanded more from her body, and like usual it supplied it. More separation, more veins and striations, more laser sharp definition. Brian moved to get a better shot of LaShaunta's boulder, then he pulled back and got his best shot of the night. He snapped a photo of LaShaunta's face as she admired her own powerful arm. LaShaunta finally stopped flexing, letting her arm drop to her side. She thought she was finished and that Brian was satisfied, but others had taken note of the new contestant in the flex-off. Some clapped, others pointed and whistled. LaShaunta finally exhaled and relaxed her flex.

"Satisfied?,? she asked Brian who shook his head.

"Abs!,? he declared and motioned for her to raise her shirt.

LaShaunta scoffed. "I just ate pizza and drank soda. I don't have any abs right now. I've probably got a 1 pack."

"Don't care!,? Brian yelled from behind his camera. Abs! Shaunie or you get the flash again!"

LaShaunta laughed. "What are you Buffalo Bill now? Flex the abs or it gets the hose again!,? she exclaimed then began lifting her shirt. She couldn't believe she was doing this, but she tensed her stomach and blew out a slow hissing breath. Brian took careful aim with his camera and captured the tectonic plates of LaShaunta's abs collide then pull apart creating a deep milk chocolate chasm down the center of her abdominal wall. She shifted her hips making her sexy blocks of muscle thicken and define even more. Brian had seen her flex her stomach before, but she was an order of magnitude beyond what he'd seen then. Her body was still pumped from track competition and her muscles showed it. LaShaunta ran her hands along her deeply carved abdominals and got a look on her face that Brian hadn't seen before, and that's because LaShaunta kept the expressions on her face understated, but she was in pure awe of herself at this moment. Suddenly Sara reached over and snatched LaShaunta by the arm. The smaller girl dragged LaShaunta towards the others, but the track star didn't resist too much.

Brian stood on a chair as he directed people with waving hands. Finally, with some effort, everybody was in place for the final photo to document their few minutes of frivolity. They all posed, everybody smiling and some laughing as they flexed one more time together. LaShaunta, who'd been late to join the muscle party, had also taken her sweet time finding a spot for the photo. She walked across the front row, stopped in the middle then dropped into a full split, raised her arms and flexed a double biceps pose. Brian waited for her to smile before snapping the photo.

"Okay that was fun,? Heather told the group once they were all back at the table.

"Yeah, I think I needed that,? Cassie admitted just before another guy came up and asked for her phone number. Everybody at the table had gotten multiple passes, including Brian although he hadn't flexed a single muscle, except to push buttons on his camera.

Just then a couple of waitresses came over carrying glasses beer. "Courtesy of those guys over there,? the lead waitress explained. "They said that they had to pay you guys back for making this an awesome night." Jan hefted a glass, smiled and did a long distance toast before taking a sip.

"We just need to see ID guys,? the other waitress explained.

Almost instantly, every eye turned to Alisha who just grinned and started reaching for her driver's license while seamlessly creating an illusion for her friends. Everybody's ID now read that they were a year older than they actually were, although Alisha just changed her ID to say that she was born in January instead of August. "Thanks guys. Enjoy."

"You know,? Alisha began before downing her first sip of non light beer in months, "Pretty soon I won't have to do that anymore."

"When that time comes, we'll just need to you fake something else for us,? LaShaunta said and everybody agreed.

The next day Sebastian was as excited as Norma had ever seen him. It turned out that the receipt Sebastian had found was from a popular chain of markets in Kazakhstan which didn't help the investigation except to say that at some point either the bonds, or a person handling the bonds had been in Kazakhstan. But the forensics wizards in London had pulled a fingerprint off of the receipt that was matched to an American of Kazakhstani descent named Abay Isayev. Apparently he'd applied for a money manager license in Kazakhstan and had worked at one of the big international banks there for more than a decade. That didn't interest Sebastian much. A guy working at a bank might have bonds pass through his hands, maybe whole boxes of bonds. This Isayev might not even be involved, but then Sebastian read that Isayev had quit his well paying job at the bank and disappeared from the face of the earth about two years ago. The taxes he paid to Kazakhstan and to the US said that he worked for a private investment firm, but the address of that company was nothing more than a one room office no one had entered in months.

Isayev still had an apartment in Almaty that as far as anybody could tell hadn't been lived in for quite a while. A different person came once a month to pick up the mail and that was it. That should have been the end of the story, at least as far as Sebastian was concerned, but then he got a stroke of luck. Not an hour after Sebastian had logged the name Abay Isayev, the American NSA had intercepted a brief phone call to a flagged number owned by a very scary terrorist organization. The call itself was coded so its meaning might never be known, but that didn't matter to Sebastian. The NSA had matched the voice of the person placing the call to a voice that had been on Isayev's voice mail message. The Yanks had even used their vast electronic empire to track the phone call to a remote village in Kazakhstan about a seven hour drive from the capital in Astana.

Steve, Curtis, Lloyd, and Sebastian had spent the better part of 20 hours meticulously planning a raid on the compound where Isayev's call had come from. They poured over satellite images and maps, gone over plans and contingencies until each man was sure they had thought of everything. Sebastian and the others worked like they were in the midst of a race because it didn't take a genius to figure out that Isayev wasn't going to be in that village for long, if he was still there at all. They had to go in and quickly.

Norma wondered how her team was going to be involved when they were a man down. Mike would be laid up for weeks and it'd take days to get a fresh replacement, unless Sebastian poached a soldier from one of the other American units stationed at the base. That soldier would have to be read in, if Sebastian chose to go that route. Norma was floored by his real choice. Sebastian assigned himself to replace Mike.

"What do you think you're doing?!?,? Norma demanded through Sebastian's closed bedroom door.

"I'm attempting to get dressed,? he replied calmly, which only made Norma more animated.

"Look, I understand this mission is time sensitive, but you can't just take off your fancy suits and walk into combat! You're going to get yourself hurt? or worse. This is just crazy!"

She heard him laugh. "Specialist, I appreciate your concern. I had no idea my Mum was actually seven years my junior!" He laughed again.

"Sebastian, this isn't funny!,? she shouted with a slight quiver in her voice.

Her tone made Sebastian's smile fall away and the amusement leave his voice. "Sometimes you get one chance, and then your opportunity vanishes! Never to return. This is one of those times Norma. I can feel it! This is our chance to strike at the heart of something, and I'm not just talking about my hunt for Mathias Ekholm. We're on to something that ties into the wider war. Nobody moves that many millions of pounds, or dollars just to smuggle a single boy, no matter how powerful he is. We're going to make a big dent in something today."

"But you don't have to put yourself on the line like this,? Norma pleaded through the door.

"Isn't that what you and your mates have been doing? putting your lives on the line?"

"Yes, that's what we do. That's what we're trained to do, but? but we're doing a nighttime HALO drop into Kazakhstan. Do you know how dangerous those are for people who haven't practiced them a lot?"

Sebastian let out a long sigh and opened the door. "Yes Norma, I'm aware of how dangerous a HALO jump is. Good thing the British Army isn't in the habit of just giving these away,? he quipped before handing Norma a shirt from his khaki barracks uniform.

She frowned and took a hard look at the barely worn garment. "Wait!,? she nearly shouted. "These are SAS wings!"

Sebastian laughed again. "Why yes, Specialist, they are SAS wings. I earned them when you were still in secondary school. Like I said, I appreciate your concern for my safety, but I know exactly what I'm walking into? or rather leaping into."

Norma shook her head and chuckled before handing Sebastian back his uniform. "You could have simply told me you're former SAS."

"I could have Specialist, but then I wouldn't have gotten the chance to see this expression on your face. It's much more fun to get you all worked up."

Morgen Stern had allowed the Carri character to stay in effect until the moment they were about to walk into Benny's hidden compound. She didn't seem to dread it, but Morgen felt a tug of regret every time he saw the personality, the life, drain from X-411's face. He turned her over to Dr. Long, and was heading towards Benny's living quarters when he saw X-424 coming down the hallway.

"How's Benny holding up?,? Morgen asked.

"He's managing,? X-424 replied and laid a large towel over her shoulder. "You don't have to go see him now. It's been some time since Malcolm died, but you're still not his favorite person."

Morgen let out a long sigh. He'd held off coming to see Benny as long as he could. After the escape attempt at the fort, he and X-411 had laid low and then they'd infiltrated the hospital to get at the last Men of the Revolution. Then Morgen had a made a trip to see Aaron Miles. He genuinely didn't like the man, but he didn't want the asshole to die either. Apparently Jan Caufield felt the same way because she'd saved his life. His injuries were healing nicely despite their severity. Morgen had hoped the extra days would allow time for Benny's emotions to settle, but perhaps there'd never be enough days for that to happen. Benny knew that he had to get Malcolm and his Men out of his compound, out of his business, and out of his life, but he might never get over the fact that Morgen had forced his hand.

"I'm many things, but I'm not a coward. I convinced Benny to go down this path, to betray his old friend. I have to at least take his potential wrath." Morgen started down the hall again, but X-424 took his arm lightly to stop him. He saw the real concern on her face when he turned.

"Just take that potential wrath, please. Don't give him any back." Morgen nodded and continued on his way. X-424 watched him walk away wanting to join them, to be in the room but knew that she shouldn't. Benny relied on her for a lot, but he didn't need her to hold his hand, so with a sigh of her own X-424 headed to the pool.

Morgen's meeting with Benny had started out pleasant enough, but eventually Benny's mental dam burst and he let Morgen know what he really thought. Morgen did just as X-424 had asked though. It turned out to be the correct emotional strategy anyhow. After some furious venting, Benny talked himself into agreement with what Morgen had done. Benny reminded himself that, Malcolm had died in battle after all. If he had to die young, at least he died fighting for his cause, for his Men. Benny knew that's how Malcolm would have wanted to go. Morgen hoped Benny never found out exactly how Malcolm met his end though. He'd certainly never tell him. There was no need to give Benny nightmares.

"Oh Shaunie you shouldn't have,? Armen said before plunging a spoonful of gelato into his mouth. LaShaunta chuckled at the bliss that appeared on his face. She didn't explain that yeah, she felt like she had to travel to Italy and bring him back a cup of a best gelato in the world. The little gathering in Chicago had been so much fun, and he couldn't be there. He was missing out on this huge chunk of being a full part of the circle of friends that he'd fallen into. LaShaunta wanted to tell Armen about Sara, Jan, and Alisha so bad that it was on the tip of her tongue almost every moment she was around him, but Sara would feel so betrayed if she revealed their secrets. She'd keep her mouth shut no matter how much stress it was causing. "Do you want some?,? Armen asked, extending the spoon.

LaShaunta smiled. "Nope. This treat's all yours."

"Are you buttering me up for something?,? Armen asked suddenly, his brow drawing close. "What did you do?"

"Nothing!,? LaShaunta exclaimed, and Armen's eyes narrowed further. "I'm completely innocent!,? she declared.

Armen laughed and nearly dribbled gelato onto his chin. "You're never completely innocent!" This time LaShaunta laughed. "Oh the stories I could tell,? Armen mused and LaShaunta leaned in.

"We wouldn't want to start telling stories now would we?,? LaShaunta threatened with a mischievous grin.

"See!,? Armen exclaimed and pointed across the table. "Never completely innocent!"

"Just eat your gelato before I take it away,? LaShaunta threatened and opened her laptop, but didn't get much work done because she'd started Armen down memory lane.

He was in the middle of recounting a somewhat embarrassing story from LaShaunta's recent past when he did a double take. LaShaunta glanced to see what he was looking at, but Armen had already stood up. "Mr. Stern,? he called and Morgen turned quickly towards the pair.

"Armen!,? he said and the two shook hands warmly. "It has been a long time. Boy, have you gotten taller?"

"Maybe a little. It's better than going through life short, I guess."

Morgen chuckled, pulling himself out of his preoccupation and back to the moment. "Good afternoon, Shaunie,? Morgen said with a bit of a bow. "So, Armen are you keeping her on the straight and narrow path?"

Armen shook his head. "Mr. Stern, you of all people should know how impossible that would be."

"Oh ha ha,? LaShaunta said wryly, but Morgen laughed. "So what brings you to campus?"

"I wanted to check up on an acquaintance who's been ill." There was no need in calling Moira a friend just because they were friendly towards each other. After his meeting with Benny, Morgen had been desperate to get that out of his head, so he'd come to see Moira. She'd decided to resume her lab schedule, which Morgen thought was quite dedicated of her. Moira was such a pleasant person, quite beautiful too. Her fianc? was a fortunate man. "I'm not staying in Atlanta much longer though. I have a little more business to attend to and then I'm off to Doha."

LaShaunta crossed her arms beneath her ample bosom and cocked her head to one side. "Business to attend to huh? so what's her name? this business of yours?"

Morgen threw his head back and laughed heartily. "She goes by Melody in her professional parlance, but her real name is Hannah. She's a lovely girl, working her way through law school, and I'm contributing to that."

"Don't you just have a heart of gold,? LaShaunta teased then poked Armen in shoulder just to make him grin.

Morgen put his hand over his heart and gave a mock bow. "Yes, I do. Besides a man such as myself always needs a large stable of lawyers, in multiple countries." Both Armen and LaShaunta chuckled. "You two be as good as possible, and I'll see you some other time."

"That was random,? Armen observed before diving back into his gelato.

LaShaunta scoffed. "Since when are things random with him?"

"True.,? Armen agreed.

But it had been random. They wouldn't know just how much that short conversation had brightened Morgen's mood. He felt so good in fact that he snatched out his cellphone and called in a favor to get he and 'Melody' a table at Redwine's that night.

Two cars, three suv's, and a cargo van pulled through the compound's gate, kicking up dust along the driveway as Abay Isayev smoked the first cigarette from his third pack of the day. He'd never been a chain smoker before, but this day wasn't like any he'd experienced. When he'd been presented with the opportunity to turn the tables on the people back home and in Europe who thought they were so smart and so righteous he'd jumped at the chance. When he started, the financial system these terrorists had be using was prehistoric. Sometimes they'd actually used cash inside of a paper bag to pay for things. Isayev had fixed all of that. He'd spent the last couple of years building an underground money distribution network like the world had never seen. Not only could money be moved from buyers to sellers quickly and efficiently, he had invested his employer's money so well that they were making nearly as much money off of the interest as they were from their lucrative US government contracts.

The only weak link in his chain was the hard money sites. There were some situations that called for old fashioned cash. Moving money electronically just wouldn't do. For those situations, Isayev had set up a hub and spoke system where the money moved from city to city and from country to country. No matter how many layers he put between himself and that money, no matter how careful he was, he'd always hated having that cash sitting there. Now somebody had found it. It would have been one thing if it was a gang or even a local government. Gangs could be eliminated and local governments could be bribed, but this was way past that. Now he had to run. He had to disappear, and he had to take his financial setup with him. Finding the hard cash was a hiccup. Finding the information he had here on this compound would be getting the keys to financial kingdom.

Very serious looking men in suits got out of the cars and the vans. A man came over to him buttoning his jacket as he approached. "Are you Abdul?,? Isayev asked nervously.

"Have you started powering down the system,? Abdul asked without answering Isayev.

Isayev shook his head. "I had trades in the works and needed it running."

"Are the trades complete?"

"Yes, by now they should be."

"Good. We do not have much time,? Abdul said as his people started entering the building. "Show my men the procedure so they can assist." Isayev started into the house with a group of men while others helped bolster the already tight security at the perimeter wall. Isayev knew that all of this was supposed to make him feel better, but it didn't. He was as scared as ever.

"Hey Shaunie are you coming?,? Jan called as the group gathered at the door. "The movie starts at 6."

"Nah. You guys go. Tell me if it's worth seeing,? LaShaunta yelled from her bedroom.

"Are you sure?,? Sara asked.

"Yeah, you guys enjoy,? LaShaunta said and zipped up her jacket. She heard her roommates, plus Brian and Armen leave the apartment heading to the theater. LaShaunta had somewhere else to be though. She grabbed her extra cellphone and transported herself to New York City.

She could have ported herself right inside the apartment, but instead she buzzed the front door. The apartment's owner answered quickly. "Come on in,? Amaris said with a smile and moved out of the way, making sure to get her growing belly clear. Even in the midst of her pregnancy Amaris moved with matchless grace that LaShaunta never failed to notice. Amaris headed towards the kitchen while LaShaunta went towards the couch. It wasn't long before the former assassin came back with two steaming cups of tea. LaShaunta let out a long sigh before taking a sip. Despite their rocky start, LaShaunta and Amaris had bonded after their mission to kill Jason Mallster and the corrupt FBI agent who had sold Jan out. Over the last several months their friendship had strengthened to the point where LaShaunta could tell Amaris anything and vice versa. Amaris had lots of secrets and she'd told some to LaShaunta that she hadn't shared with another soul. Tonight it was LaShaunta confiding in Amaris once again.

"Are you still having nightmares?,? Amaris asked as she sat on the plush sofa, curling her feet beneath her.

LaShaunta nodded. "Not every night though,? she admitted. "Now I just think about how much of a waste it was. I mean I understand fighting for a cause, but some of those guys died for no reason. Their cause was lost." LaShaunta took a sip of tea and leaned back against the soft cushions.

Amaris considered LaShaunta for a moment before speaking. "You don't really want to talk about that stuff though do you?,? she asked after a moment. A moist eyed LaShaunta shook her head and Amaris smiled. "I didn't think so."

HALO jumps weren't Norma's favorite activity, but she was starting to get used to them. Jumping from high in the air and waiting until the last possible moment to deploy a parachute was a way to get the blood flowing for sure. The military cargo plane they were on was pretending to be a commercial jet liner with a civilian call sign, transponder, and everything. The plane was supposed to be heading to Beijing, but it was going to land in Afghanistan instead. By then the Green Berets and SAS soldiers would have finished their mission one way or the other.

There wasn't a seating chart, but the Americans were sitting on one side of the plane while the Brits were on the other. Norma looked over at Sebastian as he talked and chuckled with some of his former SAS mates. She realized that she'd only ever seen Sebastian in his really expensive clothes, working as an analyst. That was the image he wanted to portray, but seeing him sitting over there with his face in warpaint, loaded down for combat she saw a completely different side of him. She probably should have been mad that he'd chose to keep that part of himself secret from her when she'd been really open with him about her past, even about things that embarrassed her to think about, but she wasn't mad at all. He was under no obligation to share with her just because she shared with him. This probably wouldn't even change how she interacted with him. Although from here on out, Norma would pry a little harder when she questioned him.

A few minutes from the jump the stories stopped and the smiling faces went away. Each person checked their gear and checked their comrade's gear. Then it was time to jump. The rear loading door opened, revealing a completely black sky. Clouds obscured what moon there was, and to Norma it looked like she was jumping into an abyss. The teams jumped in parallel lines, the SAS on the left, the Green Berets on the right. Sebastian was standing behind Roper when he jumped in front of Norma. "I should probably be over here for this jump, don't you think,? he said with that smirk of his.

Norma shook her head as Sebastian ran off the edge of the ramp and turned towards her in mid air, waving before falling out of sight. Norma was laughing as she jumped off the plane, the last one to leave solid footing and the last one to find it again on the ground.

Isayev tried to hide his shaking as he watched the last server shut down. Millions and millions worth of trades had gone out over those servers, but there wasn't time to take all of the equipment. As soon as the lights went off on the machine, one of the terrorist guys started removing the hard drives from the rack. The men were careful as they placed the drives in cushioned cases.

"Be careful with those,? Isayev said anyway. He just wanted to feel like he was in control of something, but when the man turned towards him with a murderous scowl, Isayev decided to go into another room. It was almost time for him to leave. With the last server shut down, his expertise wasn't needed here anymore.

The Green Berets plus Major Sebastian Howell had taken cover on the reverse slope of a ditch across the street from the walled compound that held Isayev. The satellite images had shown minimal outwards security, but that had changed since the last flyby. Every guard position was manned now, but the plan had anticipated this. The SAS approached the gatehouse like shadows. Norma couldn't help but watch. She'd never seen the fabled Special Air Service in action before and they didn't disappoint. They dispatched the armed men with violent precision. Norma watched Roper, who she'd learned was somewhat of a joker, take out a lookout with a vintage Fairbairn-Sykes knife without allowing a single drop of blood to fall from the stiletto blade onto the floor. He left the body lying as if it'd been killed by a specter. "Gatehouse clear,? Major Weir reported. The SAS had showed out. It was time for the Green Berets to prove that they weren't chopped liver.

They approached a two story garage that doubled as a watchtower. Norma was just behind Sebastian as they slipped through the gate and headed towards the tower. They had to run a hundred meters through the open darkness to get to the door. Norma felt like she'd held her breath the entire time as she finally pressed her back against the cold block walls of the building. Brent slipped a fiber optics camera beneath the door and did a quick sweep before pulling back. Now it was Norma's turn. She was prepared to kick the steel door open, but remembered something Mike had told her months earlier. She tried the knob instead then pushed the unlocked door open.

The team entered like a snake, slithering through the doorway and into the building. The Americans were no less precise in their first action of the day, although they used suppressed rifle fire to get the job done, all except for Sebastian. Every member of the team had gotten used to taking orders from Sebastian, but now they got to see if he could put his money where his mouth was. He was in the uniform of a Special Forces operator now. So far he'd talked like one and he'd moved like one, and when he encountered a guard, Norma and the other Green Berets saw that Sebastian killed like one. He unsheathed his knife and plunged the blade into the base of a terrorist's skull then gently laid the body onto the floor, almost without losing a stride. Norma was impressed.

Despite wanting to get away from these scary looking guys as quickly as possible, Isayev went back into the server room to make sure that there wasn't anything of importance left behind. After a quick walk though, he nodded and the terrorist soldiers started pouring gasoline all around the room. "Time for us to go,? Abdul said and motioned for Isayev to join him. Abdul planned to get Isayev to the waiting vehicle parked outside. They'd head to an airstrip about five miles away, and then this money guy would become somebody else's problem. Only the driver of the SUV was already dead, and two of the men who'd been guarding the door had already surrendered to the SAS just before Weir, Roper, and Mayer entered the building. The SAS operators moved stealthily past some stairs, following the unmistakable scent of petrol when they heard footsteps coming towards them. Isayev and his Pakistani handler turned a corner and came to face to muzzle with three soldiers.

Not a single heartbeat went by before Isayev threw up his hands, but Abdul turned away from the Brits. They yelled warnings, thinking he was about to make a run for it. Instead he unholstered his gun. Major Weir put two bullets into Abdul's shoulder a split second before Roper and Mayer too opened fire, but the Brits' bullets didn't stop Abdul from aiming his gun and putting six shots to the center of Isayev's chest. The dying money manager dropped to his knees, shocked at this turn of events, his eyes open wide, his lips moving to form words even as his lungs filled with frothy blood. He finally fell a top the man who had killed him.

"So the guy just shot Isayev?,? Sebastian asked a minute later. Curtis nodded.

"It was the damnedest thing. We had them both, and it was like he didn't care about living so long as he killed Isayev."

Sebastian shook his head. "I guess Isayev's secrets die with him. Now we get to figure out who wanted that bastard dead and why?"

Curtis laughed. "No, Battie, that's your job. I just pull triggers." Sebastian laughed and Curtis slapped his former teammate on the back before heading outside. Just like with the assault, the Green Berets and SAS worked quickly and efficiently to find and catalogue every piece of intel available, but only after finding some fans to air out the server room.

Sebastian was cataloging the hard drives in the trunk of the car parked near the front door when Norma walked up. Her face was still painted and her muscles still enormously pumped after the mission. "Those should keep somebody busy for a while,? she noted in her jarringly girlie voice.

"Once they're decrypted and sorted I'm sure the two of us will be pouring over whatever's on these drives,? Sebastian said and looked over to see Norma frowning. "It's no longer a hobby, Specialist. You're too good at this, and you're only getting better. It would be fairly irregular for me to request a US Army specialist without a college degree to be my assistant, but don't test me Carlton. I'll snatch you out of your unit so fast your head will spin round."

Norma grinned. "Wow, you really know how to deliver a threat."

"It's the English accent,? Sebastian deadpanned.

Norma's grin turned into a full fledged smile. "You know, Battie? I don't remember us going over the plan for our exfil. And we're just sort of hanging around here. I'm not used to that."

Sebastian ignored her use of his nickname and looked at his watch. "Our exfil will be here presently." A couple of minutes later four Kazakhstani armored personnel carriers came driving up with a gleaming Mercedes-Benz trailing behind. A platoon of soldiers jumped out of the personnel carriers and a couple of men in very nice suits approached Sebastian from the sedan. Norma started to take a step back, but Sebastian put his hand behind her, gently urging her to stay put.

"Sorry to make you and your men have to come in the hard way,? Qariat Musin of the Kazakhstani foreign ministry stated in an unmistakable British accent. "Politics is what politics is."

Sebastian smiled and shook Qariat's hand. "As long as we get to leave the easy way."

Qariat smiled. "There's no satellite tv in the back of a BMP but it is better than falling from the sky I would imagine."

Norma chuckled then began to blush beneath the camo paint. "Ah, Qariat, this is Specialist Norma Carlton, the first lady Green Beret."

"Congratulations, Specialist Carlton. That is an honor you mostly likely haven't realized the full breadth of just yet."

"You're right, probably not yet sir,? Norma replied and shook Qariat's hand.

"Plus, she's the reason we're here? the reason we found this place. If it wasn't for Specialist Carlton, we'd be no closer to a terrorist cell."

"And they'd still be operating in my fair country. Thank you, Specialist Carlton."

Norma's blush grew red enough for it to almost show through the camo now. "Oh, I'm just doing my job, sir."

Qariat smiled. This lady Green Beret was nothing like he'd imagine a lady Green Beret to be. He looked from Norma's face to his watch. "Well, you and your people should get going. Hand over the evidence and any information you've gathered. Your plane is leaving within the hour."

Sebastian smiled and shook Qariat's hand again. "It is always lovely doing business with you. Catch me in London. The next ten dinners are on me."

"I'll hold you to that!,? Qariat called as Sebastian and Norma headed towards one of the Soviet made armored personnel carriers.

Norma waited until the door was closed to frown and look over at Sebastian. "We're not getting the evidence! I thought? you mean they're just going to TAKE IT! After we did all that work?"

Sebastian laughed and a couple of the other soldiers in the back of the BMP chuckled. "Norma, we don't do unsanctioned missions in Kazakhstan. Our two governments wouldn't like that at all. Qariat and I worked out a deal where we sneaked in then asked for forgiveness after a successful mission."

"And if it hadn't been successful?"

"Then we'd been humping it out of the 9^th largest country in the world."

That thought made Norma's stomach turn a flip. "I guess turning over our haul was the price of forgiveness."

Sebastian smiled and leaned back against the rocking BMP. "You've got it all figured out now. The Kazakhstani government gets to take credit for rooting out a bad element and in a few hours we'll have all the intel our little hearts' desire."

"Wow,? was Norma's only reply. It was true that she learned something new every day, but some days she learned way more than others.

"I thought it was okay, but if Bruce Willis plays a drunk cop one more time I think I'll throw up my popcorn,? Jan stated from the driver's seat of Sara's Hummer as they went down the road.

"I liked it,? Brian said with a shrug. "Me too,? Armen chimed in.

"What about you?,? Sara asked Alisha.

The buxom brunette twisted her mouth and finally said, "I'll just say I'm glad my dad didn't produce it."

"Ah! You're just a critic,? Sara exclaimed and used her knee to press into Alisha's back through the seat.

Alisha turned as far as her seatbelt would allow ready to give Sara a piece of her mind, when Jan gasped. "Oh no,? she breathed and looked down at the highway below the overpass. Everyone turned and saw the accident just as it played out. A Honda sedan came across the grass divider at highway speeds and flew several feet in the air, landing across the hood of a Cadillac heading the opposite direction. That Caddy veered to the right and slammed into a big delivery truck that had tried to avoid the oncoming chaos. The sounds of bending metal, screeching tires, and shattering glass reached Jan's ears. The delivery truck collected a Ford hatchback and a Suburban which crushed the hatchback between the big SUV and an even bigger delivery truck. The mass of twisted steel slid along the road for a time before coming to a stop. Jan drove across the overpass then pulled to the side of the road.

"We have to help them,? she declared, turning back to look at Sara all while unbuckling her seatbelt.

Sara threw the quickest of glances at Armen before meeting Jan's intense gaze. "Keep him here,? Sara told Brian while motioning to Armen.

"We'll be right back,? Alisha yelled as she jumped from the Hummer and followed Jan down the steep embankment to the highway below. The smell of spilling gasoline assaulted Jan's nose as she got closer. It only made her run faster. She'd been around cars her whole life and knew it wasn't the liquid gas that would ignite. Its flash point was fairly high, but vapor easily caught fire. If anybody was alive inside this mass of metal, they didn't have long.

Jan skidded to a stop and spread her hands out as far as she could beneath the Honda which was lying across the hoods of three vehicles. She had to get it out of the way first. She pressed her lips together and pushed up with enough force to lift two Hondas, but the car stayed put. Jan's brow gathered and she released a little more power from the volcano inside her and her super human muscles really flexed. Triceps and lats, quads, hams, and glutes all thickened and tensed up. The car's chassis popped as it began to buckle. Jan started straightening her legs, her peerless legs thickened even more inside her designer denims. The Honda began to rise along with the front wheels of the Caddy and the delivery truck. The Honda sagged under the added weight, but Jan's arms didn't even shake. She bent her legs to let the wheels touch the pavement and then Sara yelled from behind her. "I'll hold the other two down." Jan spaced her hands a little further apart before lifting again. The heavily damaged front end sagged lower and lower until the metal sheared off with loud SNAP. The car was finally free. Jan carried the Honda clear of the other cars and carefully lowered it to the ground. She might have left the car on its side but thought she might crush the driver if a body part was sticking out of the broken window. Jan pulled the car towards her and set it down onto its bottom, although only one wheel was still intact after the violent crash.

"They'll be back in a minute or two,? Brian told a very nervous Armen.

"We should go help them! We're letting them do this alone!"

Brian put his hand on his friend and roommate's shoulder. "Come on, man. They wanted it this way. Trust me. They have their reasons." Armen couldn't believe what he was hearing, but he'd respect Sara's wishes? for now.

Jan finally allowed herself to look inside the car that had caused this crash in the first place. She'd almost chosen to help this person last, but all that lingering animosity instantly melted away. The middle aged woman inside the Honda was in pretty bad shape. "There's some foam around this driver's mouth,? Jan told Sara and Alisha. "She might have had a heart attack."

"Before or after the crash?,? Alisha asked with some skepticism as she hooked her arms beneath the shoulders of an injured teenager.

Jan didn't want to think about it too much. She went around to the driver side door which was less damaged and balled her big hand into a fist before driving it through the relatively thin sheet metal and plastic inner panel. It was so much easier than punching through the side of an armored vehicle that Jan's knuckles barely felt it. She gripped the door from the inside and yanked. The door creased in the middle and quickly broke free. Jan took a couple of steps backwards to gather herself and finally got a really good look at the driver. She had multiple injuries in addition to whatever had caused her to lose control of her car in the first place. At least she had her seatbelt on. It had probably saved her life. Jan gripped the thick nylon near where it bolted to the seat and pulled. The bolt snapped with a loud BANG and Jan gently carried the woman to the side of the road.

"That gas smell's getting worse. It's burning my eyes now,? Alisha told Jan as she laid down the teenager from the Cadillac's back seat.

"I know. The vapor's building up,? Jan said and ran towards the delivery truck, hoping the people in it were less injured. Sara had freed another passenger from the Cadillac, but there were more people to get out. She had to be careful though so she wouldn't cause any more injuries than these people already had. Sara's expression showed her extreme concentration as she used her gift with surgeon like precision to untangle jagged metal from around the head of a toddler strapped into the a childseat. While Sara was busy with that rescue, Alisha went to the other side of the car and forced open a battered door. Her sexy fit body flexed with all it had as she pulled against the door. She didn't carry as much muscle as her roommates, but that didn't mean she was weak. The bent hinges opened after her efforts, allowing a man in his middle thirties to fall towards the pavement. Alisha caught him before his head hit the ground. Blood dripped from cuts on his face and chest, but his eyes were open. "My boys!,? he screamed despite the pain.

"We've already gotten a teenager free,? Alisha told the father.

"My little one,? he groaned.

"We'll get him,? Alisha tried to soothe the frantic man.

"I've got him,? Sara announced triumphantly and ran around the car cradling the kid in her arms. "Now its time to get you out of there." Sara handed Alisha the toddler and went to work with her gift getting the man from his mangled Caddy.

"My brother!,? the man yelled as his thoughts ordered themselves. He tried to sit up, but Sara's power kept him still.

"I see your brother,? Sara told him. "He's next.

"Thank God,? the man muttered then passed out from pain and loss of blood. Sara let out a sigh at this development, but it actually made her job easier. With him not moving around at all she managed to get his badly broken leg free from the wreckage. She let this man lie flat as she used her gift to transport him to the side of the road like he was on in invisible stretcher.

The fumes were making Jan nauseous as she got to the delivery truck, so there wasn't much time left before things got worse. She jumped to the running board and peered through the broken window. There was blood coated glass all over the floor with more blood on the steering wheel, the dashboard and the cracked windshield. The only person inside the cab had a trail of blood running down his head, but he was alive and somewhat alert.

The driver tried frantically to free his trapped leg from beneath the dashboard even as Jan leaned towards him. He'd already tugged so hard that he'd torn his pants and cut his skin on jagged metal. "Hey, hey,? Jan said and looked into his wild, dazed eyes. "I'm going to get you out of here, but you've got to be calm." The man seemed skeptical, but Jan smiled at him. "What's your name?"

"D? Don,? he managed then coughed.

"Okay Don, just sit still. This shouldn't take long." Don's skepticism returned but he did stop struggling.

Jan gripped the truck's steering wheel and pulled it off the column with a simple tug. The big steel nut that had held the steering wheel in place shattered and fell to the floor in two pieces. She'd freed one of Don's legs, but the other one was beneath the dashboard itself. She leaned over Don and he watched the biggest bicep he'd ever seen on a woman flex up with discrete definition. Jan herself groaned as she ruined another blouse that she actually liked as her peak broke through the fabric like a breaching sea beast. The instrument panel cracked followed by the dashboard itself. Don fell into Jan when his other leg came free.

Some blood ran down the sides of his mouth as Jan pulled him from the cab and laid him down on the road. He became more animated by the second. He tried to speak but was racked by coughs instead. Jan was in a hurry but tried to be patient since he seemed so determined to say something. When he tried to speak again the cough returned, this time with bloody phlegm. "I'm going to get you to the side of the road,? Jan told him and bent down to lift him to her shoulder. Don started pointing, jabbing his finger up towards the damaged cargo box of his large truck. Jan laid Don back down and followed his finger to the side of the truck. He just hoped she knew what the sign on the side of the truck meant. He wanted to tell her, but his internal injuries must have been worse than he thought.

Jan put her hand a crumpled section, trying to smooth it out so she could see beneath metal folds, but it was taking too long. Instead she jabbed her fingers right through the metal cargo box wall. Don watched Jan's shoulder blades draw together as she separated he arms, her traps and lats knotting up along her back as the metal peeled back. Ironically it was the growing flames from the spilling gasoline that allowed Jan to see all the canisters of oxygen and acetylene that had been strewn around the back of the truck. Jan's eyes opened wide as she looked towards Sara and Alisha. "Guys we've got to HURRY!"

Armen had broken out in a cold sweat. Brian had never seen his buddy like this. "Hey are you alright?,? he asked.

"No,? was Armen's reply before he opened the door and jumped out with Brian reaching to stop him.

"Shit!,? Brian exclaimed and jumped out of the Hummer but saw Armen running across the overpass already. There was no way he'd catch him. "Sara's going to freaking KILL ME!,? he yelled then jumped behind the wheel of the Hummer and started turning it around.

Jan had planned on carrying Don to the side of the road, but there wasn't time. She set him down behind at the rear of his truck and bent down to grip the underride guard. The still woozy driver had seen this woman bend his dashboard and rip open his cargo box but when she lifted the back of the multi-ton truck, he got to see just a taste of her real power. Jan's legs were always near perfection, but as her muscles flexed beneath those denims they reached a new level. The truck tires still brushed the road even after Jan had straightened her legs. She could have just thrown the truck to the side, but considering its cargo that seemed like a bad idea so she curled the rear of the truck like it was a massive barbell. Now it was up to her biceps to master the tons of weight hanging in her hands, and they did that. Jan's biceps swelled beyond anything they'd approached during the pose down in Chicago. She let loose more of her gift and was rewarded with fresh, new strength from deep within her. Her muscles responded by flexing bigger and harder. Her arms completely flexed out of the sleeves now as the back of the truck rose higher still. Jan glanced down, seeing a few stray flames, but more importantly seeing some light shine beneath the big tires. She took a couple of sideways steps before putting the truck down. Then she turned to get her first look at the previously trapped Ford and let out a long sigh. The only thing Jan could do was pray that the people inside that Ford weren't as broken as the car itself.

The side of the car had pinched inward squeezing the driver and a passenger in the backseat where they'd sat. Jan wedged her fingers into the gap between the wedged steel, took a deep breath, and pulled her arms apart. The topography of Jan's widening back was otherworldly, as she split a car in two, tearing the body first and then the far stronger chassis. Veins and arteries pulsed along the surface of Jan's knotted, flexing muscles as she continued to rip steel in half. Her arms pressed outward with tons of relentless force, pulling the steel until it snapped. Welds failed and even the strengthened parts of the car were being ripped by Jan's arms. She didn't stop until her long arms were completely straight. The car looked like it had been bitten in half by a huge shark. Jan got a little smile of satisfaction on her beautiful face when she realized that she'd be able to get these people out, only it was too late. Jan saw a flash off to her right. The gas vapor ignited with an audible whoosh and spread out in all directions along the road. Then the liquid gasoline caught fire and things happened very quickly after that.

Jan reached down and grabbed the two halves of the hatchback and quickly pulled them back together and held them with one hand, while reaching down beneath the car as far as her arm would reach. More steel creased and bent beneath Jan's grip and then she stood up. Don watched in wonder as this girl picked up the car like it was an awkwardly sized parcel. The car was barely in one piece still so she couldn't run, but she managed to get it to the side of the road. Flames were spreading by the time Jan turned back to look at the delivery truck driver. She jumped over the Ford and started towards him, looking down the road a bit to Sara who was doing her best to stop the flames near her, buy as soon as she snuffed out one, two more lit to take its place.

A mini explosion made Jan look towards the Caddy as a pool of spilled gas sent a ball of flame high in the air. She was visibly nervous as she exposed herself to the flames. Every car was burning now. She knew that the truck was next. Her heart raced, but she wouldn't abandon Don, who had managed to get to his feet, although he wasn't moving very quickly. Jan threw the man's arm over her shoulder and gripped the side of his pants with her hand and jumped. For Don it felt like they were flying as they sailed through the air. Jan and her passenger landed near the Ford and she instantly laid Don down in the ditch and reached out to the car. She was lying in the ditch next to him and dragged the car down into the ditch, managing to get the passengers below the level of the road. She draped her body over the Don and the woman who had started the accident scene in the first place, and waited for the inevitable explosion.

Alisha had another child in her arms and she felt Sara's power grip them both. Sara pulled Alisha near her so she could protect them better, but she wasn't sure if she could protect the people that were still inside their cars. She'd try but Sara was pushing her limits with this. She didn't even attempt to stretch her protective barrier to Jan. While her tall friend hated fire, she'd survive this. The girls watched helplessly as a dozen trails of fire burned towards punctured gas tanks and prepared themselves for the explosion. When the flames reached a leaking oxygen tank, the explosion ignited with an earsplitting boom.

Super heated gasses expanded at supersonic speeds sending out a shockwave that blasted open the back of the delivery truck and lit up the night sky with a bright orange and red plume of flame. The expanding shockwave shredded anything it touched, even rupturing more tanks in the back of the destroyed delivery truck, but then the explosion halted, paused in mid blast, as if someone had pushed a button on a remote control. The explosion compressed, moving backwards from a plume to a condensed ball of roaring flames that contained all the power of that would be explosion, and then a column of pure flame and heat a foot across shot out of the side of the explosive ball, speeding towards the side of the road. Other smaller tracts of flames bent and burned in the air to join the thick column of fire as it roared and thundered its way towards the embankment.

A stunned Sara followed the impossible, horizontal column of fire until she saw Armen at the end of it. His hand was outstretched, his features creased in desperate concentration and brightly lit by the searing flames. He absorbed the explosion's heat and energy, causing the flames to die at his hand. The explosion, for all of its power, couldn't defy him. The roar of all of it was still deafening as it fought to free itself from Armen's control, but he mastered it, eliminating all the heat and blinding light until at the end he closed his fist around the last lick of flame.