Posted Oct. 26, 2021, 12:47 p.m. by Civilian Micah Pikelsimer (Federation Security Agent) (James Sinclair)
Posted by Commander Shara Calloway (Chief Intelligence Officer) in Tennessee, Earth - Home Sweet Home
Posted by Civilian Micah Pikelsimer (Federation Security Agent) in Tennessee, Earth - Home Sweet Home
Posted by Civilian Micah Pikelsimer (Federation Security Agent) in Tennessee, Earth - Home Sweet Home
Posted by… suppressed (3) by the Post Ghost! 👻(snip)
A grin spread across Shara’s face and she gave a tiny, almost imperceptible nod. I see you, she was saying. As she began to circle too, knowing one fo them would have to make the first move or they could forever circle. “You know Pickle, I thought this was supposed to be my vacation. I think we need to start redefining what that means.”
~Shara
Nadine watched almost horrified but also a deep measure of curiosity. Something in her birth mother has shifted, changed, but she wasn’t sure what it was. No, that wasn’t true, it was that Shara herself was a weapon as needed and she was prepared to be here too, even if this was supposedly friendly. A small shudder ran through her.
That is when Cloris started to move, bending low and starting to dart at Shara’s legs. Micah knew what was about to happen and yelled “All Right, Enough!” and Cloris froze and whipped her head at the man and glared daggers. Micah put his hands on his hips and glared back. “Cloris Morgan, you back off ‘afore I teach ya to respect your elders. And I’m gonna tell ya right now… you go and dart into that woman’s shins like you were about to and she is gonna stomp your head like a month-old melon. And I won’t have either of ya hurting the other. Got it?” Billy Jack frowned and looked at Maybel, who nodded and said “You remember what Ma and Pa said ‘fore they passed. Micah there is the closest we got to kin, so we do what he says.” Billy Jack looked at Micah and nodded. He then looked at Cloris and said “But she really doesn’t learn any other way…”
Shara hadn’t frozen so much as cautious came to a stop. She was fully prepared for the woman to charge her anyway. Micah’s tone still rang in her ears and he had to know her well enough that she wasn’t going to be taken unaware, even if she trusted him with her life.
Nadine and startled and instantly felt relief course through her. She was starting to feel that she might not want to witness this tussle after all.
Faster than even Micah and Shara could react, Billy Jack’s arm shot forward and snagged Clovis by the back of her overalls and in a single toss sent her sailing past Shara…
And directly into the creek.
Shara’s hand slapped over her mouth and she tried really hard to not laugh, she really did, but the whole thing was just beyond comical. Finally, Shara stood up fully and allowed her herself to exhale, to relax and stand down.
Maybel busted out laughing and so did Micah. Clovis came sputtering and thrashing to the surface and Billy Jack said “That there’s Micah’s wife, sissy. And since he’s kin… that makes her kin, too. And kin don’t fight kin!” and he looked at Maybe for confirmation. “Damn straight, Billy Jack. Damn straight!” she replied with a laugh. Micah looked at Shara and said “Oh, I know without a doubt you’d have won. I just knew you’d feel bad if you hurt her too bad.” and he laughed again as Cloris came stomping out of the water.
Perhaps wisely, Shara only allowed herself a tiny smirk in Micah’s direction. It wouldn’t do to piss the woman off more by rubbing this all in her face.
“My own brother! I can’t believe it! Really, Billy Jack?! Really?! You done went and took her side over your own blood?!” she yelled… but there was grin on her face. Cloris shook her head and patted BIlly Jack on the shoulder and then looked at Shara. “You still didn’t beat me.” she said with a hint of defiant pride in her voice.
Micah
Close to Micah, Nadine blew out a breath and turned away, pacing with her hands on her arms trying to sort through the weird feelings she couldn’t quite name,
There were rare times when Shara acted without thinking things through a dozen steps ahead. Her drunken nuptials were one, and it seemed now she was instigating another. She reached out her hand to Cloris. “I don’t have a lot of kin in my life these day, and if Micah’s vouched for you, then I’m honoured to be your kin too.”
~Shara and Nadine
Cloris looked at her for a moment and then took Shara’s hand in a grip that wasn’t forced… but was indicative of a strength that didn’t seem quite equal to the stature of the woman before her. “Fair ‘nuff. But ya still didn’t beat me.” and only then did she smile slightly.
It was as good as acceptance as she was going to get, and Shara was okay with that. She understood that until Shara did something to earn or betray trust, there was going to be a measure of wariness that Shara wouldn’t be bothered by.
Micah shook his head and then looked at the Morgans. “So now that introductions are out ‘a the way… what y’all doing over here? Social call? Or is it somethin’ else?” Maybel shrugged and said “Bit ‘a both. Wanted ta say hi and also thought you should know that we caught your brother coming to the house ‘bout three weeks ago. We got him stopped ‘afore he got too far along yer road… but he wadn’t all to happy to see ‘ol Billy Jack standing the middle of the road with that plasma shotgun, no sir. Said we had no right bein’ on his property. I don’t think he recognized us, seein’ as we hadn’t laid eye on him in some twenty years. Well sir, we done told him that this here land belonged to one Micah Pikelsimer and he done told us ta keep an eye on the place and thats what we was doing. If he wanted to come onto the land to hunt or fish he’d have ta clear it with him first. He gave us tha stink-eye, but he up and skeedaddled on back the way he came. Cloris called Jimbo Dans… you ‘member him? He’s the sheriff now. … anyways, Cloris called Jimbo and he folla’d him to the county line. Few days after, we seen some drones flying over yonder -” and she jerked her head towards the direction the house lay, “- and we went and took ‘em down. Figured you didn’t want anybody eyeing your homestead and all. Hope that’s alright.”
Shara crossed her arms, a frown slipping onto her face. That… was not good.
Micah’s eyes narrowed and he said “Drones, huh? How high up, ya figure?” Maybel shrugged and spit off to the side. “Dunno… maybe fifty, sixty meters? Cheap ones, fer sure. Coris just clipped one and it still came crashing down.” Cloris said “Hell I clipped it! I got mine clean through center, you shaky s#!t! Yur tha one what clipped it!” and Maybel grinned. “Either way… we got ‘em.” Micah’s jaw twitched and then he looked at Shara with a look that said So either my brother is up to something… or we could have a MAJOR problem. He looked back at the Morgans and said “You think you could show me where they came down?” Cloris and Billy Jack nodded and Billy Jack said “Sure thing, sir. Although… not much left of tha one what I got.” and he patted the shotgun affectionately. Micah grinned and said “And that is just the way I like it, Billy Jack. Good on ya, son.” and he patted the big man’s shoulder. Micah looked at Shara and Nadine and said “Feel up for a walk?”
Micah
“Might as well,” Shara said, her tone holding an edge.
Nadine nodded, but all the while her thoughts were running, trying to understand what was going on here and read between the lines. But as she’d figured out quite quickly after Micah showed up at her school, some days you just had to go with things. With him and Shara, it seemed to be the status quo and for the moment she was fine with keeping it.
As they moved along, Shara exhaled. “Is he usually one to engage surveillance?” she asked her husband, the edge still there.
~Shara & Nadine
“Nope. He’s not that clever.” Micah said with a low growl. It took them fifteen minutes waking in silence to reach the ‘crash site’. Micah’s eyes swept the area and then he moved and reached down with his metal arm and picked up a twisted piece of electronics and plastic. He appraised it with a critical look and then said “Cheap Tellerite model. You can pick ‘em up in most any toy store or hobby shop.” He looked more closely and then it seemed a bit of weight left his shoulders. He looked at Shara and said with a grin “Serial numbers are intact.” She would know as well as he that if this had been a professional, there would be no serial numbers on parts. “Hmm.. this is certainly interestin’, fer sure.” Micah mumbled. He stared at the remnants for a bit and then toed them in his bag. “I’ll look up where this one came from when we get back.” he said to the group. He then looked at the Morgans and said ell, I sure do appreciate you looking out for the place. How ‘bout I buy a pig from ya as thanks?” Billy Jack positively beamed and he said “Sh-sh-sh-sure, sir. You want one fer raising or eatin’?” Micah said “Cooking. Dinner tonight. Think you got a small one?” Billy Jack nodded and said “Uh-huh. I’ll bring it over.” Micah smiled and said “Appreciated. Now we’re gonna head back to the house. If y’all wanna stay for supper, you are welcome.” Cloris shook her head and said “Thank ya, but we got a potluck at the church tonight.” She gave Micah a singular look and said “You wanna come?” Micah laughed and said “YOu already know that answer.” and Cloris laughed. “I do. Ok, see ya Mr. Pikelsimer. Ladies, a pleasure.” and the Morgan family began walking away waving.
Micah
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