.·:*¨ ¨*:·.

Salton Sea Military Testing Facility T-CUAS California

"Captain, I shouldn't have to tell you this but if you carry through with what you're about to do, you realize I'll have to send you to take her place?"

"Yes sir, Master Sergeant. That's what I wanted to hear."

Master Sergeant Dale Rueben shook his head. "So you're saying, you want to go to your own funeral, let me get that straight. Because when he sees you there, Tickle Bascom is probably going to kill you, and you're up for that?" Rueben laughed.

"Sergeant, forgive my disrespect, but it should be me on that assignment, not Emalie. For fucks sake, she ruined my marriage."

"There is some truth to that Stellan, but when the cat's away the mice will play. Couldn't you have just overlooked it? And I say this as a friend, it probably would have fizzled out on its own."

"My wife is missing Sergeant-"

"Your ex-wife, Captain. Jethro Bascom is a friend of mine, don't forget that. We both know you had no right to expunge Merilyn from the project."

"Again, my respects, but she had no business taking on that project role. It was clearly stated and agreed, only level headed married couples would inhabit Olympus. Not fly by night hot at the ass singles."

Sergeant Rueben shrugged. "Have it your way then but remember, no one will be coming to your rescue. If Jethro gets you in a tight spot, I won't be able to stop him this time."

"Sir, yes sir." Stellan saluted. Rueben was right, but not if he got to Jethro Bascom first. "Permission to be dismissed."

Rueben nodded. "Permission granted, Quartermain."

Stellan turned and stalked out, smiling when he was out of Rueben's sight. Things would be coming together very soon and his sister was going to find out just how far his authority went.

Jethro Bascom was going to face the music too.

As far as Merilyn was concerned, while she was highly intelligent, she had no control over her impulsive nature which was why she had put the entire Olympus Colony at risk.

Her friends called her soft hearted and caring but in Stellan's experience that only led to mistakes. Like the one they were now dealing with. Why she felt the need to leave with an unknown species of people was beyond his whole imagination.

Being a Geneticist didn't automatically give you special powers of insight and clear reasoning. Merilyn had now put the future of Olympus on the line with her protocol be damned attitude. He grit his teeth as he continued to think about it but first things first, he was going to relish wiping the smug smile from his sister's face.

He had held his emotions in check for the sake of the team and the facility but he couldn't wait to slam the door in her face on her way out. Merilyn was his wife, divorce or not, she belonged to him and he was going to get her back. This was not just a case of passing sibling competition. His gut burned with the shame of walking in during one of their little trysts. Both half naked, clinging together in raw abandon, going at it like lovers who had been apart too long.

The look on Meri's face.

A look he had never seen once in their seven years of marriage.

He smiled thinking about the look she would have when they found her and she was greeted by him, instead of her lover.

That was going to be priceless.

.·:*¨ ¨*:·.

Stellan Quartermain, dressed in his full Air Force attire, with weapons at the ready, escorted the somewhat shorter, Emalie Quartermain, down the dimly lit, military personnel only, private hall of the T-CUAS facilities. The hall that opened into the large vehicle maintenance yard, and the outside world.

Everything she owned, hastily stuffed (by someone else) into the military issue duffle slung over Stellan's shoulder. He refused to allow her to carry it which meant there were weapons included.

She frowned at the back of his head as he marched resolutely through the non-descript beige hallway. Her heart thumped against her chest the closer they got to the two hundred pound steel door as the reality of what was happening made her ears buzz.

Her stomach lurched, churning up the coffee she drank earlier. That Stellan had the balls to toss her aside like last night's MRE's was infuriating.

He was her brother, but he had always been an, Air Force first personality. She knew why she was being ejected. It was no secret. Her affair with his wife, right under his nose, though he would never admit that. Honestly, Emalie didn't care. Her beef was the outright lie of a reason he had chosen to use to bring her before the council to have her removed. Because God forbid he would look like the victim in front of the council.

'She was divisive. A threat to operations and the community.'

None of it was true. Well, she did harbor some misgivings about the way their government had cashed in on the portal, but as a part of the Air Force herself, she could only complain so much.

It all fell on deaf ears anyway.

It was true. She and Merilyn had been a thing for some time now. A juicy, hot mess of a thing. A secret, up until the moment Stellan had walked in her quarters and caught them kissing.

That was the same moment he decided Merilyn shouldn't go to Olympus. Saying she didn't deserve the honor of being a Sr. Geneticist over such an important project and went to work on a campaign to completely discredit his wife's whole career.

So she divorced him. And went anyway.

Her dad made sure of it. Jethro Bascom was someone you didn't mess with. It was well known he could be a loose cannon. Emalie remembered facing him with the dirt that she and his daughter were in love. He hadn't even flinched. But oh boy, when he found out what Stellan was doing, the shit really hit the fan. Emalie was sure that's why Stellan had waited so long to throw her out. With Jethro in Israel getting ready to shuttle off to Olympus, Stellan thought he was safe from facing Jethro's wrath but who's to say old Jethro didn't have a sniper at the ready. She shrugged inwardly.

Her thoughts returned to the present moment as they reached the end of the hall and he slid his Medallion ID through the security card reader and the door clicked allowing him to manually open it.

He pushed it slowly forward and stepped aside with a wave of his arm.

Emalie, burning with humiliation, walked out and then came back turning on her brother, lashing out in anger.

"I can't believe you are really doing this," she yelled, holding her arms out to her side. She knew the stance was a sign of defeat but she couldn't help it. She knew he hadn't actually cared that she and Merilyn were fucking. He only cared about his reputation. His shame that he couldn't keep his marriage viable. Not her fault.

His stoney gaze gave her no indication either way. His next words placed the cherry on top.

"I'm sorry," he shrugged. "It's at the order of the council."

"The order decided on a lie! A bullshit lie Stellan! You know what you did!"

She poked his chest with her finger. "Don't stand there like you've lost all common sense Stell! You didn't give a damn about Meri! So why you gotta pretend that you're offended!"

His expression remained flat, further inciting her.

Emalie pounded on his chest with her fist now. Even if he punched her in the face at least it would be some sign that he had a conscience. "One day you'll regret these decisions, Stell. I'm supposed to be in Israel by tomorrow, not you! How do you plan on explaining my absence to Jethro? You gonna tell him I chickened out? Answer me goddammit!" She ground out the words like they left a bad taste in her mouth and truth be known, they did. "Jethro will never believe you, you know that right?"

"What Jethro thinks doesn't make a shit to me Emalie! Maybe he should think you chickened out. You were screwing my wife behind my back! I should have killed you when I had the chance! You're lucky
I made it about your underhanded attempt to thwart the work that's been a benefit to us, instead of slipping around like a common whore and leading Meri into your web of lust!"

He suddenly grabbed her hands with a vice-like grip and pushed her back several steps until she was back outside the massive steel door, threw her duffle out and pointed a shaky finger in her face.

"You're out Quartermain! Now get the fuck off government property!"

Emalie smirked at the use of her last name as if it were a way to distance himself from the years of their work together as a family.

"You know," he added. "This behavior of yours is what got you released from duty. If you'd controlled your urges, showed some respect to the Corporal," he spat out. "God," he rolled his eyes. "No. You have only yourself to blame Quartermain."

"I'm not sorry, Stellan! Not at all. You treated Meri like shit. At least I loved her and treated her like a human being you fuck!" Her eyes drifted down the stern contours of his face to the gold medallion that hung on a lanyard from his neck.

He didn't miss the scornful gesture and she was glad but he gave her a stiff smile and fingered the large key card thoughtfully.

She stared at him like she didn't even know him anymore and his next words proved it.

"He who owns the medallion, owns the world."

"Yeah," she whispered through her teeth. "May you rot in hell with your medallion, Stellan."

He began to slowly push the door closed, stopping for a brief moment, looking almost as if he were feeling a twinge of regret.

"Get out of here, Quartermain. Go find something else to do with your slut pussy." He pointed over her shoulder. "You'll find a set of keys in the seat."

With those harsh, final words he pushed the door closed and when it clicked with a hollow thud she gasped and the tears flowed as she cried like a baby.

"You'll all rot in hell!" She screamed with a choke. "You bastard Stellan!" She chuffed again and again, lunging at the door with all her weight, her fists beating and beating and beating. She screamed until her throat burned and her voice grew hoarse.

Emalie beat the solid steel door until her fist throbbed and her knuckles bled. When she realized it wasn't going to change the mind of the piece of shit she had grown up with, she leaned her forehead against the door as her arms dropped to her sides. Sweat trickled down her face mingling with the tears and dust that covered her skin as she backed away.

She wiped her eyes with a bloody hand and slowly looked up at the black camera bubble above the door, staring defiantly into it. Slowly raising her hands she flipped the security agent she knew was watching, a bloody, two finger salute, smiled and jogged toward the car left parked in the lot near the maintenance garage where all the transports for T-CUAS were serviced.

She glared at the pitiful excuse of Stellan's generosity, laughing at the black GTO convertible and walked away, heading straight for the open garage doors.

Stepping inside, she let her eyes adjust to the shadowy interior momentarily before spotting exactly what she was looking for. The tan HumVee sat with the hood up but after a quick inspection she was satisfied there was nothing out of order, she dropped the hood and trotted around to the driver's seat finding the keys in the ignition.

"Awesome."

Emalie scanned the shelves and walls making a mental list of the things she would take with her. Three gas cans, full. Five boxes of MRE's and beneath a dusty tarp more cases of water than she could carry. She grabbed random tools, rope, the dusty tarp loading it all in the back, noticing as she did, an AR-15 beneath a large bag that she found to be full of loaded clips.

"Jackpot," she announced to herself, going back to load the boxes of food, water, gas and tools. She worked steadily until she had everything she wanted then climbed into the driver seat and fired up the military hummer. She threw it in gear and drove out, stopping long enough to grab her duffle, throwing it in the passenger side door.

Back in the driver's seat Emalie turned the armored VeeTruck, and headed for the double gates. Normally locked, today the chains hung down indicating to Emalie that Stellan had purposely left it open so she could leave.

So she left.

Crashing through the chain link gates like they were made of plastic. She crammed the gas pedal to the floor and roared off down the road leaving a trail of dust in her wake.

.·:*¨ ¨*:·.

-Meanwhile
Asset Protection: Facility Security

"Son of a bitch! She just flipped me off, Sir."

"Did you expect any less? She's pissed, afterall, Bludger."

"Aye, but I ain't done nothin' to er."

Stellan laughed. "You Aussies. You think just because you haven't done anything to her you're somehow excluded from her wrath ?"

"Uhh, Sir. I think you better look sharp. Because she ain't taking the car you left for her."

"I never figured she would Bludger. Those wheels weren't for her anyway. Those belong to the Master Sergeant. She might have a temper but she's not stupid. I could have arrested her for taking that. It would have been my crowning moment. Throwing away the key to her prison cell, ahhh well, a man can dream, can't he?"

Stellan watched the security monitor in silence as the tan HumVee pulled through the double doors stopping only long enough for ATP Quartermain to grab the duffle he'd thrown out for her and leave a mangled jumble of fence gates behind in her wake. He looked down at the security private and shook his head.

Bludger frowned. "Aye, looks like she's left you a bloody mess to clean up," he chuckled tightly.

"Shut the fuck up Bludger," Stellan frowned and continued to stare at the monitor, at the empty lot below.

"Captain Quartermain!"

Stellan's back stiffened visibly when he heard the barked command and he turned automatically with a salute.

"Master Sargeant," he bit out from between clenched teeth.

Master Sargeant Dale Rueben stepped into the room. "At ease Captain."

Stellan relaxed, dropping his arms down to his sides.

"Quartermain, did you hear Jessie paging you?" He looked at Bludger and back to Stellan barely hiding his contempt.

Stellan opened his mouth to speak but was immediately cut off by the Sergeant.

"Nevermind Quartermain. Be in my office at 1300 to brief me." He looked around the small room, glancing momentarily at the security monitors and shook his head. "As you were," he continued brusquely before turning on his heel and walking out.

Stellan clicked his heels and saluted. "Yes Sir, Sir!"

He turned back to Bludger. "Go out and get the boys to help you clean up those gates. I'll send Marcus down later to patch up the hole."

"Are you expecting her to come back, Sir?"

Stellan Quartermain gave the Aussie a look of pure distaste. "She will absolutely be back Bludger. Emalie Quartermain never backed down for a fight," Stellan glaced at his watch and stalked out of the security office.

Funny he thought, that Bludger seemed afraid his sister would come back to get even with the entire crew, Stellan figured he was probably just trying to figure out how to keep himself locked tightly away in his office.