New Reality: Book Four: Re-Education

This chapter contains a rather graphic description of a fight between two vampires in their beast form.

If descriptions of such violence, blood, and gore bother you, I would ask that you reconsider reading this genre.
You have been warned.

 

When Samuel’s sobs subsided, James led him to the room Chipper and Craig shared and waited with him until he fell asleep. When he rejoined us, James said, “He’s sleeping.”

“Why did you leave him, James? You caused me to break my vow,” I asked.

“I did not, My Lord,” James said. “Samuel told me I could go. He said he trusts you. I warned him that one or both of the boys might join him later, and he said it was fine.”

“And where are the boys?” Scott asked, controlling his anger as best he could.

“Jenny is teaching Chipper to read, and David and Mike are teaching Craig to play pool,” Billy said. He then grumbled, “Donna, Wanda, and Julie are in the kitchen with Grandma, exchanging stories of when we were young.”

We all gave a small laugh of embarrassment that, ever so slightly, improved the mood in the room. “Jake?” I snapped.

“Both Frederick’s and the Prince’s phones continue to go to voice mail, My Lord,” he replied.

“Keep trying,” I snarled. “If he’s ignoring me as some sort of test, I’ll fucking…” I stopped the empty threat before I made it. Somehow, I knew that I would never harm Prince George.

“With all due respect, My Lord, Prince George has the entire North American continent to manage, and it’s only days until his quarterly Court,” James said, trying to reason with me. “I know you have some special attachment to him, but you’re just—”

“Just an unseated Baron? Is that what you were going to say, Baronet Warnick?” I growled threateningly.

“Permission to speak freely, My Lord?” James asked, showing me respect as he should.

I glared at him but said, “Tread lightly…”

“That is what I was going to say, and you know, seated or not, it doesn’t matter. George can’t tell you what to do on this even if you do get him on the phone. As Baronet of Pittsburgh, neither can I,” James said in a reasonable tone. He then went on a bit more emotional, “I really shouldn’t be in this room, but you’re also my son, and as such, I stand by whatever you do, even if it costs all of us our lives.”

I looked around the room and realized that if I failed, the Baron would be within his rights to execute all of us. I almost changed my mind, but then my beast said, ‘We will not fail. We are just.’ I didn’t even argue with him; I simply replied, ‘We are just.’

I took several calming breaths, then flatly stated, “Baronet Warnick, while my words may have sounded like a threat, I assure you that I intend to confront Baron Evans and give him the opportunity to dispute what Samuel has told us. If he can convince me that Samuel is lying, I will hold Samuel responsible and, if necessary, pull the truth from his blood.”

I turned to Billy, “Call Baron Evans and request an audience as soon as possible.”

“Yes, My Lord,” Billy said, dialing the number.

“Tommy, when I confront the Baron with these accusations, it is possible that he will be so offended he will choose to end my life. If that happens, I am instructing you to take my mate and—”

“If you try to take me away from Greg, I will kill you myself, Tommy!” Scott snarled. “You will take our children and our human friends and—”

“Your human friends are going with you, Scott. Or are you going to kill us before you go?” Jake shouted.

“Silence!” I roared, rattling the doors. I looked at Jake and begged, “Please don’t go with us, Jakey. If he does kill me and there’s an afterlife, I’ll spend eternity knowing you died because of me.”

“And if I don’t go, and he kills you, I’ll spend the rest of my life wondering if I could have done something, Greg. Please don’t make me stay,” Jake said with tears flowing down his cheeks.

I looked around and thought about my other friends. Brian wasn’t a fighter, and he had just met his fated mate. With me gone, maybe someone would risk changing him, and they could go on. Josh had a son who was depending on him. That thought made me consider Charlie and Chipper. My sons depended on me, but they depended on me to do what was right. Others would care for my sons; I had to do this.

I gave Jake a slight nod, then faced Josh and Brian. “You two will remain here. I will not argue, so don’t try. Josh, you have Craig; he needs you. If Scott and I don’t return, I expect you and Billy to—”

Billy had made his call and shouted, “Oh, hell no!” He turned to Josh and snapped, “If Greg, Scott, and I don’t return, Joshua, you will raise our sons as your own. Give me your oath.”

Brian answered first. “If you don’t return, My Lords, Joshua, Jenny, and I will raise your sons to the same standard of honor as their fathers. They will know you died trying to protect others.”

Joshua couldn’t speak; his eyes were swollen, and his cheeks were wet. He simply nodded.

“James, you will assist Tommy and the others. Spend every penny we have and find somewhere they’ll be safe,” I ordered, praying he wouldn’t argue.

James bowed his head and replied, “They will be safe, My Lord; I swear it.”

“Chris,” I started and got no further.

“I will do as you order, My Lord, but I beg you to take me with you,” Chris pleaded.

I sighed. “Unfortunately, Chris, I must ask you to join us. I am hoping the Baron will deal with this civilly, and if he does, I’ll need your mind.”

“Thank you, My Lord,” Chris said.

“Don’t thank me, Chris. I might be condemning you to death,” I said unnecessarily. I turned to Trevor, but before I could speak, he did.

“As your Master of Children, you will either kill me or take me with you, My Lord,” he stated in a voice as cold as ice.

“I won’t be killing you tonight, Trevor.”

He gave me a firm nod.

With this sorted out, the tension seemed to melt from the room. Into the silence, Billy said, “The Baron will welcome you anytime you desire, My Lord.”

I nodded, then asked, “Do we tell the others? Or do we pray this turns out fine and not worry them?”

“If nothing else, you should give Mike orders to carry out if we don’t return, Greg,” Chris said.

“Tell your mother, Greg. She’ll understand and be able to handle the humans,” James added.

“And I’d like to kiss the boys, hopefully not for the last time…” Scott almost whispered.

With things decided, I walked through the office door and headed for the game room. The others went around the house to gather anyone who might be in another part of the house. When I got to the game room, I took Charlie from Jenny and cradled him in my arms, opening a thumb to feed him, possibly for the last time. I tried to focus all my love into my thoughts, but I could tell he could see beyond that. He knew I was in danger. After too short a time, I passed him to Scott, pulled Chipper into my lap, and opened my wrist.

I looked up to see everyone watching, concern written all over their faces. I decided to make a small change in our plans. “Mike, I will meet with you in my office after we are done here, then you and David will take your wives home. If you hear from me tomorrow evening, that means everything turned out fine. If you don’t, I want the four of you to swear to me that you will follow Joshua and Tommy’s instructions to the letter with no questions.”

Wanda was worried, but she sounded resolute when she said, “We’ll do that, Greg, but can we ask what’s going on?”

When I glanced at Scott and Billy, they both nodded. Everyone in this house would be in danger, so they all had a right to know the whole story. “Samuel has accused Baron Evans of something that, while not a crime under Dracul law, I find so reprehensible that I cannot allow it to continue. I am going to confront the Baron and give him the chance to explain himself.

“If he can, I will return and question Samuel further. If he can’t, well, either he or I will die. If I die, it is possible he will extend his justice to include my Council and my family. Tommy, Joshua, and Brian have been instructed to see to your safety. Please, do as they say.”

She looked at Jake and asked, “And I can’t talk you out of going with him?”

“No, Mother, you can’t. I will stand with Greg because I could easily be that boy asleep upstairs. I’m doing this because it’s the right thing to do,” Jake said in a calm, clear voice.

“I’m proud of you, son,” David said. “We’ll do as you ask, Greg.”

Wanda and Julie stepped forward and hugged their sons, then stepped back and gave a firm nod. When Chipper moved to Scott’s lap, I stepped forward and gave Donna a big hug. “I have to do this, Mom.”

“I know that,” she said, trying to smile through the tears. “I’ve already lost one son. I don’t want to lose two more, but you’re right. You have to do this.”

“Mike, we don’t need to meet. I hadn’t planned on telling everyone the whole story, but now that I have; if we don’t return, you are to liquidate everything I own as quickly as possible. Josh and Brian will need the funds to help Tommy find a safe place for all of you to hide. You might be safe if George—”

“Call Opa,” Scott interrupted. “He should have contacts in Europe, and he’s still friends with Count Paris. He can protect you.”

“That’s what I was thinking, Scotty,” James said. “I want you both to know that I’m proud of you. And Billy, your granddad and your parents would be so proud of the Lord Steward you’ve become.”

Billy gave a slight nod, then went to hug Mary.

Chipper stood between Scott and me, holding our legs. He looked up and said, “I’m proud of you, Dad and Daddy and Papa. If you don’t come back, I’ll tell Charlie all bout how good you were.”

That did it. I had held my emotions in check until my newest son said that. My restraint broke, and the tears rolled down my face. We spent far too much time exchanging hugs, but we knew what was at risk, so we also spent far too little time exchanging hugs. Tommy chose that moment to break the somber mood.

“Leonard and Captain Vega will direct the other Marshals in protecting your family, Greg. Tony and I are going with you. Don’t even open your mouth to argue because you know I’m not letting you do this without me.” His declaration made, he glared at me, challenging me to oppose him. I just smiled and nodded.

We walked the humans out to David’s truck, where Josh and Chris gave their parents hugs before they climbed inside

“I will call you this evening,” Jake told his mother through the window of David’s truck.

She looked at me, then back at Jake, and said, “I know you will, Jakey. You keep Greg safe, okay? I love you.”

Jake leaned in and kissed her cheek, whispering, “Love you, Mom.” Then he said louder, “Love you, Dad.”

And that ended the goodbyes. The humans who were not directly involved in my life were heading to the relative safety of their homes. As they drove down the driveway, Chris, Jake, Scott, Billy, Tommy, Riva, Trevor, and I squeezed into the Denali and followed them. Followed them all the way to Cranberry where they took the exit onto the Pennsylvania Turnpike while we continued south on I-79.

Jake had been trying to call George or Frederick for the last two hours. After watching him disconnect from one of their voicemails, I took the phone from him and set it down. “Our course is set, Jake. From this point on, we can only ask for forgiveness.”

We exited the interstate and looped around, passing under our own path. Then we turned left and drove past a convenience store, a small strip mall, and a small medical center before turning left again and passing under the interstate again. A short winding drive carried us through a housing development and up to a pair of stone pillars holding a large iron gate, where Tommy stopped and pushed the button on the speaker that stood at window level.

“Yes?” the disembodied voice asked.

“Baron Gregory Fowler to see Baron Pittsburgh, we’re expected.”

Moments later, the gates swung clear, allowing us to pass. It didn’t escape our notice that they closed behind us, barring any escape. We drove up the long, curving, paved drive that climbed between two ridges, finally opening up to a plateau that was roughly five hundred meters on each side. On this plateau sat what can only be called a small fortress, enclosed entirely by a stone wall that stood eight feet tall. The gates were open but silently shut behind us. The house inside the wall looked to be a century old and designed like a medieval castle, with stone walls, crenelated towers, and a large portico for vehicles to pause while unloading their passengers.

Tommy stopped under the portico and asked a footman, “Can I leave this here? Or must the Baron wait while I tend to it?”

“You can leave it there, My Lord. If you would please leave the keys, in case we need to move it.”

Tommy and Riva stepped out and opened the rear doors, allowing the rest of us to get out, then handed the keys to the footman. With a smile, he said, “We shouldn’t be long.”

The footman nodded and opened the door, where we were greeted by a large man I’d seen at The Duquesne Club. One of the Baron’s Marshals. “Nice to see you again, Baron Fowler, Baron Warnick, Lord White,” Not knowing Chris, Jake, or Trevor, he simply nodded at them, although his eyes lingered on Jake for a moment. “I am Chief Marshal Jones. His Lordship is indisposed for a bit, but I can escort you to his office while you wait.”

I discreetly scanned the rooms and halls as we were led to the Baron’s office in the back corner of the castle. Once in the office, I made my move. I quickly grabbed Marshal Jones by the throat and lifted him from the floor, holding tight so he couldn’t make any sounds. Tommy quietly closed the doors behind us, then stood to block them while Riva took a similar position near the other set of doors.

“Chief Marshal Jones, you are going to cooperate with me, or you are going to die. Do you understand?” He nodded. “More importantly, do you believe me?” Again, he nodded.

Tommy said, “With respect, My Lord, he will die before he betrays his Baron, just as I would for you. Do not trust him to remain silent.”

“Does he speak the truth, Chief Jones?” He paused, then nodded. “I respect your honor, Chief, and I do not want to kill you, but it seems we’re at an impasse.”

I could tell Billy’s mind was racing as he looked around, and then he sent me an idea, mind-to-mind. It was insane, but it just might work. I concentrated my gaze on Chief Jones’ eyes, pushing my thoughts forward. I had enthralled Chris and Josh after their change, but they were newly made changelings; this was a vampire who, I somehow sensed, was into his third or fourth life. ‘Failure is not an option!’ my beast roared in my mind. I felt him add his strength to mine, and then I felt it: Chief Marshal Jones’ will was gone. He was under my control.

I lowered his feet to the floor and released his throat. He stood there, waiting for my command. “Where is the Baron? And who is with him?” I asked.

In a monotone, he replied, "He is in his bedroom, My Lord. His Lord Steward is with him. Beyond that, I cannot say who is entertaining them today.”

I asked, “Is there anyone between here and his bedroom?”

“There is not, My Lord. The Baron dislikes his Marshals being inside the castle,” he replied in the same monotone.

“How far?” Tommy asked.

“Thirty meters, Chief Marshal,” He replied. He pointed toward the door that Riva was guarding and said, “Down the back hall and through the dressing area.”

“Lead us to his bedroom. Betray me or obstruct me in any way, and everyone in this castle dies,” I added, just to make my point.

“This way, My Lords,” he said, then headed toward. Riva stepped aside and let Marshal Jones open the door as we followed. There was no need for us to finalize any plans, I had told everyone to stand clear and let me say and do everything. I was hoping that, by doing this, they might survive.

When he paused in front of a door, I stepped up and whispered, “Why are you waiting?”

“He will kill anyone who enters without invitation, My Lord.”

“Then step aside,” I said. I turned to Tommy and said, “If he moves, kill him.”

“Yes, My Lord.”

I turned back to the door and steeled myself for what I might see. When I opened the door, my steel melted. There, on her hands and knees on a bench, was a naked female vampire who couldn’t be two years old. Standing behind her, about to enter her, was Baron Evans, and at her head, obviously about to violate her mouth, stood a vampire I had never met but who had to be the Baron’s Lord Steward. There would be no conversation; there would be no opportunity for him to explain; these despicable beings had to die.

In less than a second, my beast emerged. We took two steps forward, wrapped our claw around the Lord Steward’s throat, and squeezed. We felt his windpipe crush; then we felt his spine snap. Knowing the Baron would soon join the fight, we tossed the broken body against the wall and turned to find that the Baron had, indeed, chosen to fight. We noticed as Tommy rushed into the room and pulled the girl to safety, and we watched as our mates and our Council all shifted into their full beast.

I took control of our voice and commanded, “Everyone, stay out of this. He is mine.”

The Baron nodded their approval of my command, and then they lunged at me. In his human form, Baron Evans was overweight. In his beast form, most of this weight translated into flab. Seeing this, we vowed that if we survived, we would stay in shape. Our life depended on it. They weren’t fast, but they were experienced, and several times, they caused us to lunge or dive only to find ourselves at the end of their claws. We heard several vampires enter behind us, then heard Baron Evans roar, “Stay out of it.” We nodded our respect.

We circled each other several times, each taking swipes with our claws and each coming short of doing major damage. It seemed like we had been at this for hours, but it was likely less than ten minutes. We realized that Baron Evans’ physical condition was wearing on them. They lacked endurance; time was on our side. Knowing this, we continued to circle for several long minutes, drawing them in and exchanging blows on occasion, but mostly just making them dance and lunge, wearing them down.

Suddenly, the window behind us exploded inward, covering the room with glass and wood splinters. One of the Baron’s Marshals had jumped through it in an attempt to protect their Baron. My mate quickly dispatched this intruder, but on the floor, under the dead body of this beast, lay our human friend. That one second of distraction cost us a huge gash across our chest, but it also pushed us to the limit. Our roar shattered the remaining windows in the room as we leaped onto Baron Evans, grabbed their throat in our fangs, and ripped the flesh from the side of their neck. Rather than risk them recovering, we sank our fangs in deep and drained the blood from their worthless body.

There was still danger. The Lord Steward was healing. We considered mercy for two seconds; long enough for us to look at our Chief Marshal holding that innocent child. It took us two more seconds to remove his worthless head from his body. We shifted to vampire form and retracted our fangs, then ordered our Council to do the same.

I quickly barked out orders. “Tommy, bring me his Chief Marshal. Scott, check on Jake. Billy, call the house. Trevor, take care of the child.”

Each instantly responded to my commands, and I was soon facing Chief Marshal Jones. “You will open your gates when my Marshals arrive. No one leaves this compound, do you understand?”

“Yes, My Lord.”

“And I want to speak to every vampire in this castle; where can I do that?”

“The main hall, My Lord.”

“Make it happen,” I ordered.

He pulled a radio from his pocket and relayed my orders exactly as I said, then left to, I assumed, gather the household. With relative safety established, I rushed to Jake’s side.

I saw the tears in Scott’s eyes and feared the worst, but then I focused on Jake. I realized he was breathing and his heart was beating. He had severe cuts around his eyes, but nothing looked fatal. I was confused by Scott's tears. Jake would recover, I reassured myself. Then it hit me: his head was twisted, far beyond what was natural. When the Marshal came through the window, Jake had been in his path. Their collision had broken his neck. Jake, if he lived, would never move his arms or legs again.

“Watch him and call me if his breathing or heartbeat falters,” I told Scott. “I will change him, but as long as he continues to live, I have to get control of things.”

Scott nodded and took Jake’s hand, so I turned to find Billy. “James, Donna, Josh, and the Marshals are all on the way,” he reported. “Jenny is staying with the boys. I was going to call Mike and David, but I think we should wait until Jake wakes.”

“We can’t wait that long, but we can wait a few hours. We’ll call when l he’s feeding, I think,” I replied.

Billy nodded, so I stood and looked around. What I found shocked me. Tommy had his arms wrapped around the naked little girl, shielding her from Trevor’s attempts to speak to her. After what happened with Josh, I knew what this was, but I thought George had said it was rare. Rare or not, it had happened again. As much as my heart went out to the girl, I needed my Chief Marshal.

I added my beast to my voice and said, “Let the Master of Children care for your daughter, Chief Marshal. I need you at my side.”

Tommy flinched, then looked at me with pleading eyes and begged, “Please, My Lord, I can’t leave her alone.”

“Lord Bowers will keep her in your sight, but you need to attend me, Chief. That is an order.”

He hesitated, then slowly released the girl and let Trevor take her hand. Once he broke contact with her, Tommy seemed to gain more control of himself. He looked at me, then bowed his head and said, “Forgive me, My Lord.”

“Forgiven, Chief Marshal. Can you bear to be away from her? Or do we have to take her to the assembly hall?” I asked. He looked conflicted, so I added, “In here, she’s protected by Scott, Chris, and Trevor. In there, it is just you, Billy, and me and who knows how many of them.”

He looked at Scott until Scott said, “We’ll protect her with our lives, Tommy. Do your duty.”

That seemed to bring him back to himself. He bowed and said, “Thank you, My Lord,” then stepped to my side.

“Do you know where this main hall is?” I asked, feeling stupid.

From the hallway came a voice, “If I may, My Lord?”

Tommy tensed, but I said, “Enter.”

A stately vampire who looked to be about fifty entered wearing a grey butler’s uniform. He was tall and thin, reminiscent of Alfred from the old Batman TV show. He bowed from the waist, and with a formal British accent, he said, “I am Andrew, My Lord. Butler to the late Baron and, if you will have me, butler to Your Lordship.”

“I am Baron Gregory Fowler,” I replied. “I don’t mean to doubt your intentions, Andrew, but how do I know I can trust anyone from the late Baron’s staff?”

“May I speak freely, My Lord?” he asked. I nodded, so he explained, “We all knew of His Lordship’s preferences, but there was naught we could do. I speak for the entire staff when I say the world is better now than an hour ago.”

“You could have quit,” I replied, “You could have sent word to the viscount, the count, or the prince.”

“Over the years, nine quit over this issue, My Lord,” he said. “Four footmen, a chambermaid, three housemaids, and a cook’s assistant. Within a week, they were dead, by order of the Baron. As to our contacting another noble, what would we say? While vile, he broke no laws of the Nation of Dracul. We feared that bringing his perversions to the attention of his betters would only bring the Baron’s wrath, so we remained silent.”

“And you swear it is as you’ve told me?” I asked.

Andrew held out his arm, saying, “You may feed from me to see the truth in my words, My Lord.”

I didn’t need to do that; I could sense his disgust with his former employer and his sincerity as he explained how they were essentially prisoners in this gilded cage. I took his offered hand and, to his shock, shook it as I said, “I take you at your word, Andrew, but know this. By trusting you, I am trusting you with the lives of my children. There will be no second chances if I feel my children are in danger.”

He returned my handshake, somewhat uncomfortable, then bowed again and said, “If Your Lordship will follow me, I will introduce you to your staff.”

As we followed Andrew, he led us back through the office into the hall we had first followed from the foyer. Opposite this hall was an open set of double doors, and beyond them was the main hall. Roughly forty feet long and thirty wide, with a high, cathedral-style ceiling, broken only by the exposed wood beam rafters, the room had the feeling of a throne room in an ancient castle, fitting the rest of this place. The staff was lined up like soldiers in four lines, twenty footmen in the front two ranks with sixteen women behind them; I assumed a mixture of maids and cooks. Beside this group stood a group of thirty Marshals in three ranks, with Chief Marshal Jones standing alone in front of them. When we entered, they all snapped to attention while the staff bowed.

Andrew seemed to understand that I would meet the staff individually at another time; right now, I needed to introduce myself and establish control. I was naked, covered in blood, and my wounds were still healing, but I held my head high as I walked to the front, er back, of the room and faced them.

With Billy standing behind my shoulder, I said, “I am Baron Charles Gregory Fowler, now the Baron of Pittsburgh. Behind me is Lord Steward William White. Before I proceed, Chief Marshal McNeil, take command of your Marshals.”

“Yes, My Lord,” Tommy said, then stepped up to Marshal Jones, saluted him, and said something I ignored. Jones returned the salute, turned, and took a place at the end of the front rank.

“You will find my views quite different from those of the late Baron. I will be shortly issuing a decree that sexual contact by an adult vampire with a vampire under the age of seven will result in the death of the adult vampire. In no case will I tolerate violations of this law or those who turn a blind eye to these perversions. If you cannot live under this law, you have two hours to pack your things and twenty-four hours to leave the Barony of Pittsburgh. I will not prosecute anyone for past crimes, but if you doubt my resolve on this issue, you are welcome to ask the late Lord Steward. Does anyone wish to leave? There will be no repercussions; I will see that you are paid, and if you cannot afford transportation, I will provide it.”

Two Marshals and a footman stepped forward, bowed to me, and left. I later learned that the Marshals were a couple.

“Sergeant Riva, assist them, please, and see to it they are treated with respect.”

“Yes, My Lord,” Tony replied, then followed them out of the room.

“To the household staff, I will say what I said to Andrew. By keeping you in my employ, I am trusting you with the lives of my children. You do not want to see me if I feel you have endangered my children. Beyond that, I will leave the running of the house to Andrew. He and I will meet, and then he will give you my expectations. Contrary to what you’ve seen up to this point, I am very relaxed, and I ask you to relax. You do not need to jump to your feet when I walk in a room, you do not need to bow to me every time I pass, and quite often, my family and friends will be dressed as I am now. It will take some time for us to adjust to each other, but I hope that, in time, I will consider each of you as family.

“Andrew, you may dismiss the staff. Meet me in my office in fifteen minutes, and bring the head cook or chef.”

“Yes, My Lord,” He turned and said, “Back to your duties. Molly, we’ll need two maids to clean up His Lordship’s bedchamber. Paddy, you and Nick get a wheelbarrow for the bodies of the late Baron and his Steward.”

Once the staff had left, I stepped up to Tommy and said, “Chief Marshal, I will leave you to sort out your Marshals. While you do, I will reassure you that your daughter is safe. My mates and I will be with her and protect her with our lives.”

“Thank you, My Lord. I will join you when Captain Vega arrives.” Tommy said. He then asked, “Do you have any orders regarding Marshal Jones?”

I thought for a moment, then said, “Chief Marshal, place guards on Marshal Jones.” At Tommy’s command, two Marshals stepped from the ranks and took position on either side of and slightly behind Marshal Jones. I stepped up and met his eyes, pushing my mind in and releasing him from his enthrallment. The second it broke; he dropped to a knee and bowed his head.

“Forgive me, My Lord, I was doing my sworn duty. If you will have me, I will swear myself to you, My Lord,” he said in a sincere voice.

I could sense his sincerity, so I said, “You have shown me nothing but honorable service, Marshal Jones. Chief Marshal McNeil has my permission to assign you such rank and duties as he sees fit.”

“Thank you, My Lord. I will serve with honor in whatever role Chief McNeil chooses.”

Tommy snapped, “On your feet, Marshal Jones. I will take your counsel as I assign duties, for now, fall in.”

Without a word, Jones and the other Marshals fell into line. I nodded to Tommy, and then Billy and I headed for Baron Evans’, now my, office.

 

 

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