Epilogue
New Orleans
Wednesday
Mid-Day
The bottom line was that they were home. Not only were they home, but they were beyond safe. When the plane landed, they were whisked away by fellow Marines, and put in a blacked-out Navigator.
They were riding in style.
Blackhawk style.
Apparently.
As two Spiders transported them to a private field, they were loaded up into the Deputy Director’s private helicopter.
There was a new base, and Gamble was dying to see it. Oh, Elizabeth told him about it, but seeing was believing.
Beside him, a very tired Poe was holding on, trying to stay awake. Only, jetlag was NO ONE’S friend.
As they touched down on the top of some odd concrete structure, they were now even more curious.
“Captain, Director Blackhawk says someone will be meeting you. Head to the door, and use the plate,” the pilot offered.
Well, if he said so.
Getting out, he had Poe’s hand in his, and his rucksack over his shoulder.
Inside, was what they could quickly pack before transport whisked them, and the horses away.
Things could be bought, but getting out before hell opened up…
Priceless.
At the door, he placed his hand on the plate, and there was movement by his side.
“Hello, Captain Gamble Holloway, and Duke of Gordon, Doctor Poe Seville.”
Gamble put his body in front of Poe.
What stood before him was…translucent.
“And you are?”
She smiled.
“I am MATE, but you can call me Zen. Elizabeth is my mother. I’m the keeper of the concrete castle. Welcome to Area Fifty-Two.”
Gamble was amused.
“Let me guess…Elizabeth named it?”
MATE curtsied.
“It is appropriate. Strange shit lives here.”
Gamble put his arm around Poe.
“Welcome home, and Doctor, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Poe wasn’t sure what this was, but it was kind of cool.
“And your name is MATE?” he asked.
She moved closer, and changed her form to look more like Poe. She was wearing exactly the same thing he was.
“Do you like?” she asked, turning in a circle. “I like to be fashionable.”
Poe grinned.
“I do like it, MATE,” he said. “I’m going to have to stop calling people that, or it’s going to be confusing.”
She linked her arm through his—or tried to, but it was no easy task when you weren’t corporal.
“Then call me Zen.”
This was all so crazy, but Gamble knew that when it came to Elizabeth, that tended to be the case. As long as Poe was enjoying himself, that was all that mattered.
Besides, he knew MATE had been their computer system, but she’d come a long way.
That was for damn sure.
Gamble pointed.
“Can I see the family, MATE? I’m tired and missed them,” he admitted.
She stepped aside.
“Absolutely. We’ll talk again,” she admitted, winking at the doctor.
Apparently, she liked him.
Well, Gamble wasn’t sure what to do with that.
Together, they headed into the building, and Poe grabbed his arm.
“What if they don’t like me?” he whispered.
Gamble lifted his chin.
“Do you trust me?” he asked.
Poe nodded.
“Then, trust and believe, that you’re about to meet your new best friends. Really.”
He hoped he was right.
Walking in, they opened another door, and Gamble went first. As soon as they heard it, EVERYONE turned to look his way.
And pandemonium erupted.
“Yo, assholes. I found your crypto key,” Gamble said, heading down the stairs. “In the process, I put targets on us.”
They didn’t care.
They were glad to see him.
The last time they saw Gamble, he was on death’s door. Immediately, they headed his way, and his family reached him.
Only, he made introductions, because he wanted the family to know that this man…
He was his everything.
“Guys, this is Doctor Poe Seville-Doyle, my husband,” he said.
And they all stared at him.
Poe was standing back further, and he held his breath.
“This is the man that saved me, and now, I need you to keep him safe.”
That was all he had to say.
The laughter and hugs erupted, as the men headed toward Gamble, and the women headed toward Poe.
“I’m Maura, and we met when you came to take him away,” she said, hugging him. “Thank you for saving our Gamble. We will never be able to thank you enough for what you did.”
He hugged her back.
Stella was next.
She touched his arm to get his attention.
“Hey, Doc. It’s good to meet you. Elizabeth was telling us a lot about you,” she said, pointing toward the screen where the woman was.
She waved.
Jinx practically jumped on him.
“Dibs on kissing him first!” she said, giving him a big kiss on the cheek. “Thanks, Doc. We’re grateful.”
Poe realized that Gamble had been right. His family was welcoming him with open arms.
Eve moved toward him, and she was with Calyx. After they both greeted him, Eve had to know.
“So, you married Gamble, huh?” she asked.
Poe just stood there and nodded, not sure what she was going to say.
Instead, both she, and Calyx kissed him on opposite cheeks.
“Welcome to the family,” they said, as the men headed his way.
Gamble stood there smiling, as the man he loved was welcomed into his family.
Without an ounce of trepidation.
Even from Zayn.
He wasn’t sure how Elizabeth managed that, or what she had to drug him with to get him to not be a lunatic, but it worked.
Clearly.
Speaking of the nut…
“So, married,” Zayn said, keeping his voice down. “Good for you, Gamble. Good for you. We missed you, my dude. You missed a lot on your vacation.”
He laughed.
“I was kinda fighting for my life, so I’m not sure how that was a vacation.”
Zayn dropped his arm over his shoulders.
“Are you going to help us catch Von?” he asked, as Gamble passed off the card to Maura.
Gamble stopped smiling.
They all saw the switch, and they knew someone was hella pissed.
It took a lot to rile up Gamble. That he was…someone was screwed.
And not in a newlywed kind of a way.
“Oh, I’m not only going to catch him, but I’m going to take him apart piece by piece, and make him rue the day he fucked with my husband.”
And with that, he headed toward Poe to give him a kiss.
When he was out of earshot, Maura just shrugged.
“So, same old Gamble, huh?”
Zayn laughed.
“Yeah, but now he’s pissed off. This should be buckets of fun. Why do I get the distinct feeling, we’re about to go to war, someone’s going to bleed, and it’s probably going to be one of us?”
She just watched Gamble, and knew…
The man was angrier than they’d ever seen him—even at Storm for what she did to his child.
Oh, this was going to be more than war.
This was going to be Armageddon.
Bet on that.