“This is a most dangerous time for us, my patripures,” the senior stated.“Agreed, this enemy are most cunning and have read us well.”“Yet we...shall prevail!”“We had better,” another patripure stated.“They’re digging in,” Jemima reported to Kordanta. “We suspect they’re bringing up everything they can to stop us, but need to hold us in place.”“Start digging in ourselves,” Kordanta ordered. “Casualties?”“Light. Mostly from their plasma weapons. Their main aim so far has been to close with us,. If any of these things happen before you reach the convention center or are attacked, your contract will be instantly terminated by the explosive device installed on the bottom of the vehicle. Is that clear?"I could see the driver swallowing hard in the rearview mirror but he answered, "Yeah, it's clear."As soon as number one pulled out, Mei, Wei, and I slipped out the far door of the limo and concealed ourselves behind the bags that had held the tent fabric. The girls had stored them there for. "You take a rather long time to get wet," she commented mildly. She stepped out from behind her Trainee, tugging the chain to turn the collar around Yanna's neck. "Have you forgotten how to please another as well?" No," Yanna said.Hiatha paused, then gave the chain a very sharp yank."No, mistress!" I do not know who trained you, Yanna," Hiatha said darkly. "But she was either incompetent, or did only half the job. Which is it?" I-I don't know, mistress." Ultimately, it matters not. But I am. “He’s been turning almost all of them down.”“There’s nothing like good, clean fun, Mike!” Dale declared.“If it’s not messy, you probably aren’t doing it right,” I said evenly.All three of my friends laughed hard for nearly a full minute.“The new and improved Mike meets with my approval,” Dale said.“Thanks,” I replied.We finished our lunches, said ‘goodbye’ to Dale, and then Jocelyn, Clarissa, and I headed back to the house to hang out for the rest of the afternoon.“There was a call while you.