Time Pirate 6, page 7
The SUV rolled to a stop again, and I realized we were back at the safehouse. Ivan hopped out first and did a quick inspection of the area and then waved us inside. He followed us in a moment later, and I could hear him on the phone the whole time we were packing. He was speaking in Russian, but I picked out enough to know that he was speaking to Andreev about possible hiding places for us.
Once we’d collected our gear and even packed up the groceries we wanted to take with us, we headed back to the SUV and climbed inside. Ivan gave some instructions to the driver, and we set off again.
“Well?” Joan asked and looked at Ivan.
“We have place in Virginia,” Ivan replied.
“That doesn’t really narrow it down very much,” Flora said.
“Near Shen… Shen…” Ivan huffed and shook his head as he tried to come up with the proper pronunciation.
“Shenandoah?” Joan suggested.
“Da.” Ivan rolled his eyes. “There’s campus near there.”
“There is,” Joan agreed and suddenly looked more interested.
“Is that good?” I asked.
“It could be,” she replied. “Especially for the store.”
“Oh,” I said as I realized what she was getting at. “It’ll be near some of the battle sites.”
“It certainly will,” the brunette agreed. “But it’ll be easier to show it to you on a map once we’re there.”
“So, tell us more about this place,” I said to Ivan.
“Old, old facility,” the Good Guy replied. “Most probably don’t even remember it exists. Val won’t know about it.”
“That sounds promising,” I said.
“How old is old?” Flora asked as she narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “Will we have internet access and electricity? Or will we need to rely on Emily’s homemaking skills?”
Ivan burst into laughter, and the SUV seemed to rock from the sound. He even slapped his hand against his knee a couple of times before he finally wiped away a tear and shook his head.
“All upgraded,” Ivan finally said. “You will like.”
We were out of the city by then, and soon, we were out of the surrounding suburbs as well. Signs for national battlefields and state parks started to appear, and apartment buildings and strip malls gave way to rolling fields and vast stretches of forest land. Hills rolled away into the distance, and every so often, we caught a glimpse of a wide river.
We pulled off the highway at an exit with a Motel 6, a storage place, and a choice of McDonald’s or Arby’s for dining. The rest of it was just trees and barren fields, though every so often, we could see the lights of a distant farmhouse. At least the road was paved, which was more than I could say about the road where we eventually ended up.
The monster truck barely fit on the unpaved road we turned onto, and I could hear branches scraping against the sides as we bounced over potholes. It was a rough ride, and for at least a mile, there was no sign of any human habitation. The road narrowed even more as we drove over an old wooden bridge that I was sure would collapse under the weight of the vehicle, and then we came around a wide curve for our first glimpse of our new home.
“Is this it?” Emily asked in a disappointed voice.
“Da,” Ivan said tersely.
The SUV stopped a few feet from what was left of the front porch, and despite the fading light, we could see enough to know that the place looked like it had been abandoned for at least a few decades. The wood boards were rotted, the porch sagged, and the roof had a gaping hole. The front door hung at an angle, and it looked like there were more than a few wasps’ nests under the eaves.
“Mmm,” Joan hummed. “Are we staying in the barn?”
The barn didn’t look much better, but at least the roof was still intact.
“Stay here,” Ivan said. “We check.”
Ivan and the guy who’d been riding shotgun got out of the SUV and walked the perimeter. They took their time, and after a few minutes, Ivan walked back to the SUV and opened the door where I was sitting.
“Come,” he said. “I show you around.”
We gathered our gear and followed Ivan back to the house. But instead of leading us to the front door, he led us around to the back to an old root cellar door. He pulled it open, and a light flickered to life in the basement.
“I thought we said no more bunkers,” I protested.
“Most Good Guys hideouts are underground,” Ivan said in an apologetic tone. “But you will be able to leave whenever you want. And like I said, Val doesn’t know about this place, so all is good.”
Ivan led the way down the steps into an old root cellar. There were a few empty shelves along one wall, but otherwise, the place was empty except for the dust. The overhead light could barely reach the back corners, though, so it was no surprise when the burly Russian led us toward the darkness on the right. He held up what looked like an ordinary RFID fob so we could all see it, and then he held it up in front of an old poster someone had glued to the wall back in the 1940’s. There was a flash of green light behind the paper that was so fast I thought I’d imagined it, and then there was a slight hiss, like air escaping a tire.
A moment later, a section of the wall next to the poster slid open without a sound, and another light flickered on to reveal a stairwell and a winding set of steps. Ivan grinned happily and started down the stairs, and after a quick exchange of uncertain looks, the girls and I followed.
Our footsteps echoed against the concrete, and I tried not to sigh when I realized we were heading down into another bunker. I figured we would play nice with Ivan, maybe spend a night in the place, and then look for something more habitable in the morning.
“You will love it!” Ivan declared as he held the fob up in front of another poster, this one from the 1960’s.
There was another slight hiss as the next door opened, and then Ivan bounded into the room beyond. More lights came on, and I only managed to take two steps inside before I had to stop and stare.
“Oh, my God,” Joan muttered. “It looks like… disco lives again.”
“It’s definitely got that seventies vibe,” Flora noted.
“It’s a lot of orange… and green,” Emily said as she turned slowly in a circle.
“Da!” Ivan shouted. “Very, um, retro, yes?”
“Oh, definitely retro,” I said.
There was shag carpet, a purple velvet sofa, orange and green striped wallpaper on three walls, and faux wood paneling on the other wall. There wasn’t a disco ball over our heads, but there was a vaguely flower-shaped yellow and orange light hanging from a chain that could’ve come from my grandmother’s house. Through one of the doorways, I could see a kitchen with avocado-green appliances, faux wood cabinets, and a linoleum floor.
“This is updated?” Flora demanded with an edge of disgust.
“What, you no like?” Ivan asked in a hurt voice.
“It’s so colorful,” Emily replied as she moved toward the kitchen. “It’s so fun!”
“You said there would be Wi-Fi,” Flora said as she glared at Ivan.
“I wouldn’t lie.” The Russian winked at the silver-blonde and then walked over to one of the wood panels. He held up the fob again, and the wood panel slid back to reveal a large flat-screen TV and a very modern control center.
“Oh, well, that’s better,” Flora said as she hustled over for a look.
“Wait a minute,” I said as I took my turn to glare at the Russian. “How is it that you happen to have the key to all this? Were you planning to bring us here all along?”
“I did no such thing,” the Russian insisted. “But Svetlana has me trained to always carry one or two blanks.”
“Blanks?” I asked.
Ivan nodded and held up the fob.
“She can program them from the lab to open any Good Guys facility,” he explained.
“That’s handy,” I said.
“Da,” he agreed and then sighed. “I learned hard way not to travel without at least one. But is good for you, Frankie. When Andreev said to bring you here, it was easy to create key. It opens apartment and car.”
“Wait, there’s a car?” I asked.
“In the barn.” The Russian nodded and then smiled as he watched the girls start to explore our new safehouse.
“This carpet feels so nice,” Emily said as she walked barefoot across the shag. “Why don’t people use it anymore?”
“Just wait until you have to vacuum it,” Joan replied from the kitchen. “Oh, wow, this kitchen has everything.”
“So, you like?” Ivan asked with a grin.
“It’s acceptable,” Flora replied as she played with one of the control screens.
“Okay,” Ivan declared. “So, maybe you stay here a few days. Wait for police to move on from mall attack.”
“We’ll try to avoid DC until Saturday,” I assured him.
“Good, good,” he said.
The big Russian took one last look around and then handed me the fob.
“Sorry, Frankie, only have one blank right now.” He sighed like he’d been caught with his pants down. “I’ll try to bring you another fob tomorrow, but I can’t make any promises.”
“We’ll make it work,” I replied. “Thanks again, big guy. I can’t believe we had to call you again so soon.”
“Bah,” he said and slapped my shoulder. “These guys… we know they always look for ways to create trouble, so Good Guys are always ready.”
“I just hope I can repay you one day.” I patted him on the back, a lot more gently than the slap he’d given me.
“You will,” he declared. “I know you will. Frankie Johnston is not the kind of man who doesn’t repay his debts.”
“I haven’t failed on that one yet, though I seem to be racking up a lot of favors to the Good Guys.” I shared a grin with the Russian and then walked him back to the cellar while the girls figured out how to run everything in the safehouse.
We stepped back into the weed-infested yard together, and I watched as Ivan rejoined the two men at the SUV. The almost-tank rolled away a moment later, and once their lights faded, there was nothing but moonlight and stars. I listened to the breeze rattling the leaves for a moment, but the night air carried a chill edge that made me want to head back inside. After one last look at the spread of stars that I rarely got to enjoy inside the city, I headed back into the basement and down to our new digs.
“The aesthetic isn’t great, but it certainly has everything we need,” Flora said as soon as I walked inside.
“And we have brought enough groceries to cook some dinner!” Joan called from the kitchen.
“So, should we look for a new place tomorrow, or stay here?” I asked.
Joan and Emily emerged from the kitchen, and the three women looked at each other for a moment.
“I mean, if Val really doesn’t know about this place, it might be alright,” Joan said.
“I thought you didn’t want to be underground again,” Emily teased.
“I don’t really,” Joan sighed. “But this location is perfect for our next time travels.”
“I know we’re close to Antietam,” I said.
“That’s not the only one.” The historian’s brown eyes lit up, and she actually clapped her hands together in excitement. “The campus is on the site of the Cold Spring Battlefield, and there are several other sites all within a few miles of here. We’ll be able to collect the photograph as well as a lot of other items. Best of all, the area hasn’t changed that much. A lot of it’s been preserved, so we won’t have to worry about any more rose bushes. In fact, we could go as early as tomorrow, if you want.”
“And you still want to travel with me?” I asked.
“I do,” she said and swallowed hard. “I can put up with a little queasiness to help the store.”
“What do you two think?” I asked as I looked at Flora and Emily.
“I like it,” Emily said. “And I don’t care what you say about vacuuming, I want some of this carpet whenever we buy a house of our own.”
“I’ll add that to the list,” I laughed and turned to Flora.
“The place is actually up to date,” Flora conceded. “I’m rather impressed with some of the work. There is no Eva, but the controls are still top-notch. I think we’ll be safe, and I can still conduct my business from here.”
“So we’re staying for at least a few nights?” I asked, just to be sure.
“Sounds like it,” Joan agreed.
“Yay!” Emily cheered as she bounced up and down for a moment. “It’s time for dinner and a movie!”
“What do we even have to eat?” I asked as I followed the blonde into the kitchen.
“How about homemade mac and cheese tonight?” Joan asked. “I know a great recipe, and we have all the ingredients.”
“Won’t that take a while?” I asked.
“It’s easier than you think,” the brunette assured me.
Just over an hour later, we were sprawled across the very large velvet couch with bowls of homemade mac and cheese in our hands while we watched The French Connection as an homage to the seventies theme of our temporary home. The mac and cheese was so good that when we polished it off, we gave serious thought to making some more, and the car chase scene still left everybody on the edge of their seats even though we’d been through more than our fair share in the last few months.
And while I’d never admit it out loud while Emily was around, it was nice to watch a movie that wasn’t based on a Jane Austen novel.
When the final credits started to roll, we turned off the TV and headed toward the bedrooms. There were six in all, though one was set up with two sets of bunk beds, so we ignored that one. I claimed the one with gray walls, a smaller flat-screen TV, and a print of one of Toulouse-Lautrec’s posters for the Moulin Rouge, in part because it didn’t look like it had come from the Brady house, but also because it came with one of those Sleep Number beds.
While the girls took turns in the bathroom, I played around with the controls for the bed. The bed was actually two mattresses, so each side could be as hard or soft as the sleeper wanted. It also had temperature controls, and I could raise or lower different sections of the bed to find that perfect position.
“Damn, I need one of these,” I sighed happily as I raised myself up just enough to see the TV screen.
“Having fun?” Joan asked as she stopped in the doorway.
“As a matter of fact, I am.”
“You know, it could be even more fun.” The brunette gave me a wink and then pranced away from the door.
I’d just lowered the bed so I could follow the historian to wherever she was going when Joan reappeared in the doorway with Emily and Flora in tow. All three ladies were naked, and I drank in the magnificent view. My cock hardened in response, and I could feel the blood flowing toward the lower half of my body like a whirlpool had suddenly appeared somewhere near my penis.
“I like where this is going,” I said with a grin.
“Let’s see exactly what this bed can do,” Flora suggested as she stepped into the room.
The silvery-blonde did a catwalk-worthy stroll to the bed, though she didn’t climb in right away. She ran a hand over the silky sheets, and her fingers eventually found their way up my leg. She gave my balls a squeeze through my jeans and then walked to the other side of the bed. She scooped up the other controller as she flopped down next to me, and though she tried to look like she was interested in the settings, I could see the way her gray eyes slid toward me.
“I think you’re a little overdressed for the occasion,” Joan laughed as she and Emily waltzed to the bed in each other’s arms. “This is a strict no-clothing event.”
“Well, I wouldn’t want to violate the rules.” I smirked.
I pulled my shirt over my head and tossed it toward one of the corners. That was the easy part, but I still had to tug my jeans off. My cock was already pushing so hard against the fabric that I could feel my muscles and the denim both straining.
“We can help,” Emily said as her blue eyes sparkled merrily.
The blonde managed to undo the zipper, and then she and Joan each grabbed the edge of the waistband and started to tug it down my hips. My cock sprang up as soon as it was free, and all three girls cooed happily when they saw it. Joan slid my pants off my feet, and they soon disappeared into the corner as well.
“Let’s try this position first,” Flora said as she took the controller from my hand.
She climbed on top of my knees as she jabbed at the buttons, and a moment later, I was leaning back like I was in a recliner, though my legs were just above my waist. It was an amazingly comfortable position, though I barely noticed as the knot in my groin tightened even more.
“Oooh, so hard,” Flora crooned as she traced a finger along my length.
“And what about you?” I whispered in her ear as I ran a finger along her pussy.
A warm wetness dribbled over my fingers, and I growled at how ready she already was.
“Take her,” Joan whispered in my ear as she eased onto the bed. “We want to watch.”
I looked at the historian, and I could see the lust in her dark eyes. The brunette’s breathing was heavy, and the hot air against my ear made me groan.
And then a warm, wet tongue traced along the edge of my other ear, and I could just see a puff of blonde hair out of the corner of my eye.
“Do it,” Emily urged as she leaned so close that her very perfect boobs brushed against my chest.
“Oh, God,” I groaned as Emily’s tongue started to work its way from my ear to my neck and then my chest.
Meanwhile, Joan’s hand was slowly tracing patterns across my penis that left my knees quivering and my fists clenched on the sheets. It was a conundrum, because my bones felt like they’d turned to jello, but my cock was hard enough to drive nails. There was a knot in my gut that felt like it was going to cut me in half, and I knew there was only one way I could relieve the pressure.
“Flora,” I moaned as the silvery-blonde scooted closer to my mast.
I unclenched one fist and started to trace along the edge of her tunnel again. When I felt her shake just a bit, I inserted one finger and rubbed it against her. Her pussy was already damp, but I could feel the muscles tighten as I traced a pattern back and forth.
