"Corrie." Shyla smiled, and sat down on the bed.  Coral slowly opened her eyes.

"Shy."  Her eyes misted up.  "I've missed you."  Shyla smiled, laid down beside her, and slid her hand over Coral's belly.  She heard her suck in her breath, then murmur softly.

"I missed you too." Shyla whispered softly in her ear.  "Are you and mom okay?"  Coral nodded.

"She misses you, but she won't tell me why you stay away."  Coral smiled, and edged closer, her fingers played with the edge of her waistband.

"It's necessary, for now.  I'll visit when I can, but I need to take care of some things.  I'll visit a lot, but it may be a few years, baby."

"Are you alright?"  Coral asked her worriedly.  She knew that Shyla's mentor was recently killed, but that hadn't stopped her or slowed her down.  Shyla smiled and murmured softly.

"Yes.  It will take a while, but I'll come home when I am sure things will not go to hell if I am around."  She kissed Coral on the cheek, then laid her lips fully on hers and slid her tongue into her mouth.  No matter what Shyla said, Coral knew that she was thinking about her at this moment.

"Shy?"  Coral looked up into her eyes, her own foggy with desire.

"I've missed this.  Missed the taste of your lips, baby.  Don't worry.  We've helped each other since we started puberty.  The others are who we want.  You are my sister, and who I need."  Coral grinned, bit her bottom lip, then found her lips covered again.

Shyla heard a soft chuckle inside her mind after her sister fell asleep.  She mentally stroked the one who could not interfere, or join in.

'I'm only watching, boss.  Like always.'  Tandy's voice inside her mind was gentle, and not jealous.  If anything, it held fascination in her mental tone.  Shyla decided to ignore the fact that she watched her interactions with her sister.

'It's what sisters are for, Tandy.  To help.  I'll be there in an hour.  Any movements?'

'None, boss.  The club has had all its assets turned, they are desperate, and laying low.  They feel the eyes on them.  The President of the DT club is ready to move any time that you give the word.  Your gang of girls is not yet missed on the stage, and that cop is with the homeless group.  She hopes to slip into another gang in the future.'  Shyla could hear Tandy's slight growl.  She hated disloyal people.

'We'll take care of the first issue.  Send word.  The club is on the brink, members are jumping ship to other houses, and their assets are ready to be managed.  Half of the assets will go to the one who makes the killing blow, while the other half are reserved for the girls.'  Shyla had been thorough.  She flipped every street hustler and dealer, moved them into a different area temporarily, and set them up with additional sources and connections.  Their loyalty had been gained, while the club who took a cut now lost out on a source of income.  It was bleeding profusely.

'Word has been sent, baby.  The President has sent word to his men and they will be on the move tonight.  Are you going to watch?'

'I'll watch from the rooftop across the street, and have a light on them, just in case.  When all members are cleared, get them to retreat.  The club will be taken over in the next few days.  Tell the DT club to put some debris, papers, pallets, that kind of thing.  I want the girls to occupy it within the next few months, but want it to look abandoned for years.  How are their implants?'

'The data is clean, and no anomalies detected.  They've adapted nicely to the new hardware, could take a bat to the head and still get up to fight.  Their loyalty conditioning has already taken effect, and they are a closer knit group because of it.'  Tandy was impressed.  Her baby had managed to operate on seven different patients, replace their skulls and facial bones with a titanium alloy, and set up a computer interface that would allow them to enhance the gang members in the future.  She did it in one weekend, and all of them were now in recovery.  All were fully sedated, with their pain receptors turned off so they wouldn't endure the agony associated with such an operation.

Shyla smiled as Tandy accessed the data at a faster speed.  Since she stabilized, and had her own implants put in, she's adapted to the new processing speeds, and access to the data much better than expected.  She's not even aware of her minor upgrades yet.

'And the memory we planted?'

'They will recall it when you get them to do that little job.  You did beat them down, so that part will feel more real than the other one.  And you didn't break their spirit, like in the memory.  I wonder if that went too far, baby.'

'No, they need to believe that I am the Alpha, and though I have to be the person I am, they need to know that I care for them.  I don't just want their loyalty.'  She heard Tandy chuckle.

'I know.  You want those fine asses you saw when you did the operations.  You have an incredible amount of self control, baby.  If I was attracted to them as you are, I would have banged those asses while they were on my table.  Or maybe I would have, way back before you.  Hm, did you put the loyalty conditioning in my brain, baby?'  Tandy asked softly, but already knew the answer.

'No.  You are who you are.  I've repaired the damage, and helped you to digitize the traumas, but I didn't change the person you are.'

'In other words, I am not who I once was, and haven't been for a long time.  You are a corrupting influence, baby.'

Shyla sent her an image of herself on the operating table, ass up, face down, and the machine removing her skull bone.  She immediately felt an emotional response from the one who was once so inhuman, she could dissect anyone no matter their age, or gender.  She once would have felt fascination, and watched eagerly.  Now, she felt a sadness that penetrated deep into her mind.

'You are my unaltered doctor.  Pure, and unchanged.  I couldn't take the chance that I would change who you are, and how you felt about me.  Or how I felt about you.'

"I didn't think you would come to see me tonight."

"You're my mom."  Shyla slid her hand over her mother's belly and heard her sigh.

"I missed you, baby."  Connie waited and felt the girl slide closer.

"It can't be helped, mom.  He's watching, and you didn't take care of him when we were born."  She sighed sadly.

"He's my father, baby.  I couldn't."

"He needed you to, mom."  Connie slid her hand along Shyla's arm.

"Does it hurt?"

"It's healed."  She noted that her daughter didn't answer the question directly.

"How much of you is left?"

"The important parts.  Some are more enhanced."  Connie sucked in her breath as her fingers danced.

"I see.  What about us?"

"When he's taken care of, and she can make up her own mind.  You'll have to wait for her."  Shyla said firmly.  Connie sighed.

"Alright.  Will you still...mmmphhhff!"  Shyla sealed her mouth closed with her own.  When she lifted her lips, she could barely breathe.  "You're more aggressive now."

"It's my real nature.  Keep Corrie homeschooled from now on.  Train her hard during school hours.  She can't be a peach in the future."  Then Shyla didn't let her speak as she sealed her mouth closed again and forced her to acknowledge her as the Alpha.  When she left, Connie was left on her bed, dazed, and confused.

"When did her personality become so driven and focused?"  Connie said softly.  Coral rolled her eyes from the doorway and went back to bed.

"She was always that way, mom, but now I'll have to share her with you at every visit!"

'It's done.  The club has been eliminated.'  The satisfaction in Tandy's tone was easy to hear.  Whenever one of Shyla's plans succeeded fully, she was quite proud.  Not only that, two members of the team who executed her were in that club.

'Send the payment to the DT, and the warning to the other clubs.  Make sure they keep their members under control, or there will be additional collateral damages.'  Shyla swept through some data.  'How is Jill?'

'Done.  Still recovering.  No anomalies.  Are you sure about the hotel?'

'It's a good front.  Not on grandfather's radar yet.  A good place to keep the labs, and since I use alternative entrances and exits, it won't be on his radar until I allow it to be.'  Tandy pursed her lips mentally.

'He's smart, baby.  He'll figure it out eventually, and the government systems aren't as advanced as his.  Also, in regards to the gang, is it time, baby?'

'It's getting colder, but it's not yet time to release the girls.  They aren't fully healed yet.'

'Understood.  A crew will set up cameras, and furniture for all the members, and they will leave the heat on low.  It's been a month.  How long do you want to keep them?'

'The winter.  None of them can afford an infection,  or damage from a fight yet.  Sort through their memories, find out what they did last year, and set up a simulation.  Keep it half interactive, and half memory based.  They will live out the winter in their memories, be fed, and their bodies kept warm.'

'And will you sleep with her tonight?'

Shyla grumbled.  She knew who Tandy meant.  The one she was fascinated with, Mer, who resembled a slightly butch marine from an old movie, and with her Mexican heritage, she was more than attractive.  However, to the world around them, she was fierce, angry, and sadistic.  She showed no feminine qualities to that world, but to Shyla, she could see beneath that surface.

'I don't fuck corpses, Tandy.' She knew Tandy was a little bit jealous.

'But you do cuddle with her, baby.  She's going to recognize your touch later.  It will be imprinted on her like another overlying memory, and you won't be able to suppress it, or erase it.  It's on the subconscious.'  Shyla could hear some concern as well.

'Thoughts?'

'I don't know.  It's all new, right?'  Tandy sighed softly, then refocused.  'As to the club, the basics, right?'

'It will allow them to work and earn what they need, and not feel like they were given a life of luxury.  Do you have enough remote access?'

'Yes.  The account has been topped up as well.  More than enough.  Should I also get someone to reinforce the windows and doors?'

'Yes.  They need to feel safe.  I know you understand that feeling.  I'll be back soon.'

'You don't sleep enough, baby.  I am worried about you.'  Tandy said softly as she left.