The World We Leave Behind: Six Months Later (Open)

Charlotte looked around the room.

"We get the details on the party and we plan a spider hit." Charlotte instructed the room.

Eddie described the place the gala would be held. It used to be a high dollar hotel down town but now the rebellion was holed up there. They were using it like a luxury barracks.

"They are still using brothels down town. I will lead a party of our spiders, and we will snatch Lovejoy and make sure a few of the rebel higher ups never leave that hotel again." Charlotte watched Vic to see how he was going to respond.
 
Vic began to feel as if he was watching some kind of alternate life or parallel universe. He was still getting used to the idea of his wife being the one in charge of a full-scale rebellion! The same wife who used to turn away from animal cruelty videos and who never picked up a gun before in her life! Yet not only was she in charge of it all but not she was also leading assaults?! The idea of her being in danger sent a bolt of worry and apprehension through him. She caught his eye and he froze unsure of what to say.

She was his commander know which meant that arguing with her would be a direct violation of the chain of command. It could also hurt her reputation with the others if they saw her husband arguing with her openly.

There was only one thing he really could do.

“I would like to come as well” He said stepping forward and catching her eye “I know her and I doubt she would be prepared to see me again.”

There was a general murmur of agreement but everyone deferred to her on the final yay or nay.
 
Charlotte flinched when Vic said he wanted to come along. Did he have any idea what the women in the raiding party would have to do to get in? She and the other members of the spider squad would be posing as prostitutes, and the men at rebellion HQ had very specific tastes. The scar below her breast was from a commander that enjoyed frightening women with knives after he slapped them around. His heart had stopped while he was resting up after a very raucous party.

The spiders did their work well, but they had to do it slowly and without detection. They infiltrated the parties, gathered intel, and often their assassinations didn't occur until hours, days or weeks later. They couldn't be too quick or they would be discovered and they would be killed or if they aroused suspicion they would never be allowed back into the parties and all would be lost.

Eddie chuckled. "I am not sure you want to the effects of this little squad that Charlotte has created." His smirk made Charlotte scowl.

"It is easy to joke about Eddie. But it works. And we have slowly been able to weed out some of the worst members of the power structure." Charlotte's cheeks were flame red. She wasn't proud of how she had done it, but she was proud of what she had done. Every single member of the rebellion that they took out meant more Americans were safe and they were one step closer to getting their country and their lives back.

"I will get in touch with our contact at the brothel and see how many of our women I can get into the party. Vic, I am going to need you and your raiding party to get rebellion uniforms and papers if you can. Perhaps, we can steal some weapons and supplies while we are there." Charlotte couldn't look Vic in the eye. She knew he wasn't going to like what she had done. He might even be ashamed of her.
 
There was something Vic as missing.

She shot him down referencing a specific squadron she called "The Spider". Whatever the squad was or did was unknown to him. There was nothing under that codename before he was taken. One of the soldiers the new one made a comment about the squads specific his wife quickly shut down. What was going on? What was this squad she was leading and why was he being pushed to the side?

He was given what was practically a grunt assignment but said nothing more. What could he say? His wife was now the commander and he couldn't sow dinsenion by actively arguing with her. This entire situation was strange a variable he wasnt expecting when he dreamed of coming back home.

"Of course Ma'am" He said his tone firm and professional as he nodded his head "I'll go see the doctor and get cleared for duty"

He turned moving out of the door and making his way to the makeshift clinic for an exam.
 
Charlotte went to her room. She opened the chest where she kept her get up for the spider assignments. She laid out the leather corset, and the skin tight pencil skirt. She sat on the edge of the bed and painted her face.

She wasn't sure how to explain it to Vic, but she would show him.

She dressed herself the way she would to seduce their enemy. She slid on fishnet stockings and high heels. She fastened herself into the corset and her tight skirt.

With precision she twisted and pinned up her hair. She put on her stiletto heels and waited for Vic. She knew he needed to see what she had become.
 
THIRTY MINUTES LATER

"thanks doc" He said closing the door to the clinic behind him. He moved down the halls rooting his shoulders and grimacing at some of the stiffness from his lingering injuries. The doctor had given him a clean bill of health (more or less) but cautioned him about doing anything to strenuous. Apparently being tortured for four months straight WASNT good for the body.

He made a beeline directly to the room he and his wife shared. He kept his head down as he moved as well not wanting to draw attention or get into a long winded conversation with anyone. He needed to speak to his wife to figure out what was going on and what this spider squad was. Judging by the look she gave him after that man spoke it wasn't good.

He stepped in and his step faltered as he starred at her. His eyes widened ever so slightly as he took her in from her makeup to her stocking and heels. At first he thought this was something for them a call back to the old intimacy they used to have when she would "dress up" for him.

Then it connected

"Don't" He said his tone soft as she began to speak.

"This is your spider squad isn't it?" He said his tone soft as he starred at her his expression unreadable.
 
He understood almost as soon as he stepped inside the door. She could feel the shame darken the flush of her cheeks and she found herself staring at the floor. She nodded and blinked hard trying to fight her tears.

How could she ever explain what she had done? Who she had become? She had been so alone in the world when he had been captured. And then that horrible night when she lost everything else.

"On the first spider mission, I was able to poison a leader in the rebellion. One of our doctors gave me heart medication to give to him.... it looked like a heart attack. I was able to steal all sorts of intel and no one suspected a thing. They thought I was just a terrified whore..... they didn't even question me."

Charlotte's heart was racing.

"We were able to find out where they were planning to attack, what assets they had in place. That is how we found your location. It is easy to get these men to brag. "

Charlotte's voice broke and she covered her face, willing herself not to cry.

"I had to do something....first they took you, and then when I was alone....a group of them cornered me, and...." She swallowed the rest of that story. It was too raw.

"I had to do something, Vic." She whispered.
 
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