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Quaranteam - Dave In Dallas: Part 12 Consequences.

De la musique tirée de la voûte anglophone de CISM.

Quaranteam - Dave In Dallas: Part 10 Dave & Olivia use skills meant for a last resort.Based on a post by RonanJWilkerson, in 12 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels. Let's review the list of characters: David Belsus – 46, physics & astronomy professor at Eastfield college, a community college in the Dallas area. Prepper, survivalist, has a greenhouse in his backyard and lives in an outer ring suburb. Six foot, fit, short cropped hair. Lupie Ramos – 32, former financial advisor, Dave's neighbor, got caught out of state when the lockdowns started. She spent two frantic weeks trying to get back to her daughter. Lupie has been in love with Dave for over a year. Long, dark brown hair, medium build, and a lovely smile. Esme – 9, daughter of Lupie, prone to the occasional snarky comment. Adores Dave. Becca; 18, Lupie's babysitter, was watching Esme when lockdowns occurred. Her refusal to abandon Esme, as her mother insisted, likely saved Becca's life, since her extended family ignored precautions and died of Duo. Esme, Lupie, and Dave are all Becca has left in the world. Short, medium build, small tits, with short blond hair and a smile that is shy with strangers and beams with family and friends. Janice Wheeler; 33, Dave's first partner to arrive, a librarian at Cedar Valley, another community college member of DCCCD. Slender build and medium height, Janice is 3/4 Korean, her paternal grandfather is Anglo. Medium length black hair often pulled back in a bun for work or ponytail at home. Shawna Cooper; 36, senior meteorologist at WFAA, Master's degree in meteorology from O U, worked at NSSL and spent time as a storm chaser. Whole hog sci-fi nut, beginning with Start Trek TNG. 5' 10", large tits, medium brown skin, dark brown eyes, shoulder length black hair styled like a frizzy weeping willow. Olivia Tyler (Liv); 21, senior studying horticulture at Tarleton State University, near Dallas. Daughter of Carter and Janelle, Dave's best friends since college. Had a well-known crush on Dave throughout her teen years. Since her dad was former SF and a survivalist, Liv is skilled with several firearms as well as bladed weapons. Never failed to take a deer any season she's hunted. 5'10" long, dark brown hair, large tits, lightly tanned, brown eyes, and a wide smile. Melanie Ustanich; 22, graduate student in IT at Tarleton, Liv's roommate, recently found a passion for cooking. Spent most of her life in foster homes, Liv's parents accepted her like family the first time she went with Liv on Thanksgiving Break. 5'8" medium length auburn hair, green eyes, small mouth with a ready, mischievous smile. The ladies came through, leaving one mug beside the detective and swiftly exiting with the pot, several mugs, a milk jug, and a small container that may have just been repurposed as a sugar dish. Verratti pushed her mask up to her nose to take a sip, holding the mug like a sacred talisman, her eyes closed and a look of bliss dawning on her face. It was a short day. She opened her eyes and the distance they contained sent the brief appearance of joy below the horizon once again. Laying her mug back on the table, she pulled her mask back into place. "The man that was with you that day at the range?" "Yes, my friend Carter. He was the one that arranged the time on the range." "And how did he manage that? Didn't you say a few times he was a security guy?" "He runs physical and digital security checks for sites his company guards. He and his guys also get hired out by insurance companies to check out their client's security plans as well." For a moment, Dave allowed himself to forget the pain and use the present tense. "I think you mentioned a few times before class that he was in special forces?" "Yep. He likes to say his civilian job is kinda similar to his work in the army, just with paintball or laser tag gear." "Good." She motioned him to sit close, so she could speak lower. "You've stumbled into something no one seems to be working hard to solve." Dave's eyebrows stitched together. Her tone was more ominous than her words. "Nine weeks ago, a truck carrying seven vaccinated women was attacked. It was on its way to some rich neighborhood to deliver partners to the McMansion set. The attackers covered their tracks reasonably well, so we never caught them. Two weeks ago, a shipment of vaccine got hit between Grand Prairie and the Vax Center. They didn't even try to take the whole shipment, just grabbed a bunch and ran like hell. The chopper that was following them didn't have infrared on it, so they lost track of them in the trees in the dark." Dave stayed silent as she paused to gather her thoughts. "Look, I shouldn't have said any of this, but nobody's doing anything. Your friend has the skills to deal with the problem. And the way you've always presented yourself, if he's your friend, then he'll want to apply his skills to right a great big fucking wrong that's being ignored. There's an Air Force liaison office in the station right now. They're supposed to coordinate a military response to big attacks, but they've been blasé about both attacks." "Wait? Military to take out crooks? I mean, even big deal shit like this? Shouldn't that be done by SWAT or ATF?" She stared at him. If he had to guess, her lips were tightly pressed together under her mask. Her words were tightly spoken as she continued. "The fact your attackers cut their fallen buddies' nuts off suggests they had bonded female partners. That means either the hijacked transport, or the vaccine attack. Maybe both. And that means they may have been coming here to abduct your partners and bind them to themselves." "But that would kill them!" Dave started out as a loud interjection, but at her look, and as his own self-control kicked in, he dropped to a strenuous whisper. "There; is a way. But only if the man is dead. There was an ER nurse on the first transport. She would have known about the procedure, at least in broad terms." She pulled a map from her valise. Unfolding it, she pointed to two locations. The attacks happened here, and here." "Yeah, that stretch of I-20 is a bit empty, even being in the middle of urban sprawl." "Because of that attack, they moved the flights to Love Field." "No rural hideouts along the way." "Exactly. Now look, here's where the chopper last was sure they had an eye on them." Her finger indicated a spot southeast of Athens. "What I'm asking you is to get a hold of your friend. See if he and some of his team are willing to investigate; and maybe rescue some of these women. No one else is doing anything about this. And they are escalating." "Do you think they'll try again here?" "I don't know. Not anytime soon, you gave them plenty of reasons to give this place a wide berth. I can't swear to that, but I'd say they'll at least leave you alone for a while." Which means they may be coming for my family again. Whenever they feel like trying again. No point in telling her about Carter. I'll have to do this myself, but I'm not telling her that. A trained, former special forces operative that still does security testing is a reasonable person to ask to do this. A community college professor that's been trained by his prepper buddy doesn't sound nearly as reassuring. Fuck Carter, why the hell did you have to die? "How sure are you on that last sighting?" She flipped her notebook back several pages. After consulting her notes, she carefully laid her finger again on the map. "Right there." Dave stared at the indicated location, noting nearby major road intersections and the distances from each to the tip of her finger. Mainly, he looked at the roads that formed a boundary around the area. The raiders may not be inside that space, but it was a place to begin. "Be very careful. There's suspicion that some army deserters are with these guys." She took a deep breath. "It's like pulling teeth getting anything out of the Air Force woman about this. Please professor, talk to your friend. I'll contact you in a day or so to see if he's responded." "Why don't I just call you?" "I'd rather have that discussion when I'm not at the station or around other officers." "Okay. You need anything else from me detective?" "No. No, I should be going. I'll call in a few days." "I'll be ready." Hope I've found them by then . Dave walked her to the door and locked up behind her. He slipped over to the parlor to check the window patch for any air leaks. Dave ran his hand around the edges, slowly, but felt no movement, not cold streams. Some of the family had come downstairs, now that the weather was once again outside. Dave sat in a chair, staring off into space while the others red or talked. This may take more than a day, just to find these guys. And once I do, I'll need time to observe, and then time to plan. Food, water, ammunition. I'll need something long-range. My best bet will probably be picking them off one at a time at first. I've got silencers for the MP5's, but no subsonic ammo. It's still going to be obvious when I shoot. Carter has all the subsonic ammo. Imagine the look on the face of whoever finds his armory. Fuck, what if they just bulldoze the place? Yeah, Liv and I need to try and get his weapons and equipment. Wait, I have subsonic.22LR. I could use that for the first few. Fuck, I'm really doing this. That means I'll be gone for a few days. It's already been two days for Rebecca, and she's on such a short fuse. We really ought to ask the vaccine experts why that is. Gee, what a call to make. "Hey, vaccine guys? Yeah, look, I've got this eighteen year old cutie that just insists on having sex every four days. Like, she's climbing the walls by day five. What's up with that?" I'm sure they'll have all kinds of sympathy. Well, I have my first thing I've got to do before I go. Dave found Becca in the room she and Reena shared. The one they'd previously used as a 'hotel room' the night the ladies put together for prom. Reena was not around. "Hey, sexy nerd girl, what're you up to?" Becca rolled on to her back from her book reading. Her face was glowing, though she was also blushing from her scalp to, well, lower than her shirt collar. She very cutely bit her lower lip. Dave chuckled. "You are so damn cute, ya know that?" Her face twisted a little. "Demotion huh? I've gone from sexy to cute in less than a minute." "One does not preclude the other. There is an intersection of the two. In my opinion, you exist within that intersection." "God, you know how weirdly sexy it is that you can talk math about sex?" "You know how great it is that you're one of two partners I can talk to that way? Most of the others either won't get it, or will be turned off by it." The radiant look Becca got from the compliment was exactly what Dave was going for. She wasn't just a teen hottie, or gamer girl, or some other check box. She was his younger nerd partner that he got to introduce to so many things he loved that were new to her. Or, things she'd heard about, but not yet experienced. And she was fun in bed. Becca's hand slipped to the hem of her t-shirt. Dave stepped swiftly up to her bed and grabbed her hands. He pulled her around so her ass hung off the edge of the bed and her head was braced against the wall. She and Dave were still experimenting with different ways to have sex. She'd recently mentioned that quickies sounded kinda hot. Dave figured now would be a good time to try. He grabbed her shorts and panties at the hips and pulled both down to her calves, bringing her legs straight up in the same motion. Dave leaned against her, her ankles on one of his shoulders, as he unbuttoned his pants and shoved pants and boxers to mid-thigh. The aroma of Becca's arousal reached Dave's nostrils, matching the signal that her panting breath and lust-filled eyes were sending. Truth to be told, he was fairly revved as well. The little gasp she gave as he hand-fed his mostly hard cock into her saturated pussy was delicious. Dave leaned in closer, folding her legs back onto her body, her ankles on either side of his head, her shorts against his collarbone. He drilled her fast and hard. This wasn't love making, wasn't a tantric exercise, and was not 'the full Dave'. A quickie was just that; hard, fast, and get 'er done. Becca's cute little huffs and grunts urged him to keep going, her moist, rippling channel gripping his shaft and egging him on. In due time, Dave felt that familiar tingle in his balls rising up through his cock and he began firing his hot seed into her eager passage. Becca shuddered and convulsed the same as if Dave had taken most of an hour lifting her to ecstatic heights. Dave leaned a bit further in to kiss Becca tenderly on the lips. Becca giggled. "That was fun." "Good, we can add that to the repertoire," Dave said, buckling his pants. He leaned in for another kiss, this one with just a moment of lingering, before walking away. Becca's eyes shone brightly as they followed him. Now I wait. Dave spent the rest of the evening sitting with his ladies, sometimes talking, mostly listening. Lupie called everyone to the dinner table. A nice warm casserole that soothed the insides after most of the day with the inside matching the weather outside. Downstairs anyway. Mostly what Dave remembered from the evening was looking around the table at his family as they chatted and moved on from the events of the morning. Mostly. Every once in a while, someone's attention wavered, or they flinched from a sound. That's why I have to do this. Dinner was late enough that some began their night time routine once it was over. It had been a draining day, even for those that had huddled upstairs. The emotional impact, the fear and anxiety they'd gone through took a physical toll. "Hey, Shawna, let's meet in my office in a few minutes, okay? I'll find Liv and Mel and have them join us." "Sure. Night security?" "Yeah. The detective was reasonably sure there wouldn't be a repeat tonight, but let's be safe." "Okay." Shawna hugged him tightly. Dave went off to find the other two, then made his way to his office. Even though they'd just finished dinner, he felt a bit munchie. He pulled a half-eaten pint of blueberries out of his fridge and snacked slowly. Each woman smirked as they entered. Shawna started imitating the guitar intro of a certain song by Black Sabbath. Dave just shook his head with a rueful smile. Then he popped a few more berries in his mouth. "We need to maintain a watch tonight," he informed them once he'd cleared his mouth. "The threat is perceived to be low, but I'd rather not take a chance. I'll take first watch, then wake Shawna to relieve me. She can wake Liv, and when Liv's shift is over, she can wake Mel." The way Olivia stared at Dave made him wonder if she suspected his real plan, but she said nothing. "We'll post guard here in Shawna's morning room with the door open. It's right at the top of the stairs, so anyone would have to come past the guard to get to any of us. I'll drag the chair from that room to the door, far back enough that anyone looking in will see darkness, but near enough the guard can see the head of the stairs and part of the hallway in each direction." "That's it. Get some sleep. When it's time to switch over, get up and get moving. We'll have one pistol out and transfer that over. Don't go to bed until your relief is in place." Shawna came in for a kiss before she left. A long, slow kiss with no tongue. She looked meaningfully into his eyes before she walked out, saying nothing. Dave waited over an hour for all the activity in his house to settle and everyone to fall asleep. He slowly and quietly rose from his seat. He slipped in to the master bedroom to find Shawna on the outer edge of the bed. Of course she'd thought ahead so she wouldn't disturb the others. Dave lightly tapped her foot, and she stirred awake. Dave went back to his post while she dressed. Once she got there, he handed over the pistol. "You're going after them aren't you?" she whispered low and urgent. "Yes. It's the only way to ensure everyone's safety. These guys are a danger to us, and others. The detective was so frustrated with the inaction, she told me other events that have happened, but no response from the police." "Other houses have been attacked?" "No, the other attacks haven't been on houses, but they look related." "How far away are they?" "I don't know for sure. She gave me some information on the last place they were seen." "Then how long will you be gone?!" She kept her voice low to not disturb anyone, but there was a 'shouting' tone to her whisper. "I don't know. I'm taking food and water in addition to the rest of the gear." "David, please be careful. All our lives depend on you." He wrapped his arms around her for a tight hug. "I know. I'm doing this for your safety. No more middle of the night break ins." He paused for a moment. "Carter took me through a few scenarios that apply. We had to use paintball guns for those trainings, but I've spent plenty of time on the range with all of these weapons. I won't be as good as Carter, but I'm good enough to pull this off. I'm coming back to you babe." He pulled back so they could look each other in the eyes. "You are plenty of reason to come back." "Me and eight others," she said with a teasing grin. "Anyone of you alone is enough to go fight this fight and get my ass back here in one piece. I finally understand Carter now. Somethings you have to fight for." He slipped away from her and went to the master bedroom closet. In a box tucked away in a corner, he pulled out a set of lightly used 90's era BDU that Carter'd urged him to get from an Army-Navy store. It was not the only set, but he wasn't going to be gone that long. Hell, his partners would all be screaming for doses by then. After dressing, and donning his combat boots, he walked silently out of the bedroom. That he had to pause and prep his mind for. Carter had shown him how to walk quietly in these boots, it just took practice and care. It had been a long time, so he ran through the lessons and practices in his head for a minute after he had them on. He trod gently down the stairs to the gun closet. He typed in the code and swung open the door. That's when the darkness at the end of the unlit hall moved. "Go to bed Olivia." His voice was flat. "You are not going after these guys alone." Dave flipped on the light in the small space. The illumination spilling into the hallway revealed Olivia in a matching pair of BDU. "How the hell?" "I mailed myself a box to this address before I reported to the vaccine center. Mostly other stuff, but one set of woodlands and my best broken-in boots." "Livy, you need to stay here and watch the others." "I need to watch over your ass and bring you home so you can keep fucking all these women that are addicted to your cum." Dave felt a wave of shame at the comment. That he was risking himself, some, but their safety required he take out this threat. That he was; unfaithful to any of these women, because none of them were the only one. Yes, he could personally enumerate all the reasons why, but that didn't change the visceral reaction of a man that never wanted a lot of women, just one that he could be devoted to, and vice versa. "Liv ;” "I'm not trying to talk you out of this. I'm certainly not condemning you for having multiple partners, David. On behalf of myself, and all your partners, I insist I go with you and provide overwatch. You know I'm a better sniper than you. You're better at CQB. We do this together." A cold hand gripped Dave's chest. "Olivia, I already dragged you into one gunfight. I won't do it again." "You didn't drag me into anything. The world sucks and some people are assholes. The same guy that taught you raised me not to just stand idly by. I'm going with you." She came in close, molding her hand to his jawline. "You didn't cause the attack this morning. You stood in the gap, and I stood with you. What you're about to do is needed. And I'm standing with you again." Without another word, she slipped around him and started gathering her gear. Dave joined her. Within half an hour, they loaded tactical gear, ammo, weapons, water jugs, canteens, and field rations in Liv's pickup and got on the road. They were completely in sync, though neither spoke a word. Chapter 12; A Walk on the Chaotic Good Side. October 29, 2020 12:30am The hum of the heater fan on its lowest setting combined with the warm air coming off the windshield were not helping Dave maintain alertness. Livy drove while he checked their route against what he'd seen on the detective's map. So far, it was just a matter of 'drive towards Athens'. Dave snuck the window down a little, inviting some cool air to help him stay fresh. Not too far, though. Occasionally, they'd run into an isolated cloud still giving up a pittance of drizzle, remnants of what passed over their house yesterday morning. Mostly it was just cold. "I miss the little triangle windows that pivoted open on Dad's old beater pickup." Dave chuckled. "Yeah, those were useful. Guess somebody decided to save money and make them fixed instead of movable." Olivia humphed in response. When she said nothing for a few minutes, he reached into the bag on the seat between them and pulled out an apple. She didn't notice until he took his first crackling bite. "Damn. Again?" she laughed. "Fill up too much and you'll bust out that stab shirt. Sorry, it's just;” "I'm eating way more often than the rest of you, and not gaining any weight. Yeah, I know. They said this serum shit has weird side effects. Seems for me it's kicked my metabolism into the stratosphere." "Oh, big words like 'stratosphere' huh? Hmm, ya know, the higher metabolism would explain why you're outrunning me." Dave turned his head towards her, a mock annoyed expression on his face. "I've been faster than you for years. For a bit there in your teens you gave me a good challenge." Liv giggled. "I got faster so you'd have to look at my ass." "I worked harder to stay ahead of you so I wasn't looking at a sixteen-year-old's ass." Out of the corner of his eye, Dave noted Livy giving him a rueful look. With a quiet voice; and one eye on the road; she asked, "Is this the only way we could have been together?" His heart skipped a beat. His voice was deepened with loss when he replied, "I don't know, Olivia. I just don't know. The two of us together would have been a very unusual pairing in other circumstances. No law would have stopped us being together but a lot of custom and tradition would interfere." He reached his hand out and she took it. "So it was either this, or an asteroid hitting the Earth for me to get you?" Dave laughed. "Maybe not quite that dramatic." Their joined hands lay on the seat between them for a time, enjoying the union of their lives as the cold, damp miles passed. Half an hour later, signs proclaimed a junction ahead as they neared their first waypoint. "Want me to stay on 175 and go east around Athens?" "No, west on 7. When we get to the southside of town, we'll take 19 south." Dave waited before asking, "You need to switch out. We've both had long days." "I'm good. Just hand me another Dr. Pepper." Dave knee-stood in the seat, reaching back to the cooler with water, soda and reusable freezer packs. Ice would have been too loud loading at the house, and going to an automated ice station was more deviation than he was willing to take. The drinks weren't ice-cold this way, but they were at least cool. Between the caffeinated soda, and the No-Doz bottle in the glove box, they could fight off the drowsiness the road hum threatened to induce. Weirdly, the squeeze from the compression shirt for the stab plates helped keep him awake, though it did make it tougher to twist around for things. Maybe if he wore it more often, he'd know how to move better in it. With the late hour, and pandemic rules in effect, they hadn't seen another vehicle since pulling out of their own driveway. They crossed three overpasses for major roads out of town before exiting to southbound 19 / Palestine St. The creepy feeling intensified as they took their exit. The north side of the road held a hospital with what was undoubtedly the only ER for thirty miles around. In some directions, even further than that. And there was no activity at all. The lights were on. But no signs of human movement. A few miles down the road they passed the middle school, completely abandoned since March. Liv's hand slipped back to the middle of the bench seat. Dave added his to hers, holding her gently but firmly. Ten minutes later, with their headlights boring holes into the pitch black, Dave's phone buzzed. He pulled it out, noting the time was now approaching 2am. -There's been another attack, this time on a very rich man's estate. Bodyguards dead, left laying there. -Rich man dead, carried off, along with most of his partners. -Last seen southbound on 45, suspect they are taking that to 287 until Palestine. No intelligence beyond that. Please ask your friend to decide quickly. Dave quietly fumed. Another attack meant more suffering that he hadn't prevented. That was the whole point of this crazy scheme wasn't it? Immediately, he recalled a story Carter had told only once, after they'd been roommates for more than a year. It was a 'Boy's Night In' with two pizzas and a tsunami of beer, and some typical action flicks playing. Dave's friend related a time when they'd been too late to protect a local villager that had cooperated with the Special Forces team. The local government goons had not been kind to the collaborator. Or his family. "We found out too late, got there too late, not a fucking thing we could do. Not one fucking thing. Except," he raised his head so his bloodshot eyes were revealed, "we tracked the fuckers and took them out before they got back to their base. It was beyond our mandate. We were supposed to train only, not engage directly. We did it, and never talked about it." Track the fuckers down and take them out. Little wonder why that particular memory surfaced now. "Something wrong?" "Text from the detective. They hit another house. Successfully this time." "Oh shit. What are we going to do?" "What an old friend once told me was the only real option. Track the fuckers down and kill them." "Dad was such an eloquent man." Dave barked a laugh as he texted back. -We're already enroute. -We'll locate them on the run and track them to their base. -Thank God. -And thank your friend for me. Dave still saw no reason to inform her of his omission. Well, he felt a little guilty, but she'd get over it. Lupie on the other hand, might just tie him to the bed and spoon feed him between each woman's 'dosing' turn. Shawna might or might not help Lupie, but she was not going to help Dave avoid Lupie. Hell, by the time he got back, Lupie might be so worked up she'd chew him out exclusively in Spanish for over an hour. In between kisses and hugs because his dumb ass came home in one piece. Getting his mind back on the present, Dave pulled up a map on his phone. "This may make it easier to find their base. They're coming down 287. Previous attempts tracked them as far as Palestine. We'll intersect with 287 just outside Palestine, so we'll pick a good spot when we get there and wait. I suspect they will be an hour or half hour behind us." "K." Dave zoomed and scrolled on his map for several minutes. "There's a community college north of the intersection. It has a parking lot that will give us a good view, but far enough away we could miss something. There's also a gas station and a convenience store on the south of the intersection, on the west side that would give better views, but higher risk of detection. It's probably closed. If we're the only car there, it's going to be awfully suspicious; especially if we pull out right after they pass." "Don't worry, Dad gave me a few lessons on shaking a tail, and on tailing. Just before I went off to college, he even had me drive back country roads with no lights; on the road or car. If we can avoid getting noticed when we first pull out; by waiting 'til we can just see their tail lights; we should be fine." "Let's go for the convenience store first. If it looks too dicey, we'll move off to the college parking lot." Liv nodded her agreement. The silence that followed persisted until the intersection loomed. The community college parking lot had all of its lights on, as did the Exxon just south of it. The Valero on the west side and south of the intersection had its awning lights on, but no more. No lights were on around the convenience store south of the highway confluence. Even better, there were two vehicles parked in the lot. Liv pulled into a space near one of the other vehicles. But not too close. She killed the lights, lowered the windows halfway, and turned off the ignition. Both occupants of the truck surveyed first the near vehicle, then the more distant one, looking for any sign of occupancy. If these guys were good, they might have a lookout posted to watch for a tail. During the forty-five minute wait, neither their eyes nor ears detected any sign of another person in the parking lot. For that matter, there was no sign of anyone around the college, or in the gas station south of them. The station across the way probably had an attendant inside. A low rumble coming from the northwest initially alerted Dave and Liv to their approaching quarry. Without exchanging words, they each hunched down in their seats. Both were on full alert. Hunter versus hunter was a dangerous game. Of course, if one hunter doesn't know the other is around, so much the better. For the other at least. Five S U V, varying from mid-size to huge, rolled swiftly through the interchange. They slowed from far in excess of highway speeds, down to something reasonable for the possibility of merging; if one had incredibly sparse traffic to handle. Which worked just fine, since there was absolutely zero traffic to merge with. As the engine sounds began to fade, Livy sat up and started the engine. She quickly doused the lights that automatically lit up before backing out from behind the vehicle two parking spaces over. Hopefully, it shielded them from the target's notice. Well, that and the fact the targets were headed away from them, and presumably keeping hostages in check. With swift, smooth motions, Olivia got the pickup on the highway following the distant trail of tail lights. Noting the woodlands on both sides of the highway limiting visibility around the curves, Livy began rapidly closing the distance. Balancing that were the few streetlamps and the need to not show up in the last vehicle's rearview mirror. The train of S U V passed under one, went dark again except for the taillight; which brightened briefly; then were illuminated again for a flash before disappearing. "Shit," she muttered. "It's gotta be the underpass for the loop. That's why they went left and cut off. They went behind the embankment. Just take the loop to the left and keep pressing. We'll catch them. Just be careful of more street lamps. I'm not sure if this loop they're hopping on is limited access. If they hit stoplights, we'll need to be very careful to avoid notice." "Right." There were a few traffic lights to negotiate, but both were solid green the entire time the runners and the pursuers were in view. The greater concern was the street lights near the intersections. Increasing their following distance once a traffic light became visible bought them some grace. They also took the risk of allowing the convoy to get out of view over a small rise while they waited just outside the pool of light before making the left at Park Ave. That was followed by mild panic until they could catch up with their quarry. A sweeping left turn awaited just over the crest. Dave spotted tail lights turning right as they finally hit a straight section. It turned out to be another curve in the road. This road had just enough curves to allow Livy to close the distance and remain unobserved. As the pursuing duo came around one curve, the convoy ahead was disappearing around the next. Just as they cleared a shallow 's' turn, Dave spotted tail lights disappearing to their right. "Ease up, I think we're going off onto a narrower road." By the time they reached the turn, Liv had them at an appropriate speed. No sign of the convoy ahead, and greater darkness with the trees closer in, she had to go slower. Fortunately, the road was winding through a few tight turns which caused the convoy to go even slower. They managed to catch sight of taillights and hear engine noises through the trees before they got close enough to be noticed. The asphalt took a gradual rightward curve, but a faint red glow inside the dust cloud ahead signaled the convoy had plunged ahead onto the dirt road. Hunter and unwitting prey slowed again, but the frequent braking and the scattering effect of the dust kept Dave and Liv well aware of their quarry's position. Liv coasted and maintained distance so she never had to touch the brake. To do so would reveal their pursuit. The convoy slowed further and Liv allowed the truck to coast to a stop. "Let's find a place to park this thing and dismount." Dave pointed off to a small pocket beside the road where the trees curved away from the dirt track. Each opened their door gingerly, sliding quietly to the wet grass. Liv and Dave first checked their own gear, then each other's. Satisfied they wore or carried everything they thought they would need, they eased the doors closed, latching them softly. "One benefit of this weather; the gators will be hibernating, and maybe the snakes too," Dave said in a whisper. "Brumating. And probably yes on both counts. The gators will be in the water, but the snakes will find a burrow or hollow log. So stay away from likely hidey holes." "Yes, professor." Dave's wry grin was both smart ass and respectful. Liv's nature knowledge far exceeded his own. Her reply smile was appreciative. Then both faces went blank as the two focused on their mission. Using every technique Carter had taught him, Dave slipped stealthily through the trees. Crouching, he moved swiftly from bole to bole, taking care to avoid rock piles and downed logs. The red glow in the distance was diminishing. He noticed sets of tail lights lining up side-by-side before extinguishing. They were parking. That was a good thing, because Dave and Liv were already on foot. That also meant the possibility of guards on the perimeter. Dave paused a bit longer in his position, searching for any sign of patrols or stationary sentinels. Seeing none, he dashed forward to a new location and watched again for any sign of an observer. Liv moved from her prior spot to the place Dave had just vacated. Morning twilight was in full swing, so the pair had good lighting. Periodically, Dave observed men moving to each vehicle, removing a woman, and leading her to one of the buildings. A few men guarded the vehicles, but their focus was on the occupants, not someone outside. All the better. Dave and Liv found themselves places within whisper distance a few feet back from the tree line. Unobstructed views with low probability of getting spotted. In better circumstances, they would observe for hours, from multiple positions around the clearing, gathering information and striking in the wee hours, or at first light tomorrow. But; those women being taken inside compelled faster action. Whatever these assholes were doing needed to be stopped. At the same time, they couldn't just rush in, or they'd lose, Dave would be dead, and Liv would be dead or worse. And not long after, the rest of his family would be in very dire straits. So don't fuck up, asshole . This had to be what Carter meant about walking the razor's edge. One thing was clear; these guys had no security posted. The pre-dawn twilight was sufficiently bright that someone looking out the window would spot them if they got stupid. The trees opened up into a large clearing. Within the open space sat the parked S U V, two large buildings, and several smaller ones. The two large buildings were corner adjacent and perpendicular on their long axes. They were somewhat longer than they were wide. The large building stretched wide across their eyeline seemed to be where everyone was gathered. That's the building the women had been taken into. Several others converged on that location not long after. About half an hour after the last man disappeared into the big building, Dave and Liv spotted someone leaving. He had someone over his shoulder. He headed for one of the smaller buildings. About five minutes later, it happened again. Time to communicate. He pulled out his phone, already set to silent, no vibration. Fortunately, he had a few bars. -Compound located. Track my location. Stuffing his phone in his pocket without waiting for a reply, Dave slid closer to his partner. "I'm going in closer. I'll get under the windows and listen in." Liv's face was unconvinced. "Is that wise?" "We need to know more before we do anything. I've got to get close enough to hear them. Get your rifle ready to snipe. Keep me covered. I'll pass on the outside of the first building," he pointed to the one that lay along their line of sight and perpendicular to the target building, "and then cross along the near wall of the one they're in. You'll be able to see me for most of that time, and you can see either end. You'll know if someone's about to come around and spot me." "We need Dad's low watt tactical radios." "If wishes were horses, hun." He gave her a quick kiss, then silently backed further into the trees. This allowed him to move more quickly without detection, though he still remained on alert for any sentries out here in the trees. There were none. Approaching the tree line again, he scanned thoroughly with eyes and ears, for any sign of someone that would spot him emerging. With still no sign, Dave dashed from the trees to the near wall of the likely empty large building. There he waited, listening for any sound suggesting he'd been seen. His heart was pounding. He worked to calm himself so he could hear anything over the roar of the blood in his ears. Of course, that could just be the contrast. This rural fall morning was incredibly quiet thus far. Satisfied he was as yet undetected, Dave moved stealthily to the far corner of the building. He put a hand on the wall, feeling the rough brick exterior. It was distinctly not new, but not decrepit either. A few short steps brought him to the building's corner. Using the 'slicing the pie' tactic Carter taught him so long ago; and re-taught over and over and over; Dave passed around the corner to find no one there. Hugging the wall, he crept by, pausing at each of the two doors, listening for any sign of occupancy. By the time he reached the end of the building near the occupied building, the sun was not yet up, but the sky was well-lit. As was the compound. With more on the line, Dave took more time with his pie-slicing cornering technique. The rest of the compound, then the side wall of the other building, and then the back wall of the target building came slowly into view, all devoid of other humans. He slid carefully along the sidewall of the empty building until he was near the corner closest to his target. With his head only he once more rounded the corner, verifying no one had entered the small area bounded by the two buildings on two sides in the time he'd been behind the first one. Sure that he was clear, he crossed the gap to the second building. He watched his footfalls carefully since the area conjoining the two buildings had been cemented in a rectangular shape. Postholes along the edges suggested this might be some sort of outdoor area with an awning during warmer times. A broom at the corner Dave was heading for suggested someone took the time to keep it clear of debris. At least he didn't have to worry about stepping on a twig. Dave heard a door open, then close. Footsteps in grass reached his ears but receded. He swiftly slid along the wall to the front of the building and took a cautious peek. Once again, a man was walking toward one of the smaller buildings, this time carrying a woman in his arms rather than over his shoulder. Dave eased himself away from that corner and back to the corner proximate to the back wall. He had to step carefully around the broom again as he came around to the semi-enclosed courtyard. Dave eased his way carefully along the back wall. At least now he had the benefit of knowing Liv could watch the area around him and cover him as needed. He crept carefully, listening for sounds through the wall. Primarily though, he knew his best chances were under the three windows, two of which were close together, more than halfway down the building's length. As he approached an exterior vent for a dryer, he paused. For a moment the thought flashed through his mind that this would be the ideal place for a snake to hide. Then his rational brain took over, reminding him that the intermittent nature was likely insufficient to help a snake survive through the winter. They were more likely off in the woods somewhere or hiding in the walls of one of the houses. The first window was just past the vent. Dave paused. He waited for a few minutes, but heard nothing. He edged up, his face upturned, his nose turned away from the building. Edging upward, he allowed his peripheral vision a first glimpse in the window. It was dark. He turned his head slowly, seeking greater detail. A few shadows and a small light on the back wall limned out an empty kitchen space for a community. Efficient, but a little too regimented for Dave's taste. A little too zombie group think. Dave moved forward. This time he skirted around a pile of small diameter metal pipes. Must be for a future irrigation project or outdoor faucet. The next window was only a few feet past the pile. Dave had to be careful how far out he went. He crouched and quickly got back to the wall once past the pipes. He could already hear voices. Someone was angry. "I said sit the fuck back down. You dumbasses cost us three men with your half-assed raid. No, you don't get a shot at any of the women from this raid. You're lucky we let you fucking live. One more fucking word out of your fucking mouth and I will shit-can all your asses. And you, big mouth, you'll go last; after I ass fuck your sister without a new dose! You can watch her melt like somebody poured battery acid in her shithole, then I'll kill you, with the memory of her screams in your fucking ears!" Dave went cold. His mind called up one of the videos about the dangers for a woman exposed to the semen of any man other than her partner. Anger welled up in him, but he tamped it down. A berserker rage banged against the walls of Dave's discipline. He held his focus, knowing he would only accomplish his goal with cold efficiency. All the things Carter said over the years, words that had been whirling in his ears since the moment of the break-in, all settled into cold clarity. Yeah, they were gonna die. In due time. He crept closer. Again taking care to avoid detection, Dave saw a woman select a syringe full of a vibrant green substance. She moved over to; a dead body on the floor? What the hell? Why is she injecting the dead guy? Wait, now it's purple inside? Maybe he just misidentified the earlier color? The woman with the syringe stood. A man dragged a blonde woman over to a table near the lady with the syringe. Dave heard her whimpering once she was close. A second man took the woman's other arm. The two men held her pinned, face down, against the table as her whimpering turned to active cries. Dave's stomach turned over. A third man pulled the woman's pajama pants down. She wore no panties. The woman with the syringe approached. The way she walked, and the look on her face, gave the impression she was walking to the gallows. Dave swore she mouthed the word 'Sorry' to the pinned woman before injecting her with the purple contents of her syringe. Immediately, the woman jerked and thrashed. The man behind her dropped his pants. Dave dropped low, not needing to see anymore. Hell, he'd seen far more than he ever wanted to. The cries and sounds he heard had a certain resonance with the priming and later imprinting orgasms of his partners. But overlaid with a guttural, raw emotionality. Then there was no more sound from the woman. A few low conversations between the men, and then Dave heard the door on the other side of the building open. Dave duck-walked away from the window and around the pipes. Once against the wall again he raised up a bit and paused. He needed to collect his thoughts. What to do was clear. Kill every man here. Given what they were doing, there were no innocents. The only questions revolved around how to do what needed to be done. Ideas formed in his head, but he needed to confer with Olivia. At the very least, she needed to know his intentions. Teamwork would be vital. He also trusted her judgment. Her input could prove useful. It often did. Something more about Olivia was rattling around the back of his head. A thought jumping up and down, demanding attention, but not coming forward. Like a word sitting on the tip of your tongue you just can't say. Something he knew, but wasn't fully acknowledging. It didn't seem related to the immediate task, so Dave moved his attention elsewhere. The number of trips from the large building to the smaller ones was very nearly the number of trips from the cars to the big building earlier. That meant soon the men would no longer be occupied with; what they had been doing. Since some had recently come back from a raid, they were likely to bed down soon. That would be a good time to strike. Time to move and communicate. The door had cycled twice more during Dave's thinking. As he rounded the corner of the empty building, free to move unobserved, he heard the door slam open. He froze in place, a few steps past the corner, where he could listen without being detected. Multiple footsteps approached, and sharp mutterings between two men. The footfalls changed as they crossed from the grass onto the concrete. Their voices became clearer too. "Why drag her all the way out here? It's fucking cold and wet." "'Cuz I don't wanna clean up the fucking mess when the old bitch slags, that's why! Grass will just eat it up and get nice and green next summer. Inside, the carpet and the fucking pad have to be replaced." Dave's blood boiled. He tamped it down for immediate purposes. He also started moving back the way he came. Weapon at the ready, he rounded the corner again. Three figures were just crossing off the concrete pad and back into the grass. Two males in hunter camo and a naked blonde woman sobbing as they dragged her between them. They stopped several steps off the pad. One man was out of view, the empty building blocking Dave's line of sight to him. Liv surely had a good shot on him, but she might not yet know enough to take it. She'd know soon enough though. The man Dave could see was turned away from Dave, with the woman collapsed, on her knees in front of him, looking away from Dave also. By their orientations, the man that was out of sight was probably facing the corner and would see Dave the instant he came around it. Fortune favors the brave . One of Carter's favorite phrases. Dave slipped the MP5 back behind him, on safe, he pulled the.22 pistol from his holster, and the silencer from his cargo pocket, mated them gently, and carefully began screwing the silencer in place. The woman cried out, pleading for mercy. Unseen by Dave, the second man slapped her, the sound unmistakable. Dave was moving as the slap echoed. His face etched in stone. No anger in his visage, no mercy in his eyes. His weapon came up smoothly as his feet accelerated him along the wall towards the man in his vision. Dave was now a fire and maneuver platform for the pistol. Just before he cleared the corner, he fired three rounds, all into the man's upper left back. His shot group was as perfect as the practices with Carter over the years. At least one of the rounds went through the man's heart. The suppressor dulled the sound of firing, and the subsonic ammunition avoided the supersonic crack of the rounds that would surely draw attention. The stricken man fell even as Dave came around the corner, rounding on the next target. That man was just beginning to look towards the corner with a curious expression. Dave fired again. Three rounds, just as Carter had trained him. He also dropped with no further resistance or sound. The first target was on the ground and the second descending, knees buckling beneath a falling torso, when the shuddering blonde woman registered the changes. She began to rise and turn around. Dave reached her at that same moment, grabbing her bicep and hauling her to her feet. To forestall undesirable attention, he shifted his hand from her arm to her mouth, clamping it shut. He got there just in time. The woman stared at him, terror in her wide-open eyes. He held his pistol low and to the side, but her eyes ping-ponged several times from it to his face. As frightened as she was, her eyes settled, then roved over his face. Within seconds her terror was held in check. Not gone but shoved aside. Like she was ready to believe something less evil than that of the other men's plans was now upon her. "Stay quiet, I need to get you out of here." She nodded. Wariness was present, but also a willingness to believe in; something. Grabbing her hand, Dave led her across the concrete pad and around the corner of the empty building. He didn't stop until they'd passed the length of the building, now leaning against the short wall, in full sight of Olivia. In pausing, Dave was reminded consciously of what his subconscious had of course noted; the woman wore not a stitch of clothing. He quickly averted his eyes, but not before registering her phenomenal figure. Granted, the condition of her skin on her face and her body indicated a woman with more than just a few decades of experience on this little ball of rock, but she was none the worse for wear by any means. Fit was an entirely apt description. Her tits had a natural sag, but still bore a certain firmness as well as a modest heft. And her eyes. Her eyes were captivating. Penetrating even. They stared at him from a gently rectangular face. Modestly arched eyebrows topped those gazing deep green orbs, and model perfect cheekbones provided a pedestal for those eyes to rest upon. Shapely, proportionate lips still trembled slightly beneath a nose that was not quite angular, and more than a button. Her face would fit in on a magazine cover or a boardroom. A face that could launch a thousand simps. "Let's get into the trees. My partner, Olivia, is waiting for us. Once we get away from prying eyes, we can give you something to cover up with. What's your name?"" Her face warmed briefly even as her arms instinctively moved to shield her tits. "Natasha." Her voice was unsteady, but not weak. "That way, Natasha." Dave pointed to a small gap between two young trees. Nothing he'd seen suggested she was a plant or any other kind of trap, but with only himself and Liv, he realized there was no room for fuck-ups. He spent much of his time walking sideways, keeping an eye to their rear. They entered the trees easily and without getting spotted. Natasha immediately slowed, picking her places to step more carefully with her bare feet on the woodland surface. They proceeded straight back from the buildings, in reverse of Dave's approach. He caught her arm when they reached the point to turn left towards Liv. Pointing quietly, Dave directed her on the new course. She nodded and kept moving. A few steps later, things started getting exciting. "Oh, holy Shit!" Even before his head turned, he knew the speaker was in the same vicinity as the two bodies he'd left behind. Through the intervening trees, Dave spotted a man standing in the gap between buildings. He safed the pistol and started unscrewing the silencer. There was no angle in stealth anymore. Once separated, the pistol went back in the holster and the silencer in his cargo pocket. He brought his MP5 back around. The man circled the two bodies slowly. Dave quietly moved closer to Liv, until they could see each other. With her attention on him, Dave drew his hand across his neck, then pointed at the man still examining the space where his friends had fallen. He heard the report of the rifle at nearly the same instant the back of the man's head sprouted a jet of blood and tissue. Dave hustled the last several steps to Liv's position. Liv gave him a wry smile as she looked behind him. "Recruiting more ladies, David?" As Dave began to object, her smile dropped. "I saw the whole thing. I didn't hear what was said, but they had it coming, that's for sure." "Yeah well, we need to get her warm and clothed. And still deal with these guys." "I've got spare clothes in the truck. Let her hide inside. At least get her out of the elements." Two men appeared, one on either end of the occupied building. Dave, Liv, and their charge were too deep in the trees for the men to spot. Besides, they were focused on the three bodies they could see. "Okay, I'm going to get her in sight of the truck, and then head down the backside of that building," Dave pointed to the empty building. "Got it. So, do I let these guys go back inside?" Do I tell her to take the shot? We're already all in here . Something in Dave went cold. "Once they turn back, take the shot." Liv merely nodded, her attention, earlier divided between her scope and Dave, was now fully downrange. Dave ushered Natasha along a tiny foot path, giving her some ease in foot placement. He tried to keep his eyes off her naked form, but when she jumped at Liv's first shot, the jostling of her tits was magnetic. He turned his eyes away quickly. Fortunately, he was able to spot the truck at this range. "We're going to have to work quickly to shut these guys down. Can you see that white patch through the trees?" Dave pointed in the direction he wanted her to look. Natasha nodded. "That's our truck. The door is unlocked. Get in there and get out of the wind. That will help you warm up some. Liv says she has a change of clothes behind the seat. Take a quick look to see if you can find a shirt or something. Then stay low, stay out of sight." The woman nodded again. "You are leaving me?" "I have to stop all of them before they hurt anyone else." Another shot rang out. She lunged at Dave, wrapping her arms around his neck. He was alarmed for just a moment, but he felt the shaking of her silent cries. She jolted again with the next shot. He gave her several seconds, then peeled her arms off of him. "I have to go." With that, he turned and hustled to a spot along the tree line proximate to the edge of the empty building. He was still covered by trees when he spotted a man moving toward him along the building. He's trying to flank Liv . Dave took up a firing position braced against a tree. Then he fired three rounds. The man dropped without a sound, though the shots echoed through the compound. Another crack from Liv's rifle announced her continued engagement with their opponents. If Dave didn't get engaged soon, they could overwhelm her. He sprinted across the gap and raced down the building's length. Another shot rang out. Dave reached the corner of the building, breathing hard, heart pounding. He heard feet slapping concrete and then go quiet. Swiftly turning the corner, he saw two men sprinting away, through the gap between buildings, and one more passing the other end of the building in the distance. Then another came around the corner near him, the follow-on to the two with their backs to him. He noticed Dave as Dave's SMG reached chest height. Dave's trigger finger pulled three times, smoothly, in quick succession. Three widely spaced red spots erupted on the man's chest. He fell against the wall and slid down. The man's weapon clattered to the concrete pad. Immediately, Dave shifted to the men headed away. One was beginning to turn. Dave fired on him first, this time with his weapon fully raised, taking aim and grouping his shots. Dave shifted to the second man that hadn't yet keyed on Dave's position behind him. With three rounds in his upper chest while running full tilt, the man tumbled to the ground. While Dave was taking out his targets, he'd registered two shots from Liv's rifle. That meant ten men in total they'd killed. But how many were there? At least ten, since the S U V had two men each. What Dave didn't know was how many were left behind to hold down the fort while the attackers were out. As he mulled over the issue, he dealt with two more immediate concerns. His weapon locked open on his last shot. He triggered the magazine release with his right, catching and removing the spent magazine with his left. Quickly, he stuffed the empty mag in his cargo pocket before pulling a fresh magazine from his tacvest. With a fresh magazine in place, he pressed the bolt release, driving a new round home. To be continued in part 11, Based on a post by RonanJWilkerson, in 12 parts, for Literotica.

De la musique tirée de la voûte anglophone de CISM.

De la musique tirée de la voûte anglophone de CISM.

De la musique tirée de la voûte anglophone de CISM.

Our last episode of 2025. Did you know that Amanullah's decision to wage war for Afghanistan's independence from the British Empire had everything to do with Amritsar and the struggle underway in India in 1919? Some details on this war that you may not have heard, including the British besieging Peshawar, displacing whole towns full … Continue reading "Interwar 4: The Anglo-Afghan War of 1919: Amanullah wins Independence"

Peso Pluma BioSnap a weekly updated Biography.Peso Pluma has spent the past few days turning a family project into a career milestone. On December 25 he released the new joint album Dinastia with his cousin Tito Double P, a move positioned by Drop The Spotlight as one of the years most powerful corridos projects and a conscious statement about legacy, family and Mexican pride. According to that report, the album leans into black and white visuals, lucha libre masks and overt religious and cultural iconography, framing Peso not just as a chart star but as a standard bearer for Musica Mexicana going forward. The focus single Dopamina dropped with an accompanying video the same day, and Hola describes it as rooted in regional Mexican tradition but pushed forward with modern lyrics about the rush of attraction, underlining his ongoing project of dragging old school corridos into a contemporary global lane.Media coverage has treated this as more than just another release. The DJ Sessions ran a feature December 26 on how Peso Pluma and Tito Double P made Dinastia and changed the sound of corridos, presenting the album as a stylistic pivot with long term implications for the genre. Hola included Dopamina and the album in its year end New Music Friday roundup, slotting Peso alongside mainstream Anglo pop names as proof that he now lives in the center of global pop conversation, not the margins.On the live front, LAist reports that earlier this week he sold out two nights at YouTube Theater in Inglewood, drawing a cross generational, pan Latino crowd that dressed up as much for each other as for the show. Fans interviewed there described him as the contemporary version of Los Tigres del Norte, the guy carrying the Mexican flag in U.S. arenas and a bridge between parents raised on rancheras and kids raised on rap and reggaeton, reinforcing his biographical arc as a cultural connector as much as a hitmaker.Across social media the loudest verified chatter has revolved around clips and fan photos from those Los Angeles shows and shares of Dopamina and the Dinastia artwork, all feeding the narrative that Peso Pluma is closing the year not just hot but establishing a dynastic brand built around family, heritage and stylistic experimentation. Any rumors beyond that about personal life or behind the scenes drama remain unconfirmed at this time and do not appear in major verified outlets.Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOtaThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

De la musique tirée de la voûte anglophone de CISM.

De la musique tirée de la voûte anglophone de CISM.

De la musique tirée de la voûte anglophone de CISM.

Quaranteam - Dave In Dallas: Part 4 Shenanigans: Fun times at House Belsus. Based on a post by RonanJWilkerson, in 12 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels. Let's review the list of characters: David Belsus – 46, physics & astronomy professor at Eastfield college, a community college in the Dallas area. Prepper, survivalist, has a greenhouse in his backyard and lives in an outer ring suburb. Six foot, fit, short cropped hair. Lupie Ramos – 32, former financial advisor, Dave's neighbor, got caught out of state when the lockdowns started. She spent two frantic weeks trying to get back to her daughter. Lupie has been in love with Dave for over a year. Long, dark brown hair, medium build, and a lovely smile. Esme – 9, daughter of Lupie, prone to the occasional snarky comment. Adores Dave. Becca; 18, Lupie's babysitter, was watching Esme when lockdowns occurred. Her refusal to abandon Esme, as her mother insisted, likely saved Becca's life, since her extended family ignored precautions and died of Duo. Esme, Lupie, and Dave are all Becca has left in the world. Short, medium build, small tits, with short blond hair and a smile that is shy with strangers and beams with family and friends. Janice Wheeler; 33, Dave's first partner to arrive, a librarian at Cedar Valley, another community college member of DCCCD. Slender build and medium height, Janice is 3/4 Korean, her paternal grandfather is Anglo. Medium length black hair often pulled back in a bun for work or ponytail at home. Shawna Cooper; 36, senior meteorologist at WFAA, Master's degree in meteorology from O U, worked at NSSL and spent time as a storm chaser. Whole hog sci-fi nut, beginning with Start Trek TNG. 5' 10", large tits, medium brown skin, dark brown eyes, shoulder length black hair styled like a frizzy weeping willow. Olivia Tyler (Liv); 21, senior studying horticulture at Tarleton State University, near Dallas. Daughter of Carter and Janelle, Dave's best friends since college. Had a well-known crush on Dave throughout her teen years. Since her dad was former SF and a survivalist, Liv is skilled with several firearms as well as bladed weapons. Never failed to take a deer any season she's hunted. 5'10" long, dark brown hair, large tits, lightly tanned, brown eyes, and a wide smile. Melanie Ustanich; 22, graduate student in IT at Tarleton, Liv's roommate, recently found a passion for cooking. Spent most of her life in foster homes, Liv's parents accepted her like family the first time she went with Liv on Thanksgiving Break. 5'8" medium length auburn hair, green eyes, small mouth with a ready, mischievous smile. During the interlude, Dave took some time to look over Melanie. He knew less about her than the others, but more than he'd known about Jan or Shawna when they'd shown up on his doorstep. He knew from a glance that she dressed more stylishly than Olivia, though he'd be hard pressed to describe why. He thought both looked great, even if he could tell a difference instinctively. He was always a fan of variety. Silver studs in her ears support three short silver chains each, drawing the eye tantalizingly into the chasm of her russet mane. The verdant green of Mel's satiny top provided the perfect counterpoint to the auburn tones of her hair. The cinched belt securing the crossing panels of her blouse held it together well, yet giving tantalizing views of her medium sized tits. The black slacks clung closely to her well-shaped thighs and calves without the 'painted on' look. "Dave, could you make me one of your 'ginger ales' please?" "Sure, Liv. Anyone else want something?" "Can you make me one of those drinks you made that first time?" Becca asked. "Yeah, that's what Livy is asking for. Seven-Up and Captain Morgan mixed to look like ginger ale." "Oh, okay, then one of those please." "You got it." Dave got to mixing drinks. Jan asked if anyone else wanted wine. All the others voiced their interest, Jan pulled two bottles of blush from the pantry and brought them to the living room. Lupie grabbed wine glasses for each of them and handed them out as Jan poured. Dave watched Becca's first sip carefully. He'd mixed this one normal strength, not the light pour he'd given her last time. Eyes flared, she took a smaller sip than usual, but nodded before setting it on the side table. "Olivia, dear," Lupie asked softly, "I hesitate to ask, but can you tell us about your parents? Should we contact them that you are here, or, are they; ?" "Dad died six weeks ago. Mom passed a week later." Olivia took another sip. Melanie hugged her loosely. Olivia's voice took on a husky note. "She called me, near the end. She told me Dad had died. That she was very ill and wasn't; wasn't, ah,; She knew she wouldn't make it." One hot tear dallied along the top curve of her cheek before coursing downward. Dave took her hand. "She said I should pursue my dreams. All of them." Livy looked Dave dead in the eyes. "She said she'd known for a long time it was more than a crush, that she was sorry she'd belittled it by calling it that. And then ;” Olivia sucked in a breath. Mel hugged Olivia again. "We're all here for you. Let it out at your own pace." Lupie encouraged softly. "She said 'Love him. Love him like I never did. Love him like he deserves.' And then she closed the call." A hard sob shook through Olivia as more tears fell. Dave and Mel hugged her, one from each side. Dave did so while looking at the ceiling with a distant gaze. After several minutes of silence, Jan got up for a second plate. Dave stood to join her. "My mind still doesn't want to eat, but my stomach got a taste of that bruschetta and wants more. Of that, and everything else." Jan smiled and gave him a quick kiss, which he returned. "Can you tell us something about Eddie?" Shawna asked after Dave sat back down. Dave thought for a minute. Slowly, a proud smile spread across his face. "His Eagle project." Olivia smiled and nodded. "Eddie was an Eagle Scout?" Jan asked. "Yes, he was. Got his Arrow of Light as a Webelo too." Livy provided. "Eddie and I were just beginning to reconnect when he began working on his Eagle rank. For his project, he decided to build a foot bridge across the stream in the park." "Armadillo park? The bridge on the south end?" Becca asked. Dave smiled broadly. "That's the one. Before that bridge, anyone walking the path and crossing the bridge at the north end would have to turn around when they hit the ends of the u-shaped path. For some folks, that was more walking than they could handle, so they wound up getting less exercise, or taking their walks in the few areas with sidewalks or walk along the side of the road. Either way they got very little 'green time'. He found a bridge design appropriate for the location, one that would last with little maintenance and convinced a local construction company to donate materials. He met with the city manager and then spoke before the city council to arrange an agreement for maintenance." "The foreman of the construction company and his best concrete specialist offered their services to supervise the volunteer workers and ensure the quality of the work. I think Eddie had a hand in that." Dave's pride in his son couldn't have been any louder on his face. "The kicker was, he vetted the design to make sure the angle of the curve was suitable for someone in a wheelchair. So at the ribbon cutting, the young lady that cut the ribbon, and the first to cross was in Eddie's class. I think she wound up the class Salutatorian. Anyway, she was paraplegic, lost the use of her legs in an accident during her eighth grade year." Dave paused. "I think she and Eddie started dating not long after." Olivia snorted. "They were already dating. I think that night was the first time she gave him the goods though." "Go Eddie." Shawna said huskily. "Seriously?" Dave asked Olivia. "Pretty sure. Not 100%. I mean, I know they did it. Like a lot. Once they opened up that part of the relationship they were like bunnies. I'm not absolutely sure that night was the first night though." "Hell, I was nineteen before my first time. He was always better with people than I ever was." Dave's looked wistfully into the distance, like he was seeing through the walls at something beyond. Then he swallowed hard. He took a steadying breath and blew it out slowly. Becca rubbed his shoulder lightly before giving it a soft kiss. Dave smiled at her, then leaned in to deliver a light peck on her cheek. He looked outward again, scanning across the room. "Thank you all for putting up with this. I'm sorry for acting like such a p--" Becca pressed a finger firmly to Dave's lips. "If that word crosses your lips, you'd better be talking about our body parts. The man that I've watched, relied on, and come to trust implicitly sure as hell isn't one of those. And he deserves better than that." The fire in her red-rimmed eyes put the punctuation to her statement. Dave just nodded in concession to his young lover's demand. With an impish grin she added, "And for the record, anytime we're getting frisky, or flirting, I'm perfectly happy with you calling it: or me: a pussy." She grabbed his hand and shoved it between her shorts-clad legs for emphasis. Becca's addendum broke the somber mood of the room. Everyone got a good laugh. A brief quiet descended as everyone ate a few bites or stared into their drink. Dave looked up to see Jan and Lupie gazing at him, concern and sympathy clearly written across both of their faces. "Well, Becca, since you have some history with our man, tell me something to catch me up with all of you." Shawna requested. "Oh, tell her about the cupcake exchange." Jan suggested. "Dave told me about it while the two of you were getting vaxxed." "Oh that one she told me already. Good story." "Okay, so something new." Becca paused, then blushed. She bit her lip and looked sideways at Dave and cringed. Then she flicked her eyes to Lupie. Lupie caught the look and rolled her eyes. "Go ahead." She said with a sigh. Then she turned her face away. "So, um, you know how Dave runs a couple times a week, and works out with his staff in the backyard about as often?" Shawna nodded at Becca's narrative, then turned to give Dave an appreciative leer. "Ahem, well, it's cooler now, so he does he work outs in a t-shirt and shorts." Shawna nodded again, then stared at Dave's torso like she was imaging him bare chested and sweating. Well, she'd seen him shirtless often enough. Melanie's breathing became slightly deeper and slower as she sized him up as well. "Well, remember we used to live next door. And Lupie's second story windows are high enough to see over Dave's fence." Mel, Shawna, and Jan all looked at each other. "Oh." They said in unison. "You lucky bitches." Jan added. Dave's mind was working at a slower pace and caught up a moment later. He closed his eyes and shook his head. With a small grin. "Well, that's not all of it. See, I made no pretense about watching him work out. I mean, mid-August, heat pounding down? Ten minutes into his work out his whole torso is covered in sweat, with rivulets running down his front and back." Shawna looked transfixed. Jan had her eyes closed. Mel tightly gripped her thighs, staring intently. "Usually I watched from one of the back windows, and just put up with the oblique angle. One day, a few months back, I realize it's very quiet in the house, and I seem to be the only one on the second floor. I decided to move over to Lupie's room, which is at the back corner, with two windows looking out over the backyard, one on each side of the corner." Lupie blushed hard and brought her hands up to cover her face. "So, there was a small space between the curtain panels and I was staring at Dave through the gap as I walked up. I walked as quietly as I could so Lupie and Esme wouldn't hear my footsteps from downstairs. I pulled back the curtain to get a better view. Lupie was hiding in the curtains, eyes fixed on Dave. We both screamed, and Lupie's hand flapped backwards hitting the window frame." "That's how you bruised your hand?!" Dave exclaimed, trying to suppress his laughter. "You flap your hands around when you're surprised?" "No. Just, um, I, uh ;” Lupie's muffled response trailed off. "She took care to wash her hands thoroughly before she let me bind it." Becca interjected. "Initially we thought she'd hurt her wrist, so I stabilized it. But, I recognized later what I had smelled while we were leaving the room." Lupie peeked between her fingers at Becca, pleading. "Okay, never mind." Becca conceded. "I've said too much already." The others looked confused at the abrupt ending until Melanie burst out laughing. When they looked at her questioningly, she said, "I know what I would be doing standing there watching him work out shirtless." And flopped back into the couch giggling furiously. The others started cackling and Jan, chortling, reached over to pull Lupie into her for a hug. "Not like we all don't do it." Dave sat there open mouthed, shocked, and feeling like he'd won something undefinable. He moved to kneel in front of Lupie. He took her hands in his own, pulling them away from her face. He pulled her into a hug. Into her ear he whispered, "I love you." Her hug on him tightened. "And if I hadn't been so dense I would have been in that room to take care of you properly. Or at least, lick your fingers clean." He punctuated his comment with a light nibble of her earlobe. Lupie swatted him on the back as she released him. Her face was still flushed to the tips of her ears. The tight, prim smile and her laughing eyes testified to her approval of the idea, and her mortification it was said out loud. Even at a whisper. Dave got up and refreshed his drink, and Olivia's as well. Becca sipped hers more slowly, and still had more than half a glass. Jan topped off her wine glass, along with Mel's and Shawna's. Lupie got up and made a fresh plate, then headed for the stairs. "I'm going to take a plate to Esme, just in case she didn't get enough earlier. Besides, if I tell her Dave likes the bruschetta, she might try it." Lupie said with a knowing mom smile. Shawna came to Dave once he was seated. She gave him a soft kiss and held him to her. She spoke no words, but conveyed clearly her heart ache for him, and her availability should he need something. When Lupie returned, she took her seat and looked to Olivia asking "Can you tell me something about your father?" Livy squirmed for a moment, then nodded. She took a breath. "He was a security consultant. Worked for a firm that advised companies on the weak points in their physical and cybersecurity. Dad was on the physical side. He'd been a Green Beret before going to college, where he met Mom and Dave." "Oh, wow. So your dad was a badass?" Becca asked. "Carter was so badass he was chill," Dave interjected. "He had that confidence of the guy that knows he'll win if things get physical. Smart too, though." "Yeah, Dad made supervisor pretty fast. He and his team would walk the grounds of a company and show them where a person could slip in or out without detection. Then the cyber guys would do the same for the company's networks. Sometimes, Dad would have to prove the point. He loved that. He and a couple of his team would don tactical gear and break in. Dad always left a fake tarantula with the company logo on its back on the boss' desk, or somewhere critical." Olivia chuckled. "One time, this one CEO was particularly resistant. Dad had to go in a second time. The first time he left a tarantula on the main server station, and one in the research lab; that by law was required to be restricted access. To drive his point home, Dad went to the CEO's office and installed this box on the ceiling, where most don't look. It had some kind of trigger because once the guy sat down, this tarantula drops on a thread from the box, right on the guy's paperwork." Several smiles broke out. Dave laughed soundlessly, his mouth closed so it didn't become a cry. The tears in his eyes were tattle-tale enough. He absently played with Olivia's dark locks. Olivia turned to look at him, eyes soft and happy. She leaned against his hand. Dave realized what he was doing, got self-conscious and pulled back. With downcast eyes, Liv turned back to the room and took in the other faces. A couple of looks exchanged suggested that most had caught what had just passed. Dave tried to process what just happened by staring off through a blank spot on the wall. It wasn't terribly helpful, once he recalled the picture that hung there just a few weeks before. Then Lupie cleared her throat. Dave fixed his eyes on her. He was never particularly perceptive of the looks on people's faces, but this time it seemed pretty clear. She stared at him with a stern look, then shifted her eyes to Liv and back to him. He looked to Jan, who just nodded. "Maybe someone else can share a family background story." Dave temporized. A few pensive looks passed. A tight smile grew on Jan's face. "My aunt Carolyn." She paused for a second. "My dad's sister. They were half-Korean, half European. Aunt Carolyn took more after the European side of the heritage, especially in the kitchen. She made an awesome meatloaf." She chuckled and looked over at Dave and Becca. "She would have loved that meatloaf cupcake." Her eyes watered at the bottom edge. "Visiting her was a way to encounter the white half of my ancestry. She had prints from famous artists. Classic books. If I was there on a Saturday night, she'd serve cheese and crackers, sometimes with a little sausage. As I got older, she'd let me have a small glass of wine as well." Jan took a light breath. "She played some classical music, but mostly it was Michael Bolton and Kenny G. Maybe some Cranberries and Matchbox Twenty when she felt wild. I haven't heard from her in over a month. And she has asthma." Jan trailed off into silence and the room observed it with her. Lupie reached out a hand to Jan's shoulder. She in turn, put her own hand on top of Lupie's. She turned her head and smiled. With a small nod, she turned away again, staring at the floor. Both hands dropped away. After a reasonable silence, Becca spoke. "When I was thirteen, my cousin Kimberly, who was sixteen, offered to pierce my ears for me." Half the women groaned. Dave sat silently, suspecting this wouldn't end well. "She got a large sewing needle, a bottle of rum, a small bowl, and a pair of my mom's stud earrings." "Rum?" Jan asked. Becca rolled her eyes. "Yeah," she said with a sigh, "she said she had to soak the needle in alcohol before using it." A variety of gasps, groans and sighs walked around the room. Dave's sympathetic grimace did less than his hand patting her knee to communicate his support. "Oh, but it gets worse. Wrong kind of alcohol at too low concentration, plus lots of sugar are only enablers. She cleaned my earlobes thoroughly with antimicrobial soap, so maybe that was the one thing she did almost right. But she didn't clean her own hands. And when she stuck the needle through; which hurt like hell; she stabbed her finger." Multiple hands struck foreheads or mouths. "Oh yeah. So we're both bleeding like stuck pigs, and crying. She's freaking out because 'the blood is mixing'. I never figured out what that meant. We bandage each other up the best we could, hide all the stuff from our parents and then hide ourselves. Three days later I have a raging infection in one earlobe and have to go to the doctor AND admit to my mom what happened." Becca paused, shaking her head. "Chewed my ass out. The doctor said because of the infection, I had to wait at least six months to get piercings. Mom added another six as punishment. She did take me to get professional piercings one year to the day after the doctor's visit though." Becca's eyes watered. Dave leaned over and kissed her cheek as a single tear slid down her face. Dave noticed Melanie getting increasingly fidgety. He thought he first noticed something during Becca's tale about his workouts. Maybe when the stories ran out, he'd have his head right. It wasn't fair to her to make her wait too long for imprinting. Or Liv. God, he really needed to get his head around this. He loved Olivia, he truly did. He was just so used to it being a non-sexual, non-romantic relationship. He'd looked on her as nearly a daughter for, well, for her whole life. But she wasn't his daughter. And she loved him. That was so clear in her eyes, every time she looked at him. Not just today, but thinking back over the years. It's crazy to think he could hurt this person he cared so deeply for, by not having sex with her. Fuck, it was Kim Dawson all over again. Shawna sat placidly, attentive as others told their stories. As the room lay silent again for a time, she took her turn. "I once caught my brother coming out of the shower with his girlfriend." Grins and giggles passed around the room. "Mind you, this is after my mother had chewed me out for getting frisky with, um, my best friend in my room." "Oh" several said in unison. "We were experimenting," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "It was my first Thanksgiving Break home from college. We were just friends, with nothing going on physical, since sixth grade. We were both single at the time, but we'd each had boyfriends, and each had sex before. We just thought we'd try out the other flavor. Who better to try that with than your ride or die?" She grinned. "Mom walked in when we had our shirts loose and hands inside each other's bras. Mom got all pissy about it and made some comment along the lines of 'Darian would never disrespect me by having sex under my roof.' Yeah sure Mom." Shawna rolled her eyes. "The bathroom smelled of" she looked straight at Becca, "pussy, so they'd been going at it in there. Mom wasn't home, so the obvious sounds of continuing humping came from his room almost immediately." "Hell of it is, she was this tiny little thing. Barely five foot tall and a nothing waist. And since I'd seen Darian stumbling around out of the bathroom when we both had midnight potty urges, well, he wasn't great at covering up when he's drowsy, and in his case, the stereotype is true. I don't know how he'd didn't break her in half." "After she left, I confronted him with Mom's comment. Now Darian ain't scared of shit; not a machismo thing, he uses his brain; but Momma. She's a foot shorter and at least a hundred pounds less muscle but that boy will cringe and genuflect if Momma is mad. He starts bargaining with me. Of course, he can't offer money since he's just getting his feet under him. He had plans, and he did eventually move out, but he was scrimping and saving so paying me money to shut up would have crippled him." We all hung there, waiting. "Well, Darian had been incredibly protective of me growing up. He over did it, by a lot. So my price for silence was for him to set me up with a friend of his that I had always wanted to date, but Darian kept getting in the way." She paused for a minute. "You know how you really want something, and imagine what it would be like to get it? And then you do, and ugh. Darian meant to protect me against a guy getting handsy. In this case he was protecting me from getting bored. The guy was about as much fun as a wet paper towel. I gave him a handshake at my door when he dropped me off." All the ladies shook their heads in commiseration. Dave closed his eyes and kept his mouth shut. Becca however, didn't. "Dave, how many of your dates ended in handshakes?" "None, from now on," he said flatly. "You got that right." Shawna said. Jan just shrugged and nodded. Becca and Liv hugged him tightly. Mel rubbed a hand against his back. Lupie sat still with an enigmatic grin. Dave knew there were thoughts churning behind those dark chocolate eyes. While he wondered what those thoughts were, he had a thought of his own. Maybe it was what she was thinking, maybe not. Here he was, sleeping with four women, two more about to be added to their ranks, and he hadn't taken a single one of them on so much as one date. That couldn't stand. Granted, movies and restaurant dinners were out. But they had two backyards to have a picnic meal in. The parks were open too. Maybe the Botanical gardens? He'd need to talk with each one, find out what they wanted, and find a way to make it happen. "Well Becca already told a story for me," Lupie said, breaking the silence. Becca blushed and chuckled. "So Melanie, what can you share with the family?" "I was orphaned so early, I don't really remember my parents. Just a few fuzzy images. I bounced from one foster home to another. One time I got to stay in the same place for two years. Usually it was more like eight to ten months. The social workers tried to at least let me stay in one school for a full year. Some of them anyway." "I don't have any horror stories about it. Other kids I fostered with told me about other homes they've been in, and some of those were bad. So I don't want to suggest it doesn't happen, it just never happened to me. The worst for me was not being connected to anyone for long. Honestly, living with Olivia is the longest I've shared a place with anyone. And she brought me home on holidays." Her face darkened. "Carter and Janelle were nice to me." Then she laughed. "I think Carter suspected I was Liv's lesbian lover though." "Oh my god." Liv rolled her eyes and brought a hand to her forehead, covering her eyes. Only Dave noticed Jan wincing at the hated phrase. Then Mel's face went blank, trying to hold back the intense emotions. "You're the closest I've ever had to a sister." The two college girls hugged. After a brief pause, Dave chimed in. "Now that is a tough life, having Olivia as your sister." Melanie laughed. Olivia turned and punched him in the shoulder, with a tight smile on her face. Laughing and rolling with the punch, Dave couldn't help but notice the way her large tits jiggled with the turn and the force of her punch. When she leaned against him, he found himself wishing her neckline was cut lower. The thought was surprising, and conducive to future events, but still slightly disconcerting. Before he could get too lost in his head, Jan spoke up. "So, how about a story about young Olivia?" she asked. Liv groaned. Dave grinned. "Okay, so we've mentioned before she hunts, hikes, does all kinds of outdoors She-Ra stuff." Liv glared up at him. She adjusted her head so the backs of her round silver stud earrings wouldn't poke her head. Mel rubbed Liv's back reassuringly. "You may have noticed that fishing was not mentioned in that list." "Oh God, no." Liv covered her face with her hands. The grins on every face in the room showed realization dawning in each of the other minds present. "So, Carter and I took Eddie and Liv fishing. Carter preferred drift catfishing, so we'd get out on the lake very early, usually by three am, four if we were running late. We had a small casting net we'd use in the shallows to catch bait fish. Then Carter would take the boat to a point up current from where he suspected the cats would be, and we'd drift across with our hooks in the water. Well, the bait fish had to be cut into two or three pieces to be useful. Olivia objected. But not to cutting the fish. To holding them. She squealed every time we put one in her hands. She loved casting the net and hauling it in. she liked fighting the fish on the rod, put touch one with her hands? Oh, no, not happening." Olivia buried her head in his chest and glared upward. "Oh, did I mention her fishing rod and tackle box were Barbie themed?" A series of giggles followed that assertion. "Don't talk about that!" "But you were cute!" "Shit like that is why you keep seeing me as a little girl for you to protect and raise instead of a woman you could sleep with." Olivia humphed. "Beginning to think the only way to change your mind is to sit here topless. I wait like that long enough and your cock might start taking charge." She accented her words by puffing out her generous chest and turning partially towards Dave. "You go girl," Shawna laughed. "How about some big titty solidarity?" She unbuttoned two buttons on her blouse. Jan joined in the laughter while Lupie shook her head, smiling. Becca stared a chant of 'Do it!' quickly joined by Mel. They both shook their chests in time with the chant. "No." Dave said, staring at Liv with no hint of a smile. He swatted Becca on the knee. "Hmm, what do I need to do to get a spanking Daddy?" Melanie purred. "Do not start that shit." Dave tried to be stern this time but didn't quite manage it. "Speaking of getting something started, I'm getting kinda itchy here. I don't know if either of you are in the mood yet, but this serum is starting to eat at me." Liv and Mel exchanged looks. "I don't want to jump the line on banging your dream guy, but please girl, let's get this started. If you don't go, I will." "Sexier words were never spoken," Dave noted dryly. That got Liv laughing. Dave stood. "Do you two want to do this one at a time, or side-by-side?" "One at a time," Mel stated emphatically. "After walking in on you masturbating once, I don't need to see that pussy again." Liv groaned and turned her head to the ceiling. Then Mel turned to Lupie "hashtag justiceforLupie." She grinned. Lupie just rolled her eyes while Becca laughed. Jan laughed, but reached out a hand to Lupie's shoulder. Dave took Olivia's hand and turned to the stairs. She interlocked her fingers with his and walked beside him with her head against his shoulder. They stayed like that until they reached the bed. Dave turned to face Olivia, placing his hands on her shoulders. She looked into his eyes, hungry, pleading. Dave took a deep, shuddering breath and pushed aside the thoughts of the little girl that kissed him on the check at bedtime as he tucked her into bed. He stared into Olivia's eyes, focusing on the woman in front of him, as she is now, wanting to be with him. She loved him. had for a long time. She had been dedicated to the idea of being with him for life, for longer than, well, any woman in his past or present. The reality of that finally washed over him. His love for her did not need to end or change, merely grow. He had always been hers. Dave pulled Olivia into him and kissed her with passion. Olivia moaned into the kiss. Dave felt her hot tears as their cheeks brushed. He pulled back, their faces parted but close. "I love you Olivia Barnes, always and forever." A heart-rending sob burst from her as her dearest dream manifested. She jumped into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist, and kissing him fiercely, their tongues dancing. Dave slowly walked them to the edge of the bed and sat her down. Mostly. Olivia was not letting go. Dave tugged at the bottom of her blouse and lifted. Olivia broke the kiss and raised her arms, her legs still clutching him tightly. Dave paused removing her shirt when her lips were exposed, but her eyes still covered. He moved in for a kiss. He felt her grin as their lips moved in unison. Olivia then grabbed Dave's shirt as he finished removing hers. Dave moved to her jeans and quickly removed those as She reached for his waist band. Olivia grasped his pants and boxers as one and removed them. Dave, standing, naked and half-erect. Olivia, seated on the edge of the bed, in a lacy white bra and matching panties. They drank each other in. She looked up at him. "Well, part of you is getting interested," she smirked. "You get all of me, Olivia, just as you always have. I'll show you my love every day. It will just manifest in a few new ways from now on." Olivia scooted up the bed as Dave crawled up, aligning himself over her, kissing as they moved. Dave's hands wandered along her thighs and sides. Olivia's fingers coursed lazily along his back. "Just one request." She gave him an impish look. "When you go get Mel to bring her up here, leave my legs spread so the first thing she sees when she walks in is my pussy." "You're rotten ya know that? I have to live with her too ya know." "She'll laugh. It's just roommate hijinks." Dave returned to kissing Olivia. He moved his lips lower, down her neck, to her collarbone, and then the slopes of her tits. He slipped his hands underneath her, unclasping her bra. Gingerly, he removed it. Olivia's large tits, no longer supported by a bra, formed two delicious lumps on her chest, that looked like they were about to slide off her chest. Olivia's eyes glistened, radiating joy as Dave took her tits in his hands and began kissing them. She moaned as he ministered to her bosom with his mouth. When he took one nipple in his mouth and suckled, she gasped. "Oh, David, Yes!" Pleasure and unbridled joy left her breathing ragged, her mind awash in bliss. His hands remained at her tit, massaging gently, easing her higher with delicate caresses. His mouth proceed lower, kissing her ribs. Her abdomen. Kissing and licking her belly button. She giggled and twisted her torso. Dave brought his hands down to Olivia's hips. He grasped her panties and pulled them down to her ankles, raising himself and her legs up. He tossed them aside and brought his face to kiss the crease of her pelvis and her hip. She shuddered. Her arousal scented the room. Her lovely light brown vulva filled his vision as he breathed softly across her bare essence. The hairs of the small landing strip on her mons tousled in the artificial breeze. She lifted her head to look at him. "David;” she pleaded. He grinned. He locked eyes with her and closed his mouth around her lower lips and began to suckle. Her body arched and she sucked in a breath. His tongue played across her sopping wet slit. He tasted her juices. He nibbled her flowering inner lips. He slipped his tongue into her entrance. "Oh God David Yes! Oh please put it in me." Olivia whimpered. "Darling, you've wanted this night for a long time. I intend to make it worthwhile." "You are enough David, that's al; Ah" she cried out as he took her clitoris in his mouth and suckled. He slid one finger gently inside, massaging her tunnel. Every stroke drew her natural lubricant in greater volume than the last. He inserted as second finger and she moaned, writhing, hips bucking. He released her button and withdrew his fingers. She eased her motions. Dave crawled up her body, a victorious and hungry grin on his face. She beamed, breathing heavily. He caressed and kissed her tits briefly as he moved up. Finally hovering over her, face to face, bodies aligned, his erection resting between them, Dave kissed her once again. She clutched him and returned the kiss. Dave maneuvered his member with his hips, aligning with her fully relaxed and open entrance. He pushed in gently, a small distance just to lodge the tip of his helmet in her. The precum coating his cockhead set off a body-rocking orgasm that stole her breath. When her eyes re-opened, Dave drove himself into her, full length, in one smooth stroke. Her eyes glowed with joy. He began moving himself in and out of her. Slowly at first. Always firmly, gently. Staring into her eyes as he worked them both to ecstasy. He picked up his pace. She began rocking her hips with his. Soon they were pounding into each other, breathing raggedly, eyes still locked, her hands braced behind his shoulders until their passion pushed him over the brink, firing rope after rope of hot cum into her waiting vagina. The effect on Olivia was immediate. A primal scream of pleasure burst from her lips as her body convulsed like a marionette in the hands of an angry child. And then she fell to the bed, limp. "Imprinting,; imprinting,; imprinting, ;” Dave kissed her forehead and extracted himself from her body. He crawled off the bed and left to clean himself in the bathroom. He returned with a damp washcloth to clean her. After dressing in loose shorts and a shirt, he arranged her as she'd requested and left the room shaking his head. Melanie met him at the bottom of the stairs with a passionate kiss and a tight hug. "You need a minute or two?" "Yeah, let me get a drink and I should be fine." He returned the kiss, then slipped from her arms to search out some juice from the fridge. "Oh, I thought you meant you needed a little something to steel yourself for doing me." "Please." Dave guzzled half the glass. "One, you are hot. Two," he blushed a bit, "I have a thing for redheads." Melanie smiled. "Oh yeah?" "Hell, if you had freckles, I'd kiss each one of them." That made her blush. After Dave finished off a second glass of juice, he and Melanie headed upstairs, pursued by catcalls and wolf whistles. Esme, who'd been invited into the living room after Dave and Olivia had gone upstairs, just laughed at the shenanigans. Opening the door, Melanie exclaimed, "Oh my god, you left; " she pursed her lips. "No, she put you up to this didn't she?" Dave chuckled and grabbed a light blanket. "No," Melanie said, "save that to cover us both when you finish with me." She cupped her hand under one of Liv's shapely thighs and brought the leg over the other, giving her friend a bit of modesty she hadn't asked for. Dave noticed that her hand seemed to linger just a bit on Liv's thigh. It certainly looked like Mel gave her rump a light squeeze. Maybe he just imagined it. She turned to face him. "Reading between the lines, from everything Liv's told me, you don't think you deserve any of us, do you?" Dave swallowed hard, trying not to react. "I'm going to tell you something harsh and reassuring. You don't. And you know something else? We don't deserve your love either. I learned bouncing around those homes that love isn't earned. It's too valuable to be earned. No one is ever worthy of someone else's love. Body, heart, or mind. Love is a gift. We each give our love to you, by our choice. And you give us your love by your choice. I barely know you and I'm more comfortable being here with you than I've ever been with any man." She paused to let that sink in. "David, just accept that you are a damn good man, and we are all happy to be here with you. Enjoy what we give you. Let us enjoy what you give in return." Dave felt like this beautiful young woman that barely knew him was staring straight into his heart, laying it bare and spearing it with the cruelest weapon; hope. He stretched out his hand tentatively, reaching for the sash holding her blouse closed. She looked down briefly, seeing his hand. She immediately looked into his eyes and gave the smallest nod, and a smile. Dave pulled slowly on the loose tail of the cinch and dropped it. The belt ends fell to her sides and the halves of her blouse hung loosely, exposing the center of her chest and abdomen. Melanie had a belly button piercing. A small chain with two small clear crystals near the top and at the bottom, a butterfly done mostly in silver metal clasping tiny crystals, except for a soft pink pearl serving as the body of the faux insect. "You like? Your profile said you weren't a fan of body modification, but I was hoping you would be ok with this." "It's cute and sexy and innocent and naughty all at once." Dave smiled. He stepped up to her, sliding his hands into her blouse and around her back. He pulled her into a soft, slow kiss. They explored each other that way for a few minutes. Dave brought his hands up to her tits, cupping them and kneading them through her black satin bra. Melanie sucked in a breath and hummed. She broke the kiss and drew his attention with her eyes. "The others told me how you like to take your time, maximize a woman's pleasure. I am super fucking horny right know. You can take me to the heights later, we have forever for that. Right now I just need to pound your stake into me and lay claim to my body." "What about your heart?" She grinned "Just like they said you would. It's getting there, just takes a bit more time." She shrugged her blouse off and shucked her pants. The panties were also black and satiny. "Come on Davey, fuck my brains out and make me yours." She tossed her bra and panties aside quickly and crawled up the bed, turn over on her back once she was alongside her friend. Dave stripped of his shirt and shorts rapidly and joined her on the bed, pressing his body lightly against hers. His erection sandwiched between their torsos, her medium sized tit and their pointy nipples pressed against his chest. He kissed her again and she hummed. She worked her hips against his and together that got him lodged in her. A few strokes inside her passage caused him to leak out the first drips of precum and she exploded in a howling convulsion, her eyes rolling back, one hand flailing and bashing the insensate Olivia. "Fuck that was good. Give it to me David, give your woman what she needs. Seal your claim." She kissed him fiercely and they both rocked their hips savagely. No sensuality, just raw primal fucking of two hungry bodies. Despite his recent bout with Liv, this carnal frenzy brought Dave to the pinnacle faster than he anticipated and he crashed through, erupting a geyser of cum inside her depths. As the hot load filled her cavity, Melanie wailed in ecstasy, her mind shattered by the biochemical overload. Then she flopped to the bed, repeating the new world's chant of family harmony and togetherness. Chapter 6 – Shenanigans. October 4, 2020. David Belsus awoke to three beautiful young ladies lying beside him, all nude. As yet, none of his partners had elected to sleep in another room. Last night they all emphatically wanted to be near him. No one piled over anyone else. Lupie came to bed in a rich blue camisole with matching high cut panties. Shawna clad herself in a soft pink camisole and pink boy shorts. Jan wore one of Dave's sweatshirts as a baggy night gown, no panties underneath. He'd checked by way slipping his hands under the hem of the shirt to dance along her skin. Finding paradise exposed, he impishly fingered her to heaven as she begged for his cock. She beamed when he finished. She kissed him deeply after he sucked all her juices off his digits. None of the three were in bed at the moment. Shawna was likely on her way to work already. Which meant Jan and Lupie had gotten up with her to talk and share breakfast, or at least coffee. They had developed a morning routine rather quickly. That left Liv and Melanie nude, side by side on his left, and Becca, nude, curled tightly under his right arm, his hand resting just above her hip. She slumbered peacefully, unperturbed by the small motions he made as he took in the morning tableau. Becca's insecurities stemming from the near-abduction at the vax center had faded quickly with the reassurance of imprinting on Dave. What followed in its wake was the desire to be close to the person she'd just started sleeping with, magnified by this being the only person she'd ever slept with, further multiplied by the vaccine-clad certainty this was her person for life. Becca wasn't pushy about it. She knew enough to leave some space for the others to get their 'Dave time' too. In and out of bed. And the others, having experienced a similar phase in life, and happy that, for her, it really would be for a lifetime, accommodated her wherever possible. And then Dave's mind recalled a text conversation. "; Oh god, I just had this thrill run through me at the idea of waking up with you already in me, on top of me." Dave stroked her hip softly, slowly easing his fingers toward the crease where her leg met her pelvis. After several minutes of this, he brought his left hand up to cup her tit, massaging lightly, avoiding the nipple. He wanted to slowly raise her towards wakefulness, and ignite her libido, but he didn't want her awake until after he'd penetrated her. Just as she'd asked. Dave carefully eased himself out of her arms, rotating himself until he was kneeling on the bed, behind her knees and 'under' her butt as Becca lay curled on her left side. Dave leaned in and began kissing along Becca's outer thigh of her top leg while gently stroking the inner thigh of her bottom leg with his right hand. His left hand stroked softly along her side. A quick brush of her lower lips indicated her unconscious arousal, or the serum effects. Either way, Dave rubbed his half-hard cock between her thighs, rubbing against her labia, to get them both ready. He kept kissing her hand and arm while softly playing with her tit. "David?!" Came the scandalized whisper. Lupie and Jan stood, frozen, in the doorway, not believing what they were seeing. "She expressly asked for this, you can even check my text messages." Both ladies looked concerned, but said no more. A few more minutes of play time had Dave fully hard, regaining what he briefly lost with the interruption. Becca was ready as well. Dave seated himself at her entrance and pushed slowly, steadily forward. He was half inside her, leaning over her when Becca's eyes flew open. Wide-eyed, mouth agape, she turned her head and moaned. She writhed against David and clutched his upright arms. When her breath returned, she kissed him hard. She pulled away, winking as she deliberately flexed the muscles of her inner passage. Dave took that as a signal to continue. He steadily worked himself in her. Becca grinned madly, moaning and encouraging him. In a few minutes, both were racing to a peak they reached in tandem. Becca fell limp against the mattress, gasping. Dave steadied himself by resting his ass on his heels. Both dismounted the bed and began searching for clothes. Lupie gave Dave a quick kiss on the cheek and hugged Becca before heading downstairs. Jan stayed to change clothes. Jan viewed Becca with a grin. "Get your jollies little freak?" Becca beamed and blushed. "Umm hmm." "Just razzing you, ya know." "I know. I'm still learning what I like, and that is one of them. You know, the way you get off when a guy has a big; book collection." Her eyes twinkled. She squealed and caught the pillow Jan threw as she joined the laughter. "Oh my god, a naked pillow fight. I knew they were real!" Dave laughed and ducked as both partners chucked pillows at him. Dark brown irises set in almond eyes gazed at Dave from Becca's laptop resting on the folding table Becca had set up in one of the unused bedrooms. Raven black hair framed an oval face of chocolate brown before cascading over shoulders set with remembered power, but a hint of sag. The plain white scoop necked t-shirt stretched into small ripples between her tits. The shirt was mostly opaque, yielding evidence of a white bra of exactly the same tone as the shirt, but nonetheless unable to disguise two ripe, thick nipples making their presence known. As the call began, her small, tight mouth had appeared balanced between the promise of lighting up the room with a smile, or unleashing a verbal tirade that would leave all within earshot cringing. Dave's skeptical, reserved approach was pushing her more towards desperation. "Yes, I have been; unkind to people through all of high school. I thought I was better than a lot of people. I had a group that I hung out with, and we deemed ourselves 'the betters' of everyone else. Becca knows some of what I did, more from hearing about it or seeing it than experiencing it directed at her. I; held back since she helped me study." Reena swallowed before continuing. "I've had all these months to think about life and people and a lot of stuff okay? I'm not proud of my behavior. I was a bitch." Her eyes began to water at the lower edge. "Being isolated, knowing people are dying, finding out from a few friends they only have another day or hour left; " her voice caught. A few tears coursed down her apple cheeks, but she batted them aside quickly. "Do you know what it's like to stop hearing from someone that you thought you'd invite to your wedding, or have your kids play together?" Becca inhaled, about to speak, but Dave stayed her with a gentle touch. It wouldn't do to interrupt when Reena was clearly pouring her heart out. The words she spoke over the next several minutes could be the ones he really needed to hear to make a good decision. "The kids in grades below us stopped answering a long time ago. There's an internet rumor that this thing takes more men than women, and everyone under eighteen, but even the ones over eighteen are hard to find someone that answers, boy or girl." Reena's 'queen of the school' composure was cracking. While that allowed a glimpse at the person behind the mask, it wouldn't do to let her fall apart. Time to say something reassuring, but realistic. "Reena, just tell me about why you want to be here." "Honestly, Becca may be the only friend I have left I the world. And I was never a very good friend to her before. I; I want to do better. I've been thinking a lot about what I should change. Specific things I should stop saying or doing. Remembering to say 'please' when I ask for something instead of expecting compliance because of 'who I am.' Or saying 'thank you' when someone else does something for me. Doing something for someone else just because they need it, even if they never asked." Shaking, Reena paused to collect herself. "Becca has told me about you. I'm not smart like you and her, but I would like to study something past high school. Please, please choose me. I'll; I'll do anything you want." Her voice lowered and her eyes dropped at the last sentence. "There's a lot I still don't know about sex, but I'll learn. I'll be your little; " "Hold up. Kareena, I'm not out to push you to be some kind of play toy. If we are compatible in other ways, we'll figure out the sex part. Why don't you tell me about your hobbies, things you do just because they're fun? May be things you did even if your friends weren't into them." "Well, I do like to read; even though I joined in with the others when we made fun of 'bookworms'." Her eyes were downcast for the end of that sentence but came back up. "Becca mentioned you're a big book lover. But; I don't read; like nonfiction, or high class stuff. I mean, I have red Lord of the Rings, but that took forever. I could only get through like the first three pages of Moby Dick and Tale of Two Cities before passing out though." She still looked scared, so Dave gave her some reassurance. "Yeah, I think I maxed out after the first chapter of each of those. Some people love that style, but for me, it was a snooze fest too. The last two I mean. I love Lord of the Rings. So tell me, what do you like to read?" "Well, there's this series about this guy that keeps monsters in check in the San Francisco area." "Monsters?" Dave tried not to sound dubious. "Well, magical creatures. Fairies, unicorns, vampires, stuff like that. Oh, the author's name is Blake Conrad. It's a lot of fun if you like magic stuff. I have the full collection. Everything that's out so far. The next book was due out already, but the pandemic hit and who knows when they'll publish it now. For all I know, the one that's waiting is the last one. Chances are the author caught this thing and died months ago." Her face darkened again. "Well, if this does work out," Dave said, "You're welcome to bring your complete; Blake Conrad collection with you, and we'll look for similar books, similar titles. I know Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman and Ursula K. Le Guin use a lot of magic themes in their works. Sounds like they might be right up your alley." Hearing Dave endorse her reading interest perked Reena up. "You know, I could help the other girls too. I like doing nails. I'm pretty good at it too. I can free hand designs and stuff." "I could see where that could come in handy. So to speak." Dave grimaced at his unintended pun. Becca laughed. Reena just shook her head. "Anyway, I'm sure some of the ladies would appreciate that. I'll stick with natural myself," Dave said with a wink. That got a chuckle out of her. "Look, I'm not expecting you to have everything planned out. You're eighteen. There's still a lot to decide. And speaking of decisions, I'd like you to meet virtually with the other ladies of the house and we'll talk as a family after." "Also, take some time yourself to think this through completely. I know you want to be here so you can be close to someone familiar, but bear in mind, that means being sexually bonded to me, a forty-six year old man, more than twice your age. By the time you were born, I'd finished grad school, got married, had a kid, and divorced." Reena looked pensive but nodded. Dave left her to talk with Becca more. He caught Jan in the library with a notepad, apparently noting possible additions. On his suggestion, she left to join Becca. In the dining room, he found Olivia munching a bowl of cereal. Lupie sat with her. The two were sharing an easy conversation which halted when Dave walked in. He'd seen Lupie's bible on an end table in the living room when he passed through. Liv must have come down to get breakfast while Lupie was conducting a bible study on her own. Not like it was safe yet to go to a church. Especially when so many church goers around here seemed to buy into the 'just a hoax' nonsense. Dave shook his head. Christian Nationalism seem purpose built to destroy conservatism and faith in one fell swoop. Sure had a good shot at it with this damn plague. Dave shook out thoughts of things he couldn't control. Here, now, was one woman that had been interested in him for a few years as she lived next door, and another that had pined for him for; a decade? And both were happy to be bound to him by this weird vaccine, even though it meant sharing him with other women. This world was wonderful and terrifying in the same breath. "Morning, Hermosa," Dave said before kissing Lupie on the lips. She hummed into the brief contact. "Morning, love bug," he said as he greeted Olivia in the same manner. As he pulled away, she slugged his shoulder, smiling scowl pulling her lips tight. Lupie shook her head. "David, I'm with Olivia on this one. Terms of endearment you used when she was a child are not conducive to her feeling she's being accepted as a woman." "I meant it as continuity. She has a lot of love to give. Always has. And I appreciate that." Olivia's scowl relaxed but did not become a smile. Well, not immediately. Lupie raised an eyebrow at him with a gentle smile. Dave realized what he needed was a change of subject. "Becca is upstairs Zooming with a friend of hers from high school. She; would like to join us here." Both ladies smirked. Dave sighed and rolled his eyes. He brought a hand up to his face and rubbed his eyes before leaning into the hand, the elbow of the same arm resting on the table. "Look, it's not like I'm seeking women out. I'm not out pursuing young girls." Olivia shifted in her seat. "I mean; " "I get it Dave. Don't apologize." Her voice was soft, with a hint of iron. "I talked with her for a while. She's apparently been talking with Becca since before the two of you got vaxxed in the first place." He said, looking at Lupie. "And it seems Becca has been telling Reena all about us, especially about vaxxed life with me." "Kareena Agrawal? The one Becca calls 'the Indian Karen'?" Olivia barely managed to contain the mouthful of cereal and milk at Lupie's interjection. Dave held back a laugh. "She seems genuinely heartbroken and lost, Lupie. And she has taken time in isolation to examine her past behavior." Dave paused, looking each of them in the eye. "I'm reserving judgement for now. I think it would be a good idea if each of you took time to talk with her, probably with Becca as host. I ran into Jan already, she's probably up there with her now. All I'm asking is that you get with Becca sometime today to find a time you can Zoom with her and form your own opinion. I may be 'the man of the house'; " Dave bowed his arms out from his sides, leaning side to side with a faux stern look on his face; "but this is too big not to get ya'lls take on it as well." Both women giggled at the display. "Okay, okay, I'll seek Becca out in a few minutes. I'll give Reena a fair hearing, just understand, I've heard enough of her exploits to be a bit wary." "Wouldn't have it any other way, cielo." The warmth of the smile Lupie gave him was enough to power an entire town. It was a few hours past noon when Dave heard voices in the bedroom. He left his office to see if that meant Melanie was up. She'd been out for eighteen hours. Opening the door, he found Becca and Liv sitting on the bed, talking. Mel was nowhere to be seen. "Mel up I take it?" "Yup, been awake for a few minutes. She needed to use the bathroom," Becca informed him. "She'll probably be in there a while." Liv chimed in, just as Mel emerged. She had a huge smile on her face. "Wow, usually a night like last night would leave you crying on the toilet for an hour. And I needed a hazmat suit to go in there afterwards." Mel smirked. She strode over to Dave and gave him a big hug. He recognized the t-shirt she wore, black with a white line drawing of Einstein sticking out his tongue. Recognized, because it was probably the one from his closet. "Looks like I unlocked the special bonus. They did say sometimes a healing process happens during imprinting. How long was I out anyway?" "About eighteen hours," said Liv. "Longest of any of my partners. What's the healing you're talking about?" "I have; had; I B S. I tend to be careful about what I eat, or go ahead and indulge once in a while, knowing I'm going to pay the price in the morning." She turned to face Liv, with her hands on her hips. "And for your information missy, I was somewhat careful last night. The wine was dry, and I only ate a little bit of cheese. And I didn't have any deviled eggs." She grumbled that last sentence. Liv looked at Dave. "She loves deviled eggs, especially made with dill relish instead of sweet, which I've told her was the way you do it. Not that you made last night's, but that does mean the only relish in the house is dill. Problem is, the protein in the whites plus the fat in the yolk and mayo is an issue for her. If it weren't for that, she'd gobble deviled eggs like she's trying to set a world record." Dave chuckled. "As a deviled egg lover, I can testify that that much deviled egg will cause intestinal issues that oughta be against the Geneva Convention, without any medical conditions." The trio giggled. Becca sat bolt upright for a minute. "Hey, weren't there deviled eggs leftover in the fridge?" Mel was already up and moving. "Clear square sandwich container with the see through blue lid!" Mel's happy cackle faded as she sprinted down the stairs. To be continued in part 5, Based on a post by RonanJWilkerson, in 12 parts, for Literotica.

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De la musique tirée de la voûte anglophone de CISM.

De la musique tirée de la voûte anglophone de CISM.

De la musique tirée de la voûte anglophone de CISM.

De la musique tirée de la voûte anglophone de CISM.

De la musique tirée de la voûte anglophone de CISM.

De la musique tirée de la voûte anglophone de CISM.

Padraig explains how Lord Haw-Haw became an agent of the Third Reich...and how it all came crashing down for him at the end of the war.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Canadian journalist Nora Loreto reads the latest headlines for Wednesday, December 18, 2025.TRNN has partnered with Loreto to syndicate and share her daily news digest with our audience. Tune in every morning to the TRNN podcast feed to hear the latest important news stories from Canada and worldwide.Find more headlines from Nora at Sandy & Nora Talk Politics podcast feed.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-real-news-podcast--2952221/support.Help us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer.Follow us on:Bluesky: @therealnews.comFacebook: The Real News NetworkTwitter: @TheRealNewsYouTube: @therealnewsInstagram: @therealnewsnetworkBecome a member and join the Supporters Club for The Real News Podcast today!

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Robert sits down with Pádraig O Ruairc to learn about a bastard from across the pond who threw his lot in with Hitler during WW2.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For the latest and most important news of the day | https://www.thecanadianpressnews.ca To watch daily news videos, follow us on YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@CdnPress The Canadian Press on X (formerly Twitter) | https://twitter.com/CdnPressNews The Canadian Press on LinkedIn | https://linkedin.com/showcase/98791543

De la musique tirée de la voûte anglophone de CISM.

De la musique tirée de la voûte anglophone de CISM.

De la musique tirée de la voûte anglophone de CISM.

Stephen Grootes speaks to Andrew Pike Head Of Bowmans Ports, Transport And Logistics and Prof Jan Havenga, Logistics Professor at Stellenbosch University & Director Of Gain Group, about the landmark concession agreement with Enrique Razon’s International Container Terminal Services Inc., and what this means for the future of Durban’s Pier 2 and South Africa’s port efficiency.. In other interviews, Miningmx Editor, David McKay explains the implications of the Anglo-Teck merger, exploring how the combined copper assets could reshape global supply chains and influence critical mineral strategies. The Money Show is a podcast hosted by well-known journalist and radio presenter, Stephen Grootes. He explores the latest economic trends, business developments, investment opportunities, and personal finance strategies. Each episode features engaging conversations with top newsmakers, industry experts, financial advisors, entrepreneurs, and politicians, offering you thought-provoking insights to navigate the ever-changing financial landscape.    Thank you for listening to a podcast from The Money Show Listen live Primedia+ weekdays from 18:00 and 20:00 (SA Time) to The Money Show with Stephen Grootes broadcast on 702 https://buff.ly/gk3y0Kj and CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from the show, go to https://buff.ly/7QpH0jY or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/PlhvUVe Subscribe to The Money Show Daily Newsletter and the Weekly Business Wrap here https://buff.ly/v5mfetc The Money Show is brought to you by Absa     Follow us on social media   702 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702 702 on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702 702 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkradio702/ 702 on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk 702 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@radio702   CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/Radio702 CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stephen Grootes speaks to Miningmx Editor, David McKay, about the implications of the Anglo-Teck merger, exploring how the combined copper assets could reshape global supply chains and influence critical minerals strategies. The Money Show is a podcast hosted by well-known journalist and radio presenter, Stephen Grootes. He explores the latest economic trends, business developments, investment opportunities, and personal finance strategies. Each episode features engaging conversations with top newsmakers, industry experts, financial advisors, entrepreneurs, and politicians, offering you thought-provoking insights to navigate the ever-changing financial landscape.    Thank you for listening to a podcast from The Money Show Listen live Primedia+ weekdays from 18:00 and 20:00 (SA Time) to The Money Show with Stephen Grootes broadcast on 702 https://buff.ly/gk3y0Kj and CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from the show, go to https://buff.ly/7QpH0jY or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/PlhvUVe Subscribe to The Money Show Daily Newsletter and the Weekly Business Wrap here https://buff.ly/v5mfetc The Money Show is brought to you by Absa     Follow us on social media   702 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702 702 on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702 702 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkradio702/ 702 on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk 702 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@radio702   CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/Radio702 CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Peso Pluma BioSnap a weekly updated Biography.I am Biosnap AI, and over the past few days Peso Pluma has been closing out the year in full superstar mode, mixing hard business moves with fan hysteria and a touch of lingering controversy. Rolling Stone, via a pickup summarized by IMDb News, reports that he has just dropped a new single titled Gervonta, his first fresh release since his fourth album Exodo earlier this year, a flex-heavy corrido tumbado named after boxer Gervonta Davis and packed with lyrics about private jets, shiny watches, and the high life. The single not only keeps him in constant rotation but also reinforces the persona that has defined his 2024 and now edges into the new year: a regional Mexican kingpin living like a global rap star, which is likely to matter long term in how his biography frames the crossover of corridos into mainstream pop culture.Onstage, the last few days have underlined that status. LAist reports that he just sold out two nights at YouTube Theater in Inglewood, where fans from across Southern California turned the shows into a full-blown cultural event, calling him everything from the contemporary version of Los Tigres del Norte to the face of a new Mexican pride moment in the U.S. One fan quoted by LAist compared the way he is filling arenas and uniting generations to a revolution in Mexican music, a framing that, if it holds, will be written into every future career retrospective. Separately, AOL recently described his arena level presence and quoted a fan calling him the Mexican Elvis, a dramatic line but one that signals how media and audiences are starting to mythologize him in real time.On the industry side, Hits Daily Double's New Music Friday rundown notes him on playlists alongside major Anglo pop and hip hop releases, a quiet but important sign that programmers are treating him as a core global act rather than a niche regional star. Socially, Gervonta got an extra jolt of gossip value when Gervonta Davis himself posted the single artwork on Instagram, effectively giving Peso Pluma a boxer cosign and feeding fan speculation about deeper ties between the two; for now, there is no verified business or personal partnership beyond that public nod. Earlier cartel related threats and cancellations, widely reported months ago by outlets like TMZ and others, continue to haunt the narrative around his security, but there have been no new confirmed incidents in the past few days, only the steady march of sold out shows, new music, and a growing sense that Peso Pluma is solidifying his place as the defining corridos tumbaos star of his generation.Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOtaThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

Andrew Bahlmann – Chief Executive: Corporate and Advisory, Deal Leaders International SAfm Market Update - Podcasts and live stream

Beneath the surface, Israel is fighting for the soul of its religion — and most of us don't even see the battle lines. In this episode of Madlik Disruptive Torah, Geoffrey Stern and Rabbi Adam Mintz are joined by Professor Adam S. Ferziger to explore the quiet revolution reshaping Israeli Judaism. Drawing on his new book, Agents of Change, Ferziger reveals how American Modern Orthodoxy—its values, institutions, and worldview—has profoundly influenced Religious Zionism and the broader Israeli religious landscape. From the tension between nationalism and modernity to the emergence of a new Israel-born generation, we uncover the cultural, political, and spiritual crossroads Israel now faces. Beneath the surface, Israel is fighting for the soul of its religion—and American Jews are playing a bigger role than anyone expected. Key Takeaways American Modern Orthodoxy Has Become a Quiet Force in Israeli Judaism Israeli Religious Zionism Is Splitting Into Two Distinct Paths Israel's Next Generation of Leaders Will Be Religious — But Neither Haredi or National Religious Timestamps [00:00:00] Jacob returns from exile with wealth, family, and a new identity; exile reframed as productive, not just punishment. [00:01:00] Intro to Professor Adam Ferziger and his book Agents of Change about American Jews reshaping Israeli Judaism. [00:02:00] Host sets the frame: modern Orthodoxy's influence on Israeli religious life, education, feminism, and LGBTQ inclusion. [00:03:00] Ferziger's personal story: gap year yeshiva, Aliyah in 1987, building family and rabbinic life in Kfar Saba. [00:04:54] Early political snapshot: the failed "Meimad" experiment and how Anglo moderates felt marginal and deviant. [00:06:36] Shift in the 2000s: religious-Zionist camp diversifies; modern Orthodox voices gain legitimacy and visibility. [00:09:05] Explaining American Modern Orthodoxy: Torah plus general culture, YU, day schools, Rav Soloveitchik's synthetic model. [00:14:10] Rise of "Hardal": nationalist-Haredi style religiosity, stricter halakha, and a more redemptive, messianic Zionism. [00:21:45] The "agents of change": eight American rabbis/educators whose Israeli students indigenize and radicalize their ideas. [00:34:15] Why this matters beyond religion: "Israeli Judaism" and how moderate Orthodox trends may shape Israel's future leadership. Links & Learnings Sign up for free and get more from our weekly newsletter https://madlik.com/ Sefaria Source Sheet: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/692993 Transcript here: https://madlik.substack.com/ Adam Ferziger's Book https://nyupress.org/9781479817559/agents-of-change/  

Discovery that Virginia was the perfect environment to cultivate tobacco led to Jamestown's success… and to a great deal of conflict between the English and the natives. Relations between the local natives and colonists became increasingly uncomfortable as more white settlers arrived in Virginia. The natives moved farther inland to distance themselves from the English, but more Europeans kept arriving. Both sides were guilty of straining the relationship. The English stole corn and other food supplies and the natives ambushed the English for their tools and weapons. Finally, the conflict erupted in the winter of 1610. E187. Check out the YouTube version of this episode at https://youtu.be/Cx69p8xt9_o which has accompanying visuals including maps, charts, timelines, photos, illustrations, and diagrams. Nice Try! Podcast available at https://amzn.to/3xGheJf Jamestown products available at https://amzn.to/3RW5kEm Pocahontas items available at https://amzn.to/3IerBc7 John Smith books available at https://amzn.to/40NdyCE ENJOY Ad-Free content, Bonus episodes, and Extra materials when joining our growing community on https://patreon.com/markvinet SUPPORT this channel by purchasing any product on Amazon using this FREE entry LINK https://amzn.to/3POlrUD (Amazon gives us credit at NO extra charge to you). Mark Vinet's video channel: https://youtube.com/c/TIMELINE_MarkVinet Mark's HISTORICAL JESUS podcast at https://parthenonpodcast.com/historical-jesus Website: https://markvinet.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mark.vinet.9 Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarkVinet_HNA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denarynovels Mark's books: https://amzn.to/3k8qrGM Audio credits: Nice Try! podcast with A. Trufelman by Curbed-Jamestown: Utopia for Whom (1607). Audio excerpts reproduced under the Fair Use (Fair Dealings) Legal Doctrine for purposes such as criticism, comment, teaching, education, scholarship, research and news reporting.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Special Relationship: from Britain defaulting on its loans in the 1930s, to Suez, to Falklands, to the War on Terror, to Trump patronising Starmer at the recent Israel-Gaza peace summit, the precise specialness of this relationship has long been in dispute - whether the political classes acknowledge it or not. There was of course Lend-Lease and the small matter of two World Wars, but Britain's post-war status, as junior partner in the American Empire has meant it has profited, but as the world pivots, it is now exposed. Philip Pilkington has been watching the recent wire-tap scandal with Steve Witkoff and Russian official Yuri Ushakov with interest. There is only one country with the capabilities to pull off that kind of intelligence breach, he suggests. And as a result of this and much else, that country may soon find itself off the special list. So what then? What is Britain's destiny if it can't eat at America's table? And how will America re-make itself in a world where it treats its historic allies so lightly? And what will that mean in turn for the wider Western alliance? This week, our duo go in search of the long story of the Special Relationship - but only for Patrons. Pay us $5 $5 or €5 a month by searching Patreon.com for Multipolarity, and you too can understand why the good ship Anglo is going down down down to Davey Jones' Locker. https://www.patreon.com/multipolarity

Hey Guys, join Michael this week as he seeks to define and defeat the Anglo-Israelism aspect of premillennialism. Visit our linktree: https://linktr.ee/scatteredabroadnetwork Visit our website, www.scatteredabroad.org, and subscribe to our email list. "Like" and "share" our Facebook page: https:// www.facebook.com/sapodcastnetwork Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ the_scattered_abroad_network/ Subscribe to our Substack: https://scatteredabroad.substack.com/Subscribe to our YouTube channel: The Scattered Abroad Network Contact us through email at san@msop.org. If you would like to consider supporting us in any way, don't hesitate to contact us through this email.

Hey Guys, join Michael this week as he seeks to define and defeat the Anglo-Israelism aspect of premillennialism.Visit our linktree: https://linktr.ee/scatteredabroadnetwork Visit our website, www.scatteredabroad.org, and subscribe to our email list. "Like" and "share" our Facebook page: https:// www.facebook.com/sapodcastnetwork Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ the_scattered_abroad_network/ Subscribe to our Substack: https://scatteredabroad.substack.com/Subscribe to our YouTube channel: The Scattered Abroad Network Contact us through email at san@msop.org. If you would like to consider supporting us in any way, don't hesitate to contact us through this email.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVpn-9OWV0Q Comrade Thavone Singharaj, deputy head of mission of the People' Democratic Republic of Laos in the UK, speaks at our celebration of the 108th anniversary of the Great Socialist October Revolution. Cde Singharaj outlines the long anti-colonial independence struggle of the people of Southeast Asia, who fought united against the French colonists and then agains the mightiest empire the world has seen - the US imperialists, who were determined to re-install French colonialism as a bulwark against communism, and to ensure that the loot from the areas agricultural and mineral reserves, and cheap labour power continued to flow into the coffers of the Anglo_american imoperialists. McArthur explained that Burma, Thailand, India, the phillipines and Indonesia were all at stake - and that the people could not possible be left to decide their own fate. After the colossal scale of the victory of the peasant and working masses against the Anglo-American and French imperialsts, the Lao PDR have patiently built up their country from penury and destruction ,in the case of sanctions and the disaster wrought by decades of chemical and conventional warfare upon their small nation - which left 1000kg of unexploded mu inions for every Laotian man woman and child littered across the nation, and which is still taking a toll on the population today. None the less this proud and independent socialist nation is building a new life and forging ahead with its own independent and sovereign economic development, In December the Laos PDR will celebrate its 50th Anniversary. Long live the memory of their glorious liberation struggle! Long live the Great Socailsit October Revolution! Subscribe! Donate! Join us in building a bright future for humanity! www.thecommunists.org www.lalkar.org www.redyouth.org Telegram: t.me/thecommunists Twitter: twitter.com/cpgbml Soundcloud: @proletarianradio Rumble: rumble.com/c/theCommunists Odysee: odysee.com/@proletariantv:2 Facebook: www.facebook.com/cpgbml Online Shop: https://shop.thecommunists.org/ Education Program: Each one teach one! www.londonworker.org/education-programme/ Join the struggle www.thecommunists.org/join/ Donate: www.thecommunists.org/donate/  

Recording date: 25th November 2025Derek Mcpherson and Sam Pelaez of Olive Resource Capital highlight critical developments reshaping mining investment, with asset scarcity and supply chain vulnerabilities emerging as defining challenges for the sector.The ongoing Anglo American situation exemplifies limited growth options for major miners. Despite BHP quickly dismissing weekend speculation about a renewed bid, the December 9th shareholder vote underscores how few tier-one assets exist that can materially impact large producers' portfolios. Pelaez notes these critical assets remain concentrated among major companies like Teck, Anglo, and Glencore, with many already partnered on world-scale Chilean copper projects. The executives emphasize that while acquisition targets are scarce, "eventually someone has to build something, and the biggest companies are best positioned to build something."Sovereign wealth funds are now competing for direct critical minerals exposure. The Qatar Investment Authority's memorandum of understanding with Ivanhoe Mines to support Democratic Republic of Congo growth mirrors earlier Chinese sovereign investments in tier-one African assets. This development signals Middle Eastern capital seeking strategic positioning in what Pelaez views as an emerging electrification commodities bull market, though he stresses there are "simply not enough investable assets and companies for everyone to get direct exposure."The gold equity market continues maturing, with Muddy Waters pitching pre-revenue explorer Snowline Gold at the generalist Sohn Conference—a significant milestone indicating institutional capital flowing beyond traditional mining investors. This follows sustained inflows into the GDX ETF and suggests generalists are increasingly willing to evaluate unprofitable developers.However, the most critical structural challenge remains Western processing capabilities. Despite domestic mining efforts, North American materials still require Chinese processing for battery precursor conversion. Pelaez emphasizes the West lags China "more than a decade" in rare earths, lithium, and graphite processing, creating supply chain vulnerabilities that policy alone cannot address. For investors, understanding complete processing pathways matters as much as resource quality when evaluating critical minerals projects.Sign up for Crux Investor: https://cruxinvestor.com

Mining analyst Peter Major unpacks Anglo's outlook, the PGM surge, Zimbabwe's “juicy” gold payback, and how Transnet still holds the industry hostage.

Global money manager Sean Peche warns of US market fragility while unusually endorsing Pretoria's diplomatic approach toward Donald Trump. Locally, investors received welcome news as Naspers and Prosus posted robust half-year results, bolstering retirement portfolios. Anglo American gains ground after BHP's retreat, Netcare shows profit resilience despite high interest costs and a positive tailpiece for major SA corporates.

Prosus' dynamism stood out today, Anglo got long-awaited clarity, and I'm eyeing a rare buying opportunity in our Ricardo portfolio.

Welcome to the Hidden History of Texas. This is Episode 80 – Texas Politics as the 1850s Begin.   I'm your host and guide Hank Wilson. Texas politics is a contact sport, and actually today's Texas politics and politicians often seem like they still are set in 200 years ago. In fact, if you think about some of the laws that are being passed today, if you didn't know better, you'd think that you had somehow traveled back in time to the 1850s. Currently there are portions of the political world that are trying to roll back civil rights. Racial animosity is at an all-time high. There is little tolerance for those who don't think like the party in power wants you to think. Texas politics today are a mess and as they were in 1850. What was Texas and America like in 1850? Frankly, as I mentioned, it was a mess, the country was mired in controversy after controversy, especially when it came to the issue of slavery. Texas itself, after lowering the flag of the Republic in 1846 struggled to find its footing. After the war with Mexico in 1848 the state government was bound and determined to make the Rio Grande river, especially the far western part, the state's boundary. Well, this meant that most of Eastern New Mexico, including an area that reached all the way to Santa Fe would become a part of Texas. In fact, in 1848 the state legislature declared that part of Eastern New Mexico to be named Santa Fe County and the governor, George T. Wood, sent Spruce Baird there to set up a county government.  Needless to say, the proud people of Santa Fe, refused to accept the Texans and with the help of federal troops forced Baird and the other Texans with him to depart. Baird was only able to stay until July 1849 at which time he left the region Meanwhile, in Washington D.C. a major controversy was brewing between legislators from the North and those from  the South. Of course, this was over the issue of slavery and especially if it was to be allowed in the newly acquired territories that had recently been acquired from Mexico in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo which ended the Mexican-American war. This necessarily drew Texas into the dispute on the side of the South, remember the early Anglo settlers of Texas were mostly southerners and their allegiance was to the south and to the slave owners.... This is not the entire transcript so for the entire transcript about Texas Politics as the 1850s Begin - contact me for a free PDF

Chief Powhatan and the settlers of Jamestown find themselves in a conflict only Pocahontas can end. The peace that follows however, will create greater challenges for the Powhatan that are only realized in hindsight. The Peace of Pocahontas will not hold for long.

Natalie interviews two people who both moved to Ashkelon, and neither is taking Ulpan. Miriam 26, nurse and mother made Aliyah in May 2025 from Far Rockaway with her husband and baby, and Dr. Howard Eisenberg, 71, made aliyah in March 2024 from Baltimore with his wife. Miriam and her husband are starting out in life, and describe "working hard" and "life being expensive no matter where you are." The couple is on their own here, no family. Miriam is working for an American company now, but will eventually work in Israel, and her husband is studying to be a scribe. Dr. Howard Eisenberg and his wife life are at the end of their careers, working because they want to. They live in the Anglo section of Ashkelon, and say all their friends keep busy working, volunteering, or traveling. Dr. Howard stressed being outgoing and friendly and described joining an organization as a board member from a chance meeting on the beach. Sometimes things happen that way here. Returning Home 17NOV2025 - PODCAST

Lee Gatiss and Ros Clarke discuss the ongoing influence of Anglo-Catholicism, co-belligerence and doctrinal differences.

Sir Bartle Frere's ultimatum to Cetshwayo kaMpande of 11 January 1879 was about to expire. Last episode I explained the reasons behind Frere's fevered decision, egged on as he was by Sir Theophilus Shepstone whose shadow looms large over the history of Natal - and South Africa. Cetshwayo's diplomacy had relied on the British supporting him against the claims of the Boers to his territory to the north west, already volatile by Mpande's reign, now it was going to set off one of the most unique wars of the colonial period. The Boers, Swazi and the Zulu all claimed this zone, rich as it was in reddish deep soil, around Phongola, Ntombe, Mkhondo. Beautiful territory too, it must be said, the deep riverine bush, open plains between, flat topped high mountains. In summer its warm, in winter, waterless, cold. The Zulu relied on seasonally moving their cattle up to these highlands in spring, and down to lower reaches of the hills in autumn. The Swazi would do the same if they could, and conflict over this land extended way back before the Boers rolled onto the landscape. Because the Disputed Territory was so far north, Natal authorities found it impossible to control any movement here, and as you heard last episode, their Border Commission report ruled that the land belonged to the Zulu and that the Boers had no legal status there. But Shepstone who was now Administrator of the annexed Transvaal, wanted to curry favor with the Boers and Frere wanted the various colonies and republics of South Africa to form a confederation. Cetshwayo was standing in his way, along with Pedi chief, Sekhukhuni. The last Eastern Cape Frontier War had ended, the amaXhosa were thought of as a defeated nation, while by now the British also regarded the Basotho as benign, so the industrialised military might of the British empire swiveled increasingly towards Zululand. Cetshwayo was walking a delicate line through the 1870s, frustrated internally by having no glorious campaign to prove he'd bloodied his men in a fantastic war, although defeating the Swazi, sort of, seizing a few mountain fortresses in the Lubombo range. These were on the margins of the Boer and Swazi, it was where Zibhebhu of the Nyawo lived. It was where Dingane had died if you recall — so the capture of the territory was a feather in Cetshwayo's cap. While Cetshwayo brooded about his northern reaches, it was the murder of two Zulu women I mentioned last episode that was seized upon by the Natal Authorities as a part of the many pretexts to go to war. Cetshwayo was well aware of the value of firearms and horses. By 1878 there were 20 000 muskets in Zululand, but these were used like a throwing spear, and the stabbing spear was still the preferred method of dispatching your opponent. The stabbing was the principle of washing the spear, soaking it in your enemies blood, thus entering the hallowed portal of manhood. If your regiment did enough washing, then the King would announce that the amabutho had permission to marry and the man could don a hearing. So in a sense, successfully wielding a spear led directly to a sanctioned marriage, and the ability to create sons and daughters. The spear was a symbol of procreation if you like. Such a system had global resonances. In the homesteads of Zululand in 1878 as the build up to war took place, the senior commanders and chiefs were aware of the tide of colonialism washing up against their military system. It was in terms of tactics that the coming war that would be the greatest undoing of the Zulu system. All of these were overtaken by a more modern state or the machinery of empire and the pressure of time. The Spartans lost their supremacy after Leuctra (LOO-ktruh) in 371 BCE, their military culture fading under Macedonian and then Roman rule. The Aztec Empire was obliterated by the Spanish conquest in 1521. The Mongol empire fractured within a century of Genghis Khan's death, its unity dissolved into regional khanates.

3,000 years after Abraham heard the call to go forth, a group of 20 somethings booked a one-way ticket to Ben-Gurion. What if the journey of Abraham in the Torah mirrors the modern-day aliyah experience? In this episode we dive into the modern-day "Lech Lecha" story with Noah Efron from The Promised Podcast. From his Young Judea roots to teaching at Bar Ilan University, Noah shares his journey of making aliyah (immigration to Israel) from America in the early 80s, offering a fascinating perspective on what it means to "go forth" in our generation. Key Takeaways The power of community in the aliyah experience The unique perspective of being both an insider and outsider in Israel The evolving nature of Israeli society towards greater inclusivity Timestamps [00:00:00] – Opening narration: "Picture standing on the edge of an unfamiliar land…" — Sets up Abraham's journey and the metaphor for modern Aliyah. [00:00:48] – Introduction of guest: Geoffrey introduces Noah Efron and outlines his background—academic, political, and as host of The Promised Podcast. [00:02:00] – Podcast welcome + theme framing: Geoffrey and Rabbi Adam introduce the episode's focus—connecting Abraham's "Lech Lecha" journey to Noah's personal Aliyah story. [00:05:46] – Noah begins his Aliyah story: Reflects on family, children, and how Young Judaea shaped his decision to move to Israel with his wife and friends. [00:09:54] – Community and creation: Noah describes building new communities, egalitarian spaces, and shaping Israel through civic involvement and local politics. [00:11:22] – Raising Israeli-born children: Noah reflects emotionally on seeing his kids grow up Hebrew-speaking, communal, and connected—contrasting American vs. Israeli culture. [00:15:42] – Anglo influence in Israel: Discussion turns to American Jews' cultural and social contributions—environmentalism, NGOs, and pluralism—forming a distinct "ethnic group" within Israel. [00:20:31] – Bridging identities: Noah explains how he respects Haredi (Ultra-Orthodox) culture and values, despite being secular-left politically—revealing his nuanced, integrative outlook. [00:28:24] – Text study & reflection: Geoffrey brings in a Midrash about Abraham choosing industrious Canaanites; parallels to modern Israeli industriousness ("startup nation") and shared society. [00:29:55] – Closing vision: Noah's optimism—believing Israeli society continues to expand its "us," becoming more inclusive, compassionate, and interconnected. Ends with reflection on Ger v'Toshav (stranger and citizen) identity. Links & Learnings Sign up for free and get more from our weekly newsletter https://madlik.com/ Sefaria Source Sheet: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/684491 Transcript here: https://madlik.substack.com/

Today Razib talks to Eric Kaufmann, a Canadian professor of politics at the University of Buckingham, where he directs the Centre for Heterodox Social Science. He earned his BA from the University of Western Ontario and his MA and PhD from the London School of Economics. Prior to his current role, he held positions at the University of Southampton and Birkbeck, University of London, which he left in October 2023. He is the author of several books, including Whiteshift: Immigration, Populism and the Future of White Majorities, Shall the Religious Inherit the Earth?, and The Third Awokening. His research interests include nationalism, political and religious demography, and national identity. Kaufmann is a previous guest on the podcast. Razib and Kaufmann begin their conversation by exploring the thesis of one of his earlier works, 2004's Rise and Fall of Anglo-America. They discuss the definition of “WASP,” White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, and cultural changes in the white American majority because of the massive immigration waves of the 19th and early 20th century. Kaufman argues that a coalition of liberal WASPs and “white ethnics” was instrumental in the eventual overthrow of the cultural hegemony of elite Protestant whites in the second half of the 20th century. Razib and Kaufman then relate the history of the WASPs to his latest book, The Third Awokening, which chronicles the rise of “cultural socialism” centered around race. Kaufman documents the potency of the ideas of the latest variant of wokeness, their traction among the youth, and argues for its historical roots in earlier forms of Anglo liberalism.

Go to www.LearningLeader.com for full show notes The Learning Leader Show with Ryan Hawk This is brought to you by Insight Global. If you need to hire one person, hire a team of people, or transform your business through Talent or Technical Services, Insight Global's team of 30,000 people around the world has the hustle and grit to deliver. www.InsightGlobal.com/LearningLeader My guest: Dave Berke is a retired US Marine Corps Officer, TOPGUN Instructor, and now a leadership instructor and speaker with Echelon Front, where he serves as Chief Development Officer. As a F/A-18 pilot, he deployed twice from the USS John C Stennis in support of combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. He spent three years as an Instructor Pilot at TOPGUN where he served as the Training Officer, the senior staff pilot responsible for the conduct of the TOPGUN course. Notes: July 2001: Plans Don't Survive Contact - Dave's Top Gun graduation exercise as flight lead. Wingman yells, "Showtime one-one break right!" - an F-5 snuck into formation. Dave was staring at the radar instead of looking out, had to fall out of formation, and ended up at the back instead of leading from the front. Mission successful, but nothing like he planned. Dave: "The outcome was still really good... except it was nothing like I thought it was going to be." Lesson: You're planning for the success of the outcome, not how you're going to do it. The most important attribute in a leader is humility. To be effective, you must be able to listen, learn, be flexible, and admit you're wrong sometimes. One of the biggest issues they deal with when working with leaders is ego and/or the inability to be humble. As leaders, we need to be self-aware enough to realize when our ego is getting the best of us. And surrounding ourselves with people who will help us know when that is happening as well. Be Fluid with Plans, Deliberate with Outcomes - Be really fluid and loose with plans, but deliberate about aligning the team on outcomes. Dave grew up as a control freak, OCD planner. Dave: "In life, it's just not how life works... If you can align on the mission and outcome, and you are very open-minded that there are a lot of different ways to get there, you're far more likely to be successful." The military saying, "The enemy gets a vote." Ryan's quarterback coach after an interception: "He's on scholarship too, you know?" Process: How You Create It Matters Most - Process is important, but how you create it matters most. If you agree on the outcome, the conversation should be less about agreement, more about "When you talk about step one, what are you thinking? How does this lead to step two?" The process has to be organic. When you create it, you're more likely to maneuver around challenges. Book Dedication: Chris and Kat - Book dedicated to Corporal Chris Leon and his mother, Kat. Chris was a radio operator on Dave's 13-man Anglo team. June 20, 2006, Chris was killed by an enemy sniper in Iraq - first Anglican Marine killed there. Dave's son is Matthew Leon Burke - took Chris's last name. Chris's mom Kat is Aunt Kat to Dave's family. Dave: "I always say I really deep down wish I didn't know Kat, because that would've meant Chris came home and life just went on. But that's not what happened." Chris taught bravery. Kat taught strength. Top Gun Reality: It's About the Team - 1986 Top Gun most impactful movie on Dave's life at 14. But the movie depicts a lone wolf. Marine Corps teaches: Your contribution to the team matters most. A really good pilot who's self-centered will do more damage than a slightly less capable pilot who's a real team player. Dave: "If there's ever a team sport, it's going into combat... It's not about you. It's about the team." Trust: Action, Not Description - Echelon codifies relationships: Trust, respect, listening, influence. Trust is the cornerstone. Dave: "If you don't trust me, I could be good at so many things. If there is a trust gap, there's going to be a problem in the relationship and team." Trust is action you take.  Ego: The Universal Challenge - When Echelon works with companies, challenges are almost always connected to ego. Dave: "Our egos tend to wreak havoc at each level of organization." From birth, the ego drives us down the wrong path. When debating plans, ego says, "You're right, he's wrong." Building good leadership is managing egos. Dave: "Humility is the most important attribute in a leader. All the attributes, humility is number one, and we don't waffle on that." Humility Enables Everything Else - Dave worked with the biggest, toughest SEALs. Attribute most critical to success: humility. Ability to listen, learn, be flexible, change, admit you're wrong, and go with someone else's plan. It even affects fitness. Humility touches everything. Doesn't diminish other attributes, but allows you to strengthen them.  Teaching Humility: Subordinate Your Ego - You can't tell someone with a big ego to be humble. Dave: "The biggest challenge with someone else's ego is not their ego. It's your ego's response to it." Most counterintuitive thing: If you clash with Ryan, Dave has to subordinate his ego to Ryan's. Lower your ego: "Hey Ryan, I've been pushing back hard, I realize I'm not listening." Natural reaction: Ryan's ego starts to drop. Over time, collaborate more. You connect success to the ability to control the ego. Dave: "Humility is the measurement of how much control you have over your ego." What you give is usually what you get. It's reciprocal. Care About Team More Than Yourself - When your people see you working hard to clear paths or block an egomaniac boss, they'll run through walls for you. Outcome of a good relationship: You care about the team, the team cares about you. That selfless act shows you care about them more than yourself. Dave: "That's how you show that you care about them more than yourself, and that's what a leader's job is, to care about the team more than you care about yourself. That's parenting, that's marriage." Extreme Ownership - Book Extreme Ownership changed Dave's understanding. When you take ownership, take ownership of everything. Caveat: Not things you literally don't control. But you have ownership over everything, even just how you react. After Chris was killed, Dave said, "That's war, nothing we can do." Problem: When he embraced it wasn't his responsibility, it meant he didn't have as much to change. Should have asked: "What is everything we can do to make sure this doesn't happen again?" The tendency is to undershoot ownership. Try to take it to the extreme. If you can take ownership of everything you can control, you get more influence over the outcome. Detachment: A Superpower - Dave: "Detachment is a superpower" - (1) almost nobody can do it, and (2) if you can, it's massively influential. Detachment is being in control of emotions. When overwhelmed with priorities and pressures, you tend to get emotional. When you react emotionally, you make bad decisions. Learn the skill of detaching - not to be devoid of emotion (we're human), but don't let emotions dictate. Get Away from Problems to See What's Causing It - When a problem occurs at work, you tend to focus on it, go into it. It seems good but is often wrong. You should get away from it, detach. Getting away lets you look around and see what's really causing it. Military example: The enemy is shooting at you; the tendency is to focus on that. Usually bad because they're hoping you do - then they send a flanking maneuver. If you detach, step back, you'll see the flanking maneuver coming. Be able to see the future - that's the superpower.  Know Your Red Flags - Intervene Early - You have to understand where you are escalating your emotions. Know your personal red flags. Most people don't go zero to 100. Long day, flight delayed, bad meeting - little things tick up, so zero is actually 4 or 5, which means dirty dishes put you to 7. When Dave gets frustrated, traps tighten up. Some people's nose turns red. If you're at level 8 and someone says, "calm down," it makes it worse. But if at level 1 or 2 and you intervene, you're in control. What an adult does: "I'm an emotional guy, but I have awareness of where I am. If I'm a 4, I gotta intervene then." If at level 10, detaching is not gonna happen. That's the difference between kids and adults. Dave: "You are much more likely to have a hard time controlling your emotions, ironically, with people you care about the most." Quotes: "You're planning for the success of the outcome, not how you're going to go about doing that, because things get in the way."  "Humility is the most important attribute in a leader. All the attributes. Humility is number one, and we don't waffle on that."  "The biggest challenge with someone else's ego is not their ego. It's your ego's response to it."  "Detachment is a superpower."  "You are much more likely to have a hard time controlling your emotions, ironically, with people you care about the most." 01:16 Introducing Dave Burke 02:21 Dave Burke's Top Gun Experience 05:23 Lessons Learned from Military to Everyday Life 07:56 The Importance of Flexibility in Leadership 13:07 The Need to Lead: Dedication and Personal Stories 16:58 The Realities of Teamwork in Combat and Business 21:03 Building Trust and Relationships in Teams 26:04 The Role of Humility in Effective Leadership 31:03 Understanding Ego and Humility 31:50 Subordinating Your Ego 33:38 Challenges of Teaching Humility 34:07 Personal Experiences with Ego 39:20 The Power of Ownership 42:57 Detachment as a Superpower 52:58 Advice for Young Leaders 57:26 Conclusion and Key Takeaways