Protecting the Line, Draft 1, CH 41

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#41 of Protecting the Line

draft 1 of Book 4 in the inheriting the Line Series.

Denton deals with revelations he never wanted to learn by focusing on home, his family, his company, and finding his missing friend. All the while, a hidden war spreads around the world.

Supposedly in charge of running the war against his uncle, Arnold discovers that it's a difficult thing to do when every elder around barely wants to sniff in his direction. But he's an Orr, and he fully intends on kicking them all in the balls, if that's what it takes to save their collective miserable asses.

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Posted using PostyBirb


A hand grabbed my collar and pulled me back as the gunfire erupted around me. I felt the pain in my side as a bullet hits and then my back hurts from being slammed into the wall.

"Don't police know better than to run blindly into the enemy in your country?" The capybara said. He looked at my side while I tapped Frank's ability. "This is bad, the bullet is--" The bullet fell out of the wound as it closed itself. "That is weird."

"You get used to it," Fred said. He looked around the corner. "What you never get used to is Dent just running off without making sure he keeps people around him who's ability is going to be useful to him. I'm counting half a dozen men hiding behind abandoned cars."

I pulled out of my body enough to take a look. "They're all marked to some degree." I looked at the eight men around me. "That means you don't bother with stun shots, but shoot to subdue, I'd like to avoid death as much as possible."

"Says the man who runs into a firefight," The capybara grumbled. "I can not believe you survived being a police officer."

"Those kinds of firefights happen on TV. I've never been in something like this while on the force, and I don't see why you're unhappy. Won't getting myself killed save you the trouble of doing it yourself."

He looked at me. "I understand the badger's grumbling about a tower now. You are an elder who cares nothing for his line."

I snorted. "If I didn't care, I'd have stayed home. And for the record, everyone wants the Rasia dead, including your family. So spare me the insincere ???sentiments???."

"My family hasn't gotten to know you as I have." The capybara vanished in a burst of speed. I looked around Fred. He'd made it to the other side of the road without being noticed.

"You and me," I said in the radio, "will provide cover fire for the others."

"Wait, you're staying behind?" Frank said.

"Only until you're in a better position to fight them. Move." Fired at anyone visible and they ducked as expected. The men ran around me, firing the occasional shot and took cover behind vehicles. When Arnold said this was a bad neighborhood, I didn't expect half dismantled cars in the street.

The return fire had us duck, and I used the time to put in a fresh magazine. As I turned to join the others the crunching of stone underfoot behind me made me turn, raising my gun, already knowing I was too late. I saw the gopher gun already pointed at me, then his knee explode and he fell, screaming in pain.

"A tower," Tom said in my ear, "With a moat and everything. I swear Brislow, you have no survival instinct at all."

I looked up and around, trying to see the badger, but I couldn't even figure out which of the tall buildings had been the one I'd stood on.

"Just what kind of bullets are you firing?" I tried to force my heart to slow.

".6 caliber shredder rounds."

"You're firing military-grade ammo designed to destroy armor at people?" I asked in disbelief.

"Simplest way to incapacitate someone without killing them," he paused, "outright anyway. A few had your level of survival instinct and were more interested in continuing to fight than stopping the blood loss. I can't comment on if they are dead or not, just unmoving."

"Where's Damian?"

"Still heading for the same building as you. He's being sneakier about it than you. You could learn a thing or two about how to handle storming a castle. Send in the troupes and follow after the fighting happened."

"And sign he's turning against us?"

"Only if leaving a string of dead enemy bodies counts. If he's trying to lull you into a false sense of security, I'd say he's doing a great job of it. At this rate, he's going to have killed anyone who is after you by the time is evil plan comes to fruition. Of course, he isn't counting on my paranoia being ready for him to turn against us at a moment's notice."

"Are you admiring him?"

"Got to admire someone who is deadly and efficient. And I'm used to betrayal. In my line of work, if someone isn't looking to betray you, you're not doing a good enough job."

"Are you saying I should be planning on turning you over to the cops or something?"

"And give up my ass? Come on, Brislow, you like it too much, and it isn't like you're asking me to bring my top game to these things. By the way, the fighting's done, feel free to rejoin your troupes."

I glanced around the corner. The capybara threw a body in one of the cars with others and traced something on the door with a finger.

"You son of a bitch. All that talking was to keep me out of the fight, wasn't it?"

"I'm a cold-blooded killer, Brislow. If you aren't used to my underhanded tactics by now, you're hopeless. Anyway, you're on your own for a while. The tiger is about to walk into an ambush. Try not to get yourself killed. I really don't feel like taking a walk through the underworld to retrieve you."

The click told me he'd switched channel, so I didn't bother commenting. I joined the others as Fred finished tracing a healing sigil on a bear's hand.

"What's the Society's beliefs on an underworld?" I asked him as he tucked his cock back in.

He looked around. "You really want to have a philosophical discussion now? Dent, something really is wrong with you."

"I'm distracting myself from Eddy's peril."

"No, this is different. You get laser-focused on hurting someone when you get pissed, and you don't care who. I was there with Luis, remember? You're not actually worried about Eddy right now, are you?"

I stopped my denial and paid attention to what I was feeling. Eddy was in the hands of two sociopaths who I knew could do horrible things to him, and yet Fred was right, I wasn't worried about him. I couldn't tell if I'd moved beyond terror into something else, or I just had an unwavering faith I was going to save my son, just that I wasn't worried.

I shrugged. "Let's just go get him. How are you doing?" I asked the bear.

"A little freaked that this guy's cum is healing me, but I'm okay. The world went weird on me years ago."

"You're staying here," Fred said. "That closed the wound, and is hopefully preventing internal damage, but it's not going to heal right, and fighting will certainly make it worse. Head back to the building when you feel like you can move and see a doctor as soon as possible."

"Any other injuries?"

"He's the only one out of the fight. From what I saw their marks were mostly endurance and agility, nothing on the level of abilities."

"Can we expect a lot of those?"

"No idea, from what I read the more extreme the ability, the more extensive the marks have to be, but they've had days to prepare, so who knows?"

We reached the others. "Everyone good to go?"

"We are," the capybara answered. "I'm glad to took my chastising in the spirit it was meant and let us do the fighting."

"You can thank Tom for that," I replied taking the lead. I might not be scared and angry, but that didn't mean I felt like leaving the beating for others to do.

* * * * *

I slammed a shoulder into the wall with a curse and ducked, before pulling another burst of speed to slam against the man trying to shoot me. I didn't know how {I really need to remember the capybara's name} managed to maneuver in these tight quarters. Halls were not meant for bursts of super speed. I punched the man unconscious and pulled out of my body enough to see Eddy ahead through a few more rooms.

"He's that way." I pointed at an angle to the wall.{an apartment building doesn't work, I need something else, but not a warehouse}

"And can you see the way there?" Frank asked. "Weren't here already?"

"In a way that means walls hardly register, and I think he was moved. He was closer to the center of the building than this feels like."

"And the tigers?"

"Not with him, and no I didn't bother looking for them. As far as I'm concerned, until I have Eddy, they can fuck around as much as they want." I followed the corridor until I reached the intersection and glanced in the direction Eddy was in. I backed away and stuck to the wall. "Stop!" I said, my voice cracking in fear.

"What is wrong?" the capybara asked.

"We don't want to go that way. We need to find another way."

"Why?" the capybara looked around the corner and then he was against the wall, eyes wide and cursing. "What was that?" he asked, finally regaining the use of English.

I shook my head. The image of the thing in the hall not wanting to coalesce in my mind because of the terror it engendered. Fuck, if that thing was guarding Eddy's room, it was over. There was no way I was getting through that.

"What did you see?" Fred asked. "Don't an idiot Frank." The other lion was edging to the corner. "If it affected them this badly whatever it is will affect you too. Let me work out what we're up against first."

I glared at Fred. "You fucking told me monsters weren't real."

"They aren't."

"You fucking go take a look and tell me they aren't. That's not normal. It's..." my throat clamped shot as terror gripped me. I'd almost thought about what it was.

"Describe it to me."

"Are you fucking insane?"

"You?" Fred asked the capybara who shook his head vehemently. "Fear induction."

"Meaning?" Frank asked.

"Based on them, it's trigger by sight. I'm going to need cum. I really need to start carrying a supply," he grumbled.

"And miss on the fun of a quick jerk in life or death situation?" Frank replied. Watching him jerk off gave me something other than the thing in the hall to thing off and I calmed. I took over stroking his cock.

"Yeah, real fun," Fred said. "Don't suck him off," he added as I was about to put my mouth over Frank's cock head. "You're just going to end up swallowing. You two, guard the back. You in front but don't look around the corner. This is so not the fucking place for this," he grumbled.

Frank's cock was hot in my hand, comfortable as I stroked it. Much better to think about than-- nope, not going there.

"Oh yeah, Dent. Keep that up." Frank grunted.

"Hurry the fuck up," Fred said, "we don't have all day."

I could do this all day. I wanted to. Anything to avoid the other thing. Fred pushed me away.

"You're not going to get him to cum and you know it." He wrapped a hand around his brother's cock and the other around his balls. Two strokes and a squeeze and Frank came.

Fred collected the cum in the palm of his hand, then used some to trace a sigil on my palm. Did he really think a shielding sigil was going to protect us against what is there?

"Tell me about what's in the corridor," he demanded.

I shook my head, trembling as the image tried to form. No, no, I wasn't going to think about it.

"It's embedded, not broadcasted. Give me your hand." Fred traced the sigil on Frank's hand. "To take a look."

"Don't," I told the lion. "You don't want to see it, you can't stop, and it's too horrible. Oh god, Eddy's doomed." I closed my eyes and did my best to forgive myself for failing him.

"It's working," Frank said, "because that guy's a joke."

"Then take him down. My guess is he needs to be conscious for the magic to function."

"If that's not enough?"

"Then I'll do it," Fred said. "I'm dad's successor. It's the kind of burden I should be the one carrying, not you."

"It's the kind of thing you should order others to do on--"

"Don't fucking argue with me, Frank. Knock him out and bring him here."

In the middle of begging Eddy for his forgiveness, the reason for it went away. I looked up, surprised. Fred studied my face.

"Feeling better?"

I nodded, trying to recall what I'd been terrified of, what could do that to me, but there was nothing but the memory of fear. Frank walked around the corner carrying a mouse and I couldn't hide my confusion. He was wiry, thin, bordering on skinny and not too tall. He was the kind of guy who's get pushed around in school. He couldn't be who I'd been terrified of.

"Don't overthink it," Fred said. "The magic triggered your terror, you mind supplied the details. It's an effective way to keep people away."

I was on my feet. "Eddy." I was around the corner before they could stop me and kicked the door soundly, only to end up with the pain of the impact traveling up it and the door still closed. A quick peek out of my body showed the marks on the other side of the door. With a growl I put a hand on it, tapped Fred's ability and shattered its magic.

The door opened and headed for the box on the table. In it, wrapped in dirty sheets, a tiny cheetah gurgled at me, reaching up.

"Hey, Eddy." I picked him up and sniffed him. At least someone had seen to it he was changed. "Daddy's here, just as he promised. I'm going to be taking you away from this place and the bad people in it." With trepidation I looked him over. If those bastards had put any marks on him, they'd better hope Damian found the two of them first, because I was going to make them suffer.

Eddy's fur was unmarred, and I breathed a little better.

Fred was looking at the bloody writing on the door when I reached him. "Time to go." Gunshots sounded from where we'd arrived.

The capybara backed around the corner, firing. "Not this way," he yelled. "Need new way out!" his hands blurred and an empty magazine was in the air. They blurred again and he was firing, grabbing the falling magazine and pocketing it.

"Dent, stay behind me," Frank said. "Fred, cover the rear too. And we're going to hope most of them are that way."

"Anyone has baby-sized earplugs?" I asked. "I don't want to damage Eddy's ears with all this gunfire."

"Healing sigils work on him too." Fred said, pushing me forward.

"It's cum, you don't put cum on a baby," I protested.

"Someone's forgetting how babies are made," Frank said, gun raised and scanning in front. "They're pretty much made out of--"

"Frank!" I protested, covering Eddy's ears. "Come on. He doesn't need to hear that."

The lion looked over his shoulder and smirked.

We made it to corners before encountering opposition. Before I could take out my gun, the capybara had me against the wall, standing between me and the men they were shooting at. When the firing stopped, Frank was leaning against the wall, his left leg knitting itself back together. I covered Eddy's face.

"How often can you heal like that?" I asked.

The lion shrugged. "Was fucked a few times before this started, so I'm good for a while. Anyone knows where the exit is? I was counting on backtracking."

I shook my head. Fred and the capybara didn't know either. "we press forward," I said, "we're bound to reach a wall with windows at some point. We can either get out that way, or follow that to a door."

He moved, going slower than I wanted, but encountering few people. We were either deep enough they didn't think they needed patrolling security, or a in part of the building they weren't using. My worried was that both of those had to be deep within the building, they'd keep all entry and exits secured.

We stopped when we heard an argument ahead of us. The only notable thing was an open door.

"Do we turn around?" Frank whispered.

"There seems to be daylight around the corner," the capybara said.

I looked, and he was right, the light coming from the turn at the end of the corridor was stronger.

"I say we keep going," Fred whispered. "If they're watching for movement at the door, we can turn around, but we can't pass up this chance to get out."

"What about the child's kidnappers?" the capybara asked.

"They can wait until Eddy's safe," I replied. "Once we're out of here, Tom can drop a tomahawk on this place for all I care."

"He has one of those?" Frank asked, moving forward.

"He's Tom," I replied. "I expect he had one of anything that can be used to kill people with."

"A missile feels a little like it would cause too much collateral damage for him," Fred said.

"There are occasions when wiping out an entire town is what is called for," the capybara commented.

Frank shushed us.

"Not feeling so special anymore, are you?" a man said from within the room. "I guess it never occurred to you someone could worship two gods."

Fred and Frank exchanged a frown. I motioned for them to keep going.

"That's impossible, you can't worship two." I recognized Damian's voice.

"I don't know about that, I think you can worship the two of us just fine." And this would have to be Donald or Daniel, with the implication the other was there too. "Come enjoy what you want Damian, come have what you'll never be able to enjoy yourself again."

Frank glanced in the room then crossed to the other side of the door. Fred did the same. I looked in. Damian was on his knees, holding the other two tigers' cock and sucking on them. I crossed and made it six paces before slowing.

The capybara pushed me forward, but I resisted.

"Dent?" Fred asked.

I looked at Eddy in my arms and I he smiled at me. I sighed. "Yeah, your daddy can't just leave an ally behind." I passed Eddy to Fred who took him, surprised, but with confidence in handling a baby. "The three of you take him out, I'll join you once I've gotten Damian out of his jam."

"Dent, you can't be serious," Frank said. "We need to get out of here. You said it yourself."

"Eddy's the important one, so you are getting him out of here. I'm going to go rescue Damian." I smiled. "If nothing else, it's going to piss him off that he needed my help."

"I will help," the capybara said.

"No, you're sticking with Eddy. Once you're outside, you're back in the middle of the battlefield and he's going to need all the protection he can get."

"Dent, if that's Damian, the other two are his brothers, right?" Fred asked, exasperated. "There's no way you can take them on by yourself."

"I won't be. My guess is they surprised Damian. All I need to do is give him breathing room and he'll be pulling his weight."

"He seemed happy enough sucking them off," Fred said.

"Damian's an Orr," Frank said. "Not one of them enjoys sucking cock. Are you certain, Dent? Edward's going to need his father."

I ran a finger against my son's head. He squirmed at the touch. "Eddy is going to need a father who can look at himself in the mirror. Damian might be an asshole like the rest of his family, but he did what he said he would. He helped me. I'm not leaving him behind."

Fred shook his head. "For your sake, I hope Tom's not listening in on our radios."

I grinned. "These aren't comms. We need to activate them to be heard. Tom's not going to know what I'm doing until after it's done." I grinned. "So you guys are going to have time to leave the city before he explodes."

"Somehow I don't think there is any way to be safe from a pissed off Tom," Franks said.

"So you better survived this," Fred told me, "because we're going to need you to take the brunt of Tom's anger. If you die here, I promise you I will find a way to bring you back and make you pay for it."

"Don't die, and stand between you and Tom, got it." I took Fred's gun out of his holster and checked the magazine was full. "Now you guys get going." I took out my gun and waited. The capybara was the last one to move, his expression unreadable. For a second I thought he was going to argue, but then he turned and joined the Fred, Frank and Eddy as they reached the corner.

I snuck to the open door. The only sounds coming from it were sucking, moans and the occasional insult, which for the Orrs probably passed as words of encouragement.

You're better not make me regret this Damian Orr, I thought as I flicked the safety off both guns.