Between Books









Between
Books: Volume

Fifteen - The Ripple Effect


After The Forbidden,
Before The Damned
October 2005

Just Before Arizona “The Ripple
Effect"

Jose lay awake in the bed, staring up at the ceiling in the dark. He
kept his fingers laced tightly behind his head. He hated this
motel/hotel shit with a grand passion. The whole concept of partnering
in a buddy-system, two-by-two detail was crazy. Marlene was insane, even
if he had to admit in his heart of hearts that, she made a whole lotta
sense.

It was the situation. Him bunking with J.L. with Juanita, Inez, and
Krissy wedged into a room between them and Damali and Carlosthe newest
and most vulnerable group, the female newbies, between two Neterus, the
Berkfieldłs and them Mike with Rider at the end of the row near the
doors where something could slither in. Then theyłd put Dan and Bobby
together on the other side of the Neterus, with Shabazz and Mar at the
other end of the row of madness. The Neterus were always in the middle.


Sure, he understood the arrangement and the strategic positioning in
case of an attack. But still, why couldnłt Mar just have relented and
put him and J.L. waaaay down the hall!

Jose took in a slow breath and let it out quietly through his mouth. The
first time hełd heard Carlosłs name called in a muffled moan back at the
other hotel had killed him. But this a second round of the bullshit,
was murder. Yet, how was it possible that hełd heard all of that? The
question made his mind race. He wasnłt an audio. Mar had been
reasonable, had but a two room buffer between their rooms. The sensory
overload didnłt make sense. He had to go to sleep, and could, if J.L.
would just stop tossing and turning!

He took another meditative breath and tried to focus on counting
backwards from one hundred. But with the erection he had, he could have
begun counting backwards from at infinity and would still be awake in
the morning.

Disgusted with his condition, he glanced down at the tent his body made
in the coversglad that J.L. had his back to him. This was beyond fucked
up. Damaliłs scent had wafted down the hall, past two rooms and was all
in his nose. It was worse than before, back in the old compound days
this was raw, mature, female sex with a strong male carrier making it
worse. Her sweet essence flowed like rain on a humid summer day and was
lodged in his sinuses. Every breath made it cling to the back of his
throat, and roll over his tongue until he could literally taste her in
his mouth.

He swallowed hard, trying to banish the devastating awareness from his
taste buds. But her scent was insistent, demanding. It slid down his
throat and imploded in his stomach, then new set fire to his groin.
Compasion, por favor.

Sweat was beginning to trickle down his temple as he shut his eyes
tightly and clenched his laced fingers together harder behind his head.
Riverałs scent was unlocking the link between them. Although Carlos had
become a living, human, Neteru his sweat was the same, still owned a
piece of DNA that registered male master vamp same line distant
brethren. Oh, shit thatłs why he could hear it all like it was
happening next door!

Jose sat up quickly and raked his hands through his hair. J.L. turned
over and looked at him in the moonlit room.

“You cool, man?"

“Yeah, IÅ‚m all right."

“You hear something?" J.L. said, pushing himself up in the bed, ready to
turn on the light.

“Do not turn on the light," Jose said between his teeth.

The two men stared at each other for a moment in the shadows.

“IÅ‚m not trying to be funny, but you got real sick before. If you"

“IÅ‚m cool," Jose said low in his throat.

“You ainÅ‚t cool. *bleep* all that," J.L. said, slowly swinging his legs
over the side of the bed. “Look at you, man. Even in the dark, youÅ‚re
sweatinł, breathing hard. You look like"

Jose stood and walked to the far side of the room. “This bullshit going
on down the hall with D is fucking me up, all right. I ainłt turning."


J.L. sat quietly for a while, just watching him. “If it will make you
feel any better, the vibe jumping off on this corridor is making me
trip, too."

Jose nodded, remembering that his Guardian brother was a tactical.
“Yeah all right. My bad. I just have to shake this Neteru affliction
IÅ‚ve got."

J.L. stood and went to stand by the door, and then began to pace. “IÅ‚m
not talking about that," he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

In the semi-darkness, Jose could make out J.L.Å‚s silhouette, and his
hair was practically standing on end, arcing small flickers of blue
sparks through it.

“Shit, man what are you talking about?" Jose said, becoming nervous. If
something was on the move, then J.L. needed to spit it out.

“SheÅ‚s right next doorher Pop is two seconds down the hall. Oh, shit,
man she ainłt gonna turn eighteen for months," J.L. said in a quiet,
urgent whisper. “SheÅ‚s picking up vibe off that hot Neteru room as a
brand new tactical and her wild energy is ricocheting to where it wants
to be." J.L. laced his fingers together on top of his head. “Brother,
listen, if I do something stupid, like head down the hallpull my dumb
ass back before I get shot." He waited a beat and then pointed at Jose.
“Promise me, man. I ainÅ‚t never been jacked up like this."

Stunned, Jose could only stare at J.L. for a moment. J.L.Å‚s eyes were
glazed as though tears had risen in them, and he watched him walk in a
tight circle trying to take in deep, cleansing breaths.

“I got your back," Jose finally said. “I ainÅ‚t gonna let you go out like
that."

“Cool. I got yours, too. I wonÅ‚t let you"

“IÅ‚m not crazy," Jose said, indignant. “Vamp is further down in my line
than that!"

J.L. chuckled, trying to release some tension. “You look like I need to
put you down with a crossbow."

Jose laughed quietly, and then suddenly leaned against the wall and hung
his headstone serious. He closed his eyes, tilted his head and took in
a sharp breath. “Right between the eyes. Get a nine, a crossbow,
whatever you got my ass is suffering, man."

“Yo, yo, yo whatchu talkinÅ‚ about, dude?"

J.L. had begun to pace and Jose couldnłt even look at him.

“Remember when me and Padre did that link?" Jose whispered thickly.

“Yeah," J.L. said, staring at him hard.

Jose slowly lifted his head to return J.L.Å‚s gaze. “I can still feel
it."

“Holy shit." J.L. wiped his brow.

“ItÅ‚s the scent," Jose said, going to the sliding glass door, yanking
the drape back, and staring at the moon.

His tactical brother couldnłt even imagine for a few, wondrous moments,
hełd been linked with a master at wurk. Hełd actually tasted Damali on a
borrowed palate via a master mind-lock. The scent of her sweet pussy was
such a visceral realitynow that the scent had summoned the memory, and
he couldnłt shake it for money. Being inside her, feeling it through a
host with no barrier Madre dł Dios. He clung to the glass, palms flat
to keep breathing.

“Take deep breaths, man," J.L. warned. “Easy, bro. Rivera will freak."


“I ainÅ‚t got no control over this," Jose whispered.

It was the naked truth. The higher Damali climbed in ecstasy and the
closer Carlos teetered on the edge, the more pheromone rent the air, the
more vivid the memory became the more he felt it. And they had been at
it all night the third round was eating him up. Burning him alive.

“Either walk down the hall and stop at Ä™NitaÅ‚s room," J.L. said gently,
“or go take a cold shower, man. IÅ‚m not trying to be funny. ThatÅ‚s the
only viable options I see."

Both men stared at each other. J.L. walked over to his bed and flopped
down, his eyes on the ceiling.

“If you donÅ‚t hit the shower soon, I will," J.L. added. “I wasnÅ‚t taking
a pot shot at you, man. IÅ‚m just trying to be real."

Without a word, and with his dignity in shreds, Jose crossed the room,
slipped into the bathroom, and quietly shut the door. It felt like his
t-shirt and nylon basketball shorts had been welded to him, and he
painfully peeled them off his body like he was shedding skin.

Turning on the tap, he let the frigid spray hit his hand first, and
immediately drew it back, then adjusted the temperature to a tepid level
he could tolerate. But the moment he entered the shower and doused his
hair, every droplet seemed to heighten the scent in his olfactory
system oh, shit water Rivera was a Scorp memories of Damaliłs scent
in the compound during her ripening every shower she tooksudden heat.
His palms flattened against the cold tiles for relief to no avail.
Memories scorched his mind and made him drop his head forward. Cool
water didnłt stop the burn.

The scent of her carried in the shower moistened air, turning mental
tumblers, unlocking sealed mind doors. Her with the water, the water
with her. Wet female. Sex perfumed compound drain systems. In a lair. In
the Caribbean. Rose petals and blood sex scent pungent and dense like
rainforest foliage. She felt like slick soap and Shea butter and
everything woman. His hand became a sheath against the agony shełd
presented.

God forgive him, he couldnłt help it but he had to release this pain.


If he went down the hall, and Krissy opened the door in a nightgownhe
was gonna break her fatherłs heart. If she would just chill would stop
throwing crazy, unspent energy, he could meditate, relax, shake it off,
and go to sleep. But he could feel her skin ignite, her mouth hungering
to be taken hard like the rest of her. He looked at his arms as a
current of blue tinged current swept along them.

J.L. licked his lips, trying to keep his mouth from going dry without
success. Shame washed over him as he sat up, slowly beginning to rock in
pain. There was no denying the inevitable he was next in the shower
taking her in there with him mentally.

* * *

Juanita flung her covers back and walked to the sliding glass doors.
Krissy glanced at her from across the room, and blotted the perspiration
off her forehead.

“You okay?" Krissy asked in a whisper.

“No, her ass ainÅ‚t okay," Inez practically snarled. “But her ass needs
to get over it."

“DonÅ‚t say shit to me," Juanita snapped. “Not a fucking thing, hear?"


Inez was out of her bed and on her feet in seconds. Krissy jumped up and
stood between them.

“Hey, hey, hey," Krissy said, extending her arms. “WhatÅ‚s wrong with you
guys!"

“She needs to stay out of my face," Juanita said through her teeth.

“We can go right here, right now, girlfriend," Inez said, hands on hips.


“Would you stop!" Krissy shouted, and then lowered her voice. She held
her hands at both sides of her head. “Just quit it!"

Krissyłs impassioned outburst made the two older women in the room just
stare at her for a moment as she walked across the room, began to pace,
and then wrapped her arms around her waist.

“Later," Inez said, pointing at Juanita.

“Any day or night," Juanita said, tossing her hair over her shoulder.


“You all right, Kris?" Inez said, becoming concerned.

“Noooo," Kris wailed in a hushed tone. “IÅ‚m IÅ‚m."

“You got blue static electricity all over your skin," Juanita said,
coming nearer.

When Juanita reached out to inspect the phenomena, Krissy yanked away.
“DonÅ‚t touch me," she whispered through her teeth and then hugged
herself harder.

Juanita and Inez gave each other a quizzical look. Krissy inhaled
sharply, shuddered, and then tears began to stream down her face.

“Want me to go get Marlene?" Inez said, growing more alarmed by the
second.

“Oh, please, God, nodonÅ‚t call Miss Marlene. I donÅ‚t want her to see me
like this. Promise me, promise me, donłt go get her or anyone else.
Swear it!"

Inez and Juanita shared another glance.

“Well, whatÅ‚s your problem then, chica?" Juanita said warily. “Because
if you got bitten by some shit, I, for one, ainłt staying in this room
with"

“ItÅ‚s J.L., all right? Satisfied?" Krissy turned away, swallowed hard,
and shuddered again. “Oh, God"

Both Juanita and Inez stared at each other for a moment and then mouthed
the words, ęoh shit.ł

“You think youÅ‚re a tactical, like him?" Inez asked softly, keeping her
voice quiet.

Krissy emphatically nodded.

“Oh man" Juanita said, running her fingers through her hair. “That
ainłt good, hon."

“DonÅ‚t let me walk out that door," Krissy said in an urgent whisper. “My
mom and dad and brother are right next door. I canłt I just "

“We got you," Inez said, body blocking the door. “I know how you feel.
Itłll pass"

“Not," Juanita said, lifting her hair off her neck. “Tell the girl the
truth, ęNez. Stop lying. As long as all that bullshit is going on that
close to her, shełs gonna be lit up like a freakinł Christmas treeand
if J.L. is in the same condition hey."

“Girl, donÅ‚t make her bug. Chill," Inez demanded softly. “Listen I get
snatches of vision and can sometimes see Mike and uh, it does get bad,
at times like tonight but, uh, if you, uh"

“Just tell her, Inez," Juanita said, losing patience. “Just tell the
girl to go take a shower and handle her business so she can get a good
nightłs sleep!"

“Aw, Lawd, Ä™Nita girl, you ainÅ‚t have to go there."

Krissy covered her face as the heat of pure embarrassment made her
cheeks burn.

“Hey, I ainÅ‚t throwing stones," Juanita said in a huff, and then flopped
down on the bed. “You all have no idea where IÅ‚m at in my head right
now. So stop fucking with me." A bitter sob choked off her words and
made her stand again, and then begin walking in a dizzying circle.

“For your information, Inez," Juanita said, pointing at her, every word
gaining momentum, getting broken up into a more Spanglish coated
harmony, rolling Rs faster without a breath. “This has nothing to do
with your girlfriend. It has to do with me, what I know for fact, what I
remember, and what sensing what IÅ‚m sensing is making come back into my
brainyou ainłt neva been with no brother like Carlos, okaaay. You ainłt
neva lived with one, or even oh, shit, if his ass would just get done
and go to fucking sleep I might be able to not lose my mind, okay. So
donłt you get all up in my face and start talking about a beat down,
because tonight, chica, if you wanna take this to the hall, go out in
the parking lot, where eva, we can do dat shit real barrios style and
IÅ‚m telling you right"

“Girl. ItÅ‚s cool," Inez said softly, as she and Krissy stared at
Juanita. “YouÅ‚re unraveling, sis. Chill. WeÅ‚re all messed up. I canÅ‚t
hear it, you canłt hear it, but Mike did, most likely so look. Letłs
just all get back into bed, or take a shower, or I donłt know, but we
need to be cool or everybody is gonna make a break for the halland we
cannot leave Krissy in here alone ęcause J.L. will be in here with the
quickness, and then hełll get shot, the cops will come, and"

“All right, all right, all right," Juanita said in a near hiss and then
sat down hard on the bed. “LetÅ‚s play some cards till itÅ‚s over, then. I
cannot lie down in no freakinł bed while Riverałs wurkinł."

* * *

Rider passed a bottle of Jack Daniels to Big Mike as they both sat in
the dark on their beds.

Mike took a healthy swig and handed it back to Rider.

“I know sheÅ‚s grown," Mike said in a far off tone. “But ya know, man
shełs still like my daughter. I canłt deal with hearing that shit. I
have to keep remembering that I ainłt supposed to go get my shoulder
cannon."

“And you wonder why I smoke?" Rider picked up the pack of Marlboro Reds
on the nightstand, slowly stood, crossed the room to go light it, and
blew smoke out the sliding glass door.

“Second hand smoke will kill a brother, too," Mike grumbled, taking
another swig from the bottle.

“It blocks my sinuses, and D is like my daughter." Rider took a deep
drag off the butt until it glowed bright red. “I donÅ‚t wanna deal with
it."

Mike nodded and took a cigarette out of Riders pack and lit it. “AinÅ‚t
did this since Nam, smokinł. But my nerves is bad, bro."

“Have at it. Knock yourself out." Rider kept his back to Mike and
inhaled again, also breathing in crisp night air.

“Thing is, if Inez came down here right now, I wouldnÅ‚t be no good to
her. Itłs like thatłs my baby girl, and I just ainłt even"

“In the mood. Hearing your daughter in three part harmony is a real
libido buster." Rider sighed hard. “Before all that mayhem started, I
was half ready to go take a long walk in the moonlight, hoping to get
lucky by way of an accidental meeting in the dark know a lovely lady
that has gorgeous red eyes." He flicked an ash out of the cracked-open
sliding glass door and leaned on it.

“Man, you woulda had me walking point with a hollow point magazine. You
know that lady youłre talking about has an old man now, who guards this
territory like a pit bull."

“Yeah, yeah, yeah but if Tara ever rolls up on me at night, hey." Rider
shrugged. “But, after all this bull tonight, I might not be no good to
her, either, for a while." He shivered and took another long drag on his
cigarette.

Mike stood, pulled in a long drag, and walked toward him with the bottle
outstretched. “Well, if you had gone out, with me watching you back,
then at least we would have missed the show."

* * *

Berkfield kept the newspaper up in front of his face, intently reading
the same paragraph over and over. Marjorie flipped channels on the
remote, moving the selections faster and faster until Berkfield grabbed
her hand.

“IÅ‚ve only got one thing to say," he muttered.

“Richard, please donÅ‚t start. TheyÅ‚re young, and in love, and"

“IÅ‚m just glad itÅ‚s not my daughter."

They both looked at each other.

“Richard one day"

He held up his hand. “Do not say it. Never."

She smiled. “ItÅ‚s natural and you want grand kids one day, donÅ‚t you?"


He dropped the paper onto his lap. “No. Not if I have to get them like
that."

She laughed hard. “How else are they made, honey?"

“Today, in this era, thereÅ‚s technology. Test tubes." He picked his
paper back up and began rereading the same sentence all over again.

A deep male moan made him snatch a new page before him.

“Test tubes, you hear me Marj and only after sheÅ‚s forty-five and
never, ever in the room next to methen, maybe, Christ in heaven, I can
accept that reality."

* * *

“Å‚Bazz you okay?" Marlene asked, watching him sit on the floor in a
yogi position. His eyes were closed, his breathing steady and even.
“Baby, are you all right?"

“No," he said evenly. “But I am a philosophical man. This too shall
pass."

Marlene chuckled and turned up the volume on the television set. “Oh.
Just checking.

* * *

“Yo, Danyou cool?" Bobby sat up in his bed in the dark and studied his
mentor. “YouÅ‚re hyperventilating, dude. Like"

“Shut. Up. And go to sleep."

“But like, dude if youÅ‚re having some kinda demon alarm attack, and"


“Shut. Up. And go to sleep."

“But, like, what if this is the real McCoyÄ™cause, clearly, those guys
next door are not hearing squat, ya know, dude. And, if theyłre"

“Shut. Up. And go to sleep."

Dan sat up in bed, wiped his hands down his face, and jerked his
attention toward Krissyłs room.

“You feel something, donÅ‚t you? Like something really serious. Ä™Cause,
youłve got a cold sweat thing happening, and if itłs on the move toward
the girlsł room, like, Krissy canłt"

“Shut. The *bleep* up. And go to sleep." DanÅ‚s arm snapped away from his
body in a hard point. “Not another word. Do not say her name around me
right now."

“Like, what did Kris do? You mad at her, or something? I thought you
were nuts about her, dudeor am I reading the signals wrong? Like, I
know shełs all scary and probably pacing the floors in there and not
even dressed. Knowing her, if something were to attack, shełd just be
screaming, half naked, not "

“Oh, shit, please shut up," Dan said, standing fast and crossing the
room. He raked his hair and stared out the glass doors. “IÅ‚m not mad at
her."

“Well, dude, if you keep looking that way, and keep like, sensing or
whatever in her direction, you think shełs in some kinda danger? Like,
we should go down there, and"

Dan spun around so fast and glared at Dan so hard that hełd stopped the
teenagerÅ‚s tumble of naïve words.

“I cannot go down the hall and have your sister open the door in her
baby doll pajamas with your old man right next door. Got the *bleep* to
sleep!"

“Oh whoa dude" Bobby sat forward on the bed and clutched his head
with his hands. “Wild like it hits you tactical guys like that?" He
glanced at the adjacent wall where echoes of thunderous lovemaking
resounded. He stood slowly and touched the wall and looked at Dan.
“Crazy."

Dan began pacing again. “Two seconds and IÅ‚ll punch your lights out. Go
to bed."

Bobby just stared at his hand. “How come I didnÅ‚t feel anything? Guess
IÅ‚m not a tactical, and must not be an audio, eithernot that anybody
needs cool special powers to hear all that." He sniffed. “Nada, bro. I
donłt have a snooze, either. You think Iłm gonna develop"

“YouÅ‚re gonna develop a black eye, for real, if you donÅ‚t quit it."

“But what am I supposed to be feeling, when a special power comes in,
dude? Like I get it nowintense vibes have a ripple effect on the team.
Like, ęBazz and J.L. are tactical sensors, so you think theyłre tapped
into the ridiculous dealio going on next door?" Bobby laughed. “But I
gotta give it to Rivera dude. I mean dude."

Dan closed his eyes. “Å‚Bazz is like her dad." His statement began as
quiet resignation but escalated with each word until his was almost
yelling. “If anything, heÅ‚s having a mild heart attack or stroke, in
which case, Marlene is healing him by pounding on his chest. That is, if
shełs not down the hall putting a spoon on Mikełs tongue so he doesnłt
swallow it in an epileptic fit of rage or is tying Rider to a chair to
keep him from cutting off his own nose to spite his face. Or is pulling
a nine away from Josełs skull or"

“Dude, my old man and my mom must be wigging. I donÅ‚t even know how we
got here, because in all the years Iłve know ęem, I donłt think"

“Bobby"

“But, J.L. is like you, dude, an eligible bachelor and"

“Shut! Up!"

“Whoa. Raw nerve, dude," Bobby said. “Your hair just did this blue arc
of light thing and is standing up, man. No offense but itłs kinda
creepy. Take some deep breaths bro. Your face is like beet red and
youłve got a vein standing up in your temple. That cannot be a good
thing." He stood and scratched his head, peering at Dan with intense
curiosity.

Dan was breathing hard, swallowing dry spit with his eyes closed,
t-shirt and boxers clinging to him. A hard shudder sent a white arc down
his torso. His hands slowly balled into fists as his lashes fluttered.
Bobbyłs gaze followed the arc and then he looked away.

“DonÅ‚t take this the wrong way, but youÅ‚ve got a killer case of wood,
dude. Biz-zarre."

“Please shut up, man," Dan said in a quiet rush through his teeth.

“Is it the knocking boots next door or are you tapped into Kris,
surreal, like that? I mean, seriously, dude. Wełre best buds, and all,
but thatłs still my sister like I canłt even fathom thatyou know, her
messing you up to that degree Kris? I love her, but shełs a real pain
in the ass. Look at you, dude. Youłve practically got the shakes, and
shit. Whatłs up with that? Youłd better take a cold shower and chill
out."


* * *


Damali sat in the diner across from Carlos in a small booth. No one on
the team said a word. Only Marlene seemed chipper and was all smiles and
conversation. Everyone else carefully studied their plates and ate
slowly, looking haggard and fatigued. Carlos glimpsed up at her and
offered her a sly smile. She wanted to die, but that wasnłt allowed for
such a stupid reason.

Pancakes kept her attention and she poured syrup on them, nearly using
the entire container. Carlos just looked at her with a deeply satisfied
grin.

“Burned a lot of energy last night," he muttered in a private tone with
a dashing smile. “Guess your body is in sugar shock and looking for
replacement therapy"

“DonÅ‚t start," she whispered between her teeth, slathering more butter
on the already gooey mess on her plate. Truth was, she was starved.
Sugar, fat, carbs, and plenty of them, were the quick-fix answer. “Now
you see why it had been so long?"

“I guess IÅ‚ll go back to bed," Juanita muttered to Krissy behind them.
“Now that I can get some sleep."

Inez looked up and held her forkful of eggs mid-air. Jose cut Juanita a
glare. The older members of the team chewed their food slowly like cows
chewing cuds, but didnłt dare glance in the direction of the brewing
storm. Dan slid a glance toward Rider, who ignored it. The Berkfields
carefully sipped their coffee. Carlos stopped chewing and looked at
Damali when her back stiffened. But Bobby smirked. It was on.

The butter knife left Damaliłs hand so fast, whirred past Krissy, and
impaled the booth an inch next to Juanita at heart level that, Inez
squealed and Juanita dropped her orange juice, splattering her clothes.


“Oh, shit!" Juanita shrieked.

“This morning, we need to work on reaction times to a potential threat.
Training day begins after breakfast. Donłt even think about going back
to bedor anything else with said association." Damali looked at Juanita
with a glare that could cut metal.

“If I hadnÅ‚t been up all night, I would have caught it," Juanita said,
leaning forward in her seat, foolishly challenging Damali.

“Even when youÅ‚re tired," Damali said with emphasis, toying with her
fork in a very dangerous way, “even when youÅ‚ve been up all night do
not be slow or think that I am. Test me on the mats when we do some
Aikido exercises, hear? Or maybe you wanna go sharp shooting with me
today."

Carlos set his fork down slowly, and then reached across the table with
care and stroked the back of Damaliłs hand. The smile had left his face.
“Baby uh why donÅ‚t you let me"

“Do what?" Damali said, her eyes never leaving JuanitaÅ‚s. SheÅ‚d spoken
so low that the words had come out in a near growl.

Inez grabbed a handful of napkins and began to furiously wipe up the
spilled juice. “Girl if you know like I know"

Carlos coolly withdrew his hand from Damaliłs and sat back, ready to
grab her in case it got crazy. Krissy sat wide-eyes, not moving. Jose
cocked his head to the side, a plea in his _expression, poised and ready
to break up a lunge. Dan ran his fingers through his hair, muscles
tensed at the ready. J.L. casually slid to the edge of the booth seat he
occupied, flexing for a separation move. Bobbyłs attention bounced
between Juanita and Damali, and then he glanced at his father and mother
who sat stock still. Shabazz and Marlene sipped their coffee, passing
even glances over the rim of their mugs. Big Mike shook his head and
kept eating.

Rider calmly got up, walked over to the booth that now had a butter
knife firmly lodged into a plastic-covered cushion. He bent down and
extracted the knife and spoke softly into JuanitaÅ‚s ear. “You should
have seen her when she had fangs, darlinł. Donłt take her there,
especially not before a martial arts work out." He straightened his
spine and coolly walked over toward Damali, all eyes on him. “I believe
this is yours," he said with a smirk, studying the bent blade. “Good
thing it wasnłt the Isis, ya think?"

“YouÅ‚d better know it."

Damali snatched the knife from Rider and kept her glare on Juanita, who
suddenly began to busily wipe herself off as Inez and Krissy started to
mop up the spill. Rider walked back to his seat, sat, and picked up
where he left off, scoffing down the food on his plate. The older
Guardians hadnłt even flinched, but resumed eating breakfast with
detached resolve. Carlos brought his coffee mug up to his mouth to cover
a smile.

“No more sugar for you," Carlos said, his tone amused, as he slid the
syrup far away from Damaliłs reach.