Pickers 3: The Valley (6 page)

"I should be at the warehouse, guarding the wagons."

"Maxine and young Meunier were eager enough to do that, you should let them. We need to think about who is on our side and who is not." Julien had a bottle of spirit on the table between them, the less poisonous product of the distillery. He expected they would soon consume far too much of it.

"You didn't expect this sort of thing?" Remy poured himself a glass.

"We run a democracy here. What the majority says, goes. Usually. Catellin's the loudest opponent to what I've done the last few years. She plays dirty politics, but there has never been any threat of violence or law breaking."

"So you think this is a one time thing? A bit of disruption to scare us away or put a stop to the pick?"

"Let's put that down as one possibility and think about others. Catellin will grandstand her husband's injuries tomorrow. If we come up with a few scenarios, we can have plans for how to respond."

"Is this how you play politics? Playing out the possibilities like in those games you used to love?"

"This is how I play politics."

"Well, let's get started, then."

Maxine looked around the wagon door at the sound of knocking. Georges got an intriguing glimpse of bare shoulder as she pressed against the edge of the door. "Are they back?" she wanted to know.

"They'd not be so dumb." Georges drew his pistol as he walked toward the building's main doors.

"They might have brought friends. I'll get my big guns."

"Georges. We brought you food." said a woman from the other side of the doors. "You are in there, aren't you?"

"Of course I am Maman." Georges quickly holstered his pistol, and covered his face in embarrassment. "I'll let you in through the access door. The small one, on your right."

"It's your mother? I'm not dressed." Maxine disappeared into the wagon again.

Georges opened the access door set in the large main doors, to find his parents standing outside. His mother had a mischievous expression as she tried to look around him into the warehouse. His father's expression was apologetic. "We thought you would want to eat, if you're both staying overnight." His mother held up two tin boxes, his father had a bottle of wine.

"Come in, then. I know you want to be nosey." Georges stepped back to let his parents in.

They had set up one of the folding tables and a pair of chairs beside wagon one, and rolled out a self inflating mattress on the floor by wagon two. Georges steered his parents toward the table. His mother set down the boxes, and his father handed over the wine.

"Where is little Maxine?" Georges' mother asked, the innocent smile she tried to put on anything but.

"She's er...."

"Erm, bonjour Madame Meunier, Monsieur Meunier." Maxine stood by the corner of wagon one, looking ready to dart behind it and hide. The change in her appearance since she had gone into the vehicle was incredible. She had taken scissors and clippers to her hair, evening out the length and losing some of the larger spikes. But this was a minor change compared to the fact that she was wearing a dress.

It had been in a box that she had dug out earlier in the day, one of the previously lost treasures they had uncovered. Pale blue, with dark blue flowers printed on it, it had kept its colour all the years it had been missing. Maxine couldn't say whether she was taller than when she got it, but it was short, stopping significantly above her knees. She held her hands against the hem, keeping it in place lest she flash her underwear.

"Come here and give me a hug." Georges' mother said, doing most of the work of closing the gap to wrap Maxine in her embrace. "We have missed you here all these years. I mean, your uncle's a good man, bless him, but the town never felt right without his brother and his nieces."

Maxine caught a glance of Georges. He had gone from staring at her to casting an embarrassed, pleading look at his father. In response, he got a resigned shrug. The elder Meunier's impassive expression gave way to a little smile. He made a light cough. It was barely perceptible, but Georges' mother got the message.

"Well, we should leave you to your guard duty, shouldn't we. Maxine, cherie, you must come and visit us when you're not doing this."

"Oh, I shall. Thank you so much."

Georges trailed his parents across the floor to the door, and locked and bolted it when they had left. He turned to find Maxine had sat at the table and was going through one of the boxes of food. "Your mother is a little scary." she confided. "But lovely. Look at all this food."

There was bread and cheese, slices of smoked ham, a tub of his mother's prized venison pate, and a lot of new potato salad. As a picnic, it was quite a feast. "She's just excited that I'm spending the night with a woman." Georges said, immediately wishing he hadn't said something so stupid.

"She thinks something's going to happen?"

"I.... Oh, I hope not. That would just be...."

Maxine chose not to confuse Georges further by saying that she planned for something to happen. Why else would she put on a dress for the first time in years? She started taking food from the boxes and tried to make her next question as nonchalant as possible. "So, she doesn't like her son being single?"

"She doesn't come out and say it, but she worries I might never get round to giving her grandchildren. I am their only child. The only hope she and Papa have...."

"Oh. Whey would she worry about that?"

"I've..... It's not that I've never been.... interested. I mean.... it's just, I've always been more comfortable around old buildings and machines. And, well, every girl in the Valley I've known since we were children. There's nothing.... Unknown, about any of them. That's why the Scouts is so good for me. Old buildings, and machines, and the chance to meet new people."

"And fuck them." Maxine joked, hiding her cheeky grin when she saw how red Georges went. "You've.... Never?"

"No. Well, me and Amandine.... Played, a little. A long time ago. Before she got together with Lucas. And, well, no, no-one else." As if scared of the answer, Georges added, "You?"

"One guy, for a very short time. He was.... A horrible little shit, really. And two girls."

"You like girls?"

"And boys. I like boys more, I think, but girls seem to be more mature. It's always easier to get to the point quicker with them."

"I'm not saying there's anything wrong with girls.... Liking girls. Sarah prefers women. She and Justine are together, even though Justine's married to Fabien. They share a house, the three of them, I suppose it's more efficient." Georges was babbling, and proving Maxine's point. He would understand, soon enough.

"Let's eat. I'm starving." Maxine tore off a chunk of bread and released the lid from the jar of pate. "And we're going to need a lot of energy later."

"I think we wore him out." Veronique said, stroking Luke's hair until it was nearly neat, then checking the blanket was over his shoulders.

From downstairs, and along the landing, there were the sounds of the last of the orphans and foundlings being put to bed. When they had found out about the confrontation at the wagons, Tony and Veronique had volunteered to stay in the chalet, in case the antagonism toward outsiders extended to the youngsters. They had also read the blatant body language between Maxine and Georges, and found an excuse to get out of their way. A little rearranging had garnered them this small room in the chalet, with just enough space for them and the little boy everyone now accepted as theirs.

"We wore him out? It was a close run thing." Tony stretched, and held in a yawn. He was topless, and, in the half light of the setting sun, his muscle definition was highlighted as shadows. Veronique walked over to him, just to run her hands over his chest. "There best hadn't be any trouble tonight. If anyone wakes me, they're going to hear some language before I shoot them."

"Take your clothes off. You'll be even more scary if you're naked while you shout at them." Veronique's hand had dropped to the front of Tony's trousers, and now gently cupped him. Her other hand was releasing the buttons of the long nightshirt she wore.

"What if we wake the boy?" Tony's body wasn't showing the same uncertainty as his voice.

Veronique had released all the buttons, and now her shirt hung open at the front, a thin sliver of light showing the naked skin underneath. "We'll just have to be quiet." Both her hands moved to opening the front of Tony's trousers.

"I can manage that. I'm not so sure about you." Tony whispered. She kissed him for his cheek. He ran fingers up Veronique's thighs, opening the shirt.

"I'll just have to learn. Just because we're adopting Luke, doesn't mean I don't want to try to give him a little sister."

Veronique helped Tony out of his trousers, then pushed him back onto the bed. He stretched out as she shrugged out of the nightshirt and climbed on top of him. Holding his shaft almost daintily, she moved above him until she had him on target, then sank down his length. She bit her lip to keep from letting out a loud moan. With Tony supporting her weight, she started moving her hips up and down, but had to drop forward and kiss him hard to smother the sounds she wanted to make.

He may have lacked experience, but Georges had plenty of imagination.

They had had talked long after their meal was finished, until the light had faded. There was just enough illumination from the nearly settled sun for them to see each other's expressions and the desaturated details of the big room around them. Maxine reached under her chair and produced a solar lamp she had stashed there earlier. With a twist of the top, it lit up, and they blinked at its brightness.

Taking the lamp by its handle, Maxine stood and offered her other hand to Georges. He happily followed her across the room, until she stopped before the mattress. She looked over her shoulder, smiled and said, "Can you unzip this for me. I could do it myself, but I'd have to pull some strange shapes."

Georges managed to hide any nervous trembling as he unzipped Maxine's dress. He parted the flaps, but didn't push the dress from her shoulders straight away. Instead, he leant in to kiss the side of her neck then nibble her ear. She shivered, that was nice. Even nicer was when he ran fingers through her hair, teasing her scalp.

Maxine had thought she would be taking the lead, but now that he had seen the bare skin of her back and shoulders, Georges obviously had a plan. He ran a finger down her spine as far as the zip would allow, and she found herself making little movements, her hips swaying at his touch. With his other hand, he took the lantern from her. Moving around, he placed it at the head of the makeshift bed. Maxine dropped her dress to the floor and stepped out of it.

Georges turned to face Maxine, and found her smiling at him, arms crossed over her bare breasts. All she wore was the flimsy knickers she had found in the bunker. She had known there would come a special occasion for them. Georges' expression as his gaze travelled over her body was the finest compliment possible. He took her in his arms and they kissed as he lowered her to the mattress.

The kisses and teasing continued as Maxine stretched out on the mattress, wrists crossed as she held them over her head. Georges kissed across her collar bone, then down to her breasts, nibbling at the tight nipples. She reached up to him and helped pull the shirt over his head. He had strong arms, and great muscle definition across his shoulders. She squeezed it between her fingers as he moved down, kissing the dark skin of her flat belly. When he nuzzled at her through the lace of the knickers, she grasped his hair in her hands and held him in place.

In many, wonderful, ways, Georges made love like a woman. Kisses and caresses, and all the concentration on her erogenous zones to drive her crazy. It was glorious, but there was something more he could do for her. "Fuck me. I want you in me. Now."

Georges worked his way back up Maxine's body, faster than he went down. Somewhere along the line, he had pushed his trousers down to his knees. Their lips met. She reached down and pulled the fine material aside, just as the fat head of his cock pressed against her lips. She was excited, he had turned her on so much, and he slid easily into her. She wrapped her arms and legs around him and held him there.

There had been tears, and not all of them had been from Luke. He had, just the day before, started calling them Mama and Papa- more accurately, "Ma" and "Pap"- and then they had left him with Julien and Myriam as they headed out for who knew how long.

Knowing how good Luke was at hiding in the wagon, Tony and Veronique had made certain they could see him, sulking as Julien held him, when they set off from the warehouse. Urged on by his new great-uncle, he had made a desultory wave as the wagons started moving. They waved back, trying not to look sad.

They were led out of town by the Scout buggy, piloted by Sarah, with Justine in the gunner's position. Amandine and Lucas were in wagon one with Remy. Fabien was in the passenger seat of wagon two, whilst Veronique was sat back by the gun cabinet. She had maps arrayed on the table before her, and the screen and keyboard of one of her computers within easy reach. The full technology suite had been taken out of wagon one, but she had kept one machine aside for mapping and logging their trip. They had stripped the wagons of almost everything but weapons and basic comforts. Maxine's workshop had gone from the back of wagon two, just as the computer booth had been removed. They hadn't even brought either of the quads and their trailers, trusting the inventory, which said the vault had all the loading equipment they would need.

Small groups of townsfolk congregated on corners and on balconies to watch as they left. It was still early, and only so many people were enthusiastic enough to wish them luck as they set out. Fabien spotted people he knew and waved and saluted to them. "He owes me wine. Lots of wine. He'd probably be happy if we don't make it back." he said, deadpan, about one member of the crowd.

"We aim to disappoint him." Veronique replied.

They went from low buildings close to them on each side, to taller, larger ones, set further back and without twins across the road. Ahead, the tarmacked road curved to the left and headed downhill toward the river. The buggy flicked to the right and headed off the road onto a trail up toward a stand of trees. Despite the gravel and aggregate surface of the path, the buggy still raised dust as it sped up the hill.

Wagon one swung off the road and onto the track, rumbling up it after the buggy. "Into the wilds again." Tony said as he adjusted the power balance of the motors and turned the steering wheel.