by Dena Christy
"Do you want him to find you?"
"No. Just get a message to me if anyone like him comes snooping around."
"Of course." The man waved his hand toward the menu posted on the side of the stall. "What do you want to eat?"
"Surprise us. Just make sure it's enough to feed my big friend here."
The proprietor looked at Rone before turning away to prepare food for them. Rone took Cheria aside and spoke to her quietly.
"Are you sure it is wise for you to be letting people who know you see you?"
"I have known Wes for a long time. We grew up on these streets together and I was the one who gave him a loan to start his business here. If our friend shows up here looking for us, we need to know. And while everyone here is friendly to strangers because of their livelihood demands it, the neighborhood looks out for its own."
He would have to trust her judgment on this, since she knew this place better than he did. It would be a help to them to have a warning system in place on the remote chance that the android somehow connected this place with Cheria.
"Here you go." Wes put a big, paper bag on the counter and Cheria went forward to retrieve it.
"How much do I owe you?"
"Nothing. Enjoy and I'll see you around." Wes turned away to serve his next customer.
Cheria led the way down the street, and turned down a street that fed off the main thoroughfare. The street was much and there was very little activity, which seemed strange after the bustle of where they had just come from.
There was a row of tall, skinny houses all connected to each other that lined up on one side of the street. There was one that stood out from the rest since it had a bright blue door and Cheria went up its steps. There was an old fashioned lock on the door, one that had a mechanical key pad but no slot to swipe a key card.
Cheria entered a four digit number on the key pad and there was a faint grinding sound as the lock disengaged. She opened the door and they walked in the house.
"Well, here it is. Just set the bags down and we'll take them upstairs after we eat."
Rone did as she asked and followed her down toward the back of the house. On his right there was a narrow staircase that led to the upper floor, and to his left was a small furnished room that had several comfortable looking chairs, a sofa, and a very small, older view screen looking mounted on the wall.
The contrast between this home and the one he'd first found Cheria in was startling. The furniture was brightly colored and mismatched, the walls were the same white color as her other home but it seemed warmer somehow. Despite this place's shabbier appearance, it looked like someone had made an effort to make it feel like a home.
"How long has it been since you left here?" Rone asked as he followed Cheria into the small kitchen. She set the bag of food on the small metal table that had two chairs with it. The chairs did not match the table or each other. Rone picked the bigger one, and tentatively put his weight on it. It was stronger than it looked, and bore his weight without protest.
"I haven't been in here since I left Tusko M'Kedi. This is the first place I bought. It was the first place that I could have all to myself and it took me several years to be able to save enough to buy it."
"Why didn't you sell it when you left?"
She looked thoughtful for a moment. "I thought about it, but I just couldn't let it go. It was my back up plan, I guess. In case things didn't go well in Tari A'Veloo I'd have a place to come back to. And as my life moved forward there, I didn't bother doing anything with it. I just arranged for Wes' mother to come in once a month to check on it and clean it." She reached into the bags and pulled out several containers of food and placed them on the table. "Good thing I didn't sell it, since its given us a place to hide."
She turned and went to the shelves along one wall, where there were some dishes stored. She brought over two plates, along with some cutlery while Rone opened the food containers and closed his eyes at the wonderful smell of meat, vegetables and spices.
He opened his eyes to see Cheria smiling at him.
"It tastes even better than it smells. And I'll let you in on a little secret. It tastes so good because Wes uses real meat."
"How is he able to do that?" On this planet meat was very expensive and most people here had to settle for synthetic meat made from plant sources. Rone had eaten it because it was what was available, but there was something odd about it, as if the taste and texture were close but not quite the same.
"I never asked. One thing about this neighborhood is that people are a bit flexible when it comes to the law."
Which meant that the meat was somehow stolen. Rone shrugged his shoulders as he took a bite. Flavor exploded in his mouth and his empty stomach cried out for more. It didn't matter where the meat had come from, he hadn't tasted anything this delicious in all the time he'd been on this planet.
They ate in silence and once they were finished there was not a single scrap of food left. Cheria took a few moments to tidy up and when she finished she let out a big yawn.
"Time for a nap, I think. It will be nice to sleep in a bed after all that traveling." She smiled at him and he stood up. She led the way back to the front of the house, made sure the door was locked and went up the stairs.
Rone picked up their bags and followed her up the narrow stairs that creaked under his feet but seemed solidly built. She led him into the bedroom and while the bed was much smaller than the one they'd shared at Landis' home, it would still fit the two of them of they pressed together while they slept.
He set the bags on the floor and pulled her into his arms. Finally they were done running for now, and it was only the two of them in this quiet, little home.
He bent to kiss the side of her neck before he brought his mouth up against the shell of her ear. She shivered against him, and the hunger for her that had been dormant inside him during their trip here flared to life.
"Are you too tire to postpone your rest for a while?" He knew that sleep would elude him if he had to lay snuggled up close to her in the bed if he did not make love with her first. But he would make the best of it if she told him that sleep and not sex was what she needed.
"I'm not that tired." She put her arms around his neck and kissed him. They sank down on the bed together and it was a long time before either of them got any sleep.
Chapter 19
Cheria opened her eyes the next morning and snuggled deeper into Rone's arms. When she'd first bought this bed it had seemed enormous after spending most of her life sleeping on the narrowest of beds, meant for only one person. She could remember sprawling out on it when she'd first set it up here. The bed seemed to shrink considerably now that Rone was sharing it with her.
They'd have to get something much closer in size to the one in his home if they stayed together.
The smile faded from her face. Where had that thought come from? Never before had she ever thought that she would spend her life with someone. She hadn't really wanted to. But as she tested the notion of waking up with Rone far into the future, she found it rather pleasing.
She eased away from him and there was a rumble coming from his chest as his arm fell away, but he did not waken. Before she could think about spending her future with him, they needed to unravel the mess they were in. The key to that rested with Landis, which reminded her that she needed to send him a message that they were now safely hiding in Tusko M'Kedi.
She took a change of clothes into the bathroom with her so she would not disturb Rone while getting ready for the day. Once she'd showered and changed, she glanced back into the bedroom and smiled when she saw he'd rolled onto his back and had taken over the entire bed.
On quiet feet she went down the stairs and picked up the computer case from where she'd left it in the hallway near the front door.
She carried it back to the kitchen and unpacked it from the case and spent a few moments setting it up. Once it was set up, including the signal blocker that Landis had given her, she went in
to her message program and was shocked to see how many messages she'd received from Remy. They still kept in touch since she'd left Tusko M'Kedi, so it wasn't that surprise that he'd sent messages. But it wasn't usually as frequent as the number of messages currently sitting, waiting to be read would suggest.
She quickly send a message to Landis to let him know that she and Rone were safe. Within a few moments of her sending it, she received two messages back. One from Landis and another from Remy. She sighed and opened the one from Landis first.
Glad to hear that you and Rone are safe. Cale and I are safe as well and I'm hard at work on the encryption. It's quite cleverly set up but I am confident that I'll be able to crack it. Once it's done I will arrange a video conference with you and Rone to tell you what I've managed to learn.
-Landis
She closed his message and looked at the one from Remy. He'd been trying to get in touch her for days it would seem. While she now thought Rone was right, that the less people they involved in this the safer it would be for everyone, she could not ignore his messages. Remy had been the closest thing she'd had to family for a long time and she could not ignore him when something was obviously wrong.
She opened the latest message from him and scanned the contents.
Cheria please talk to me. I've sent message after message and have received no reply. I've seen news reports about a woman named Juno Moneta who looks remarkably like you and I'm worried. Please talk to me.
-Remy
A frown wrinkled Cheria's brow. So Remy had seen the news reports and was concerned. He would know that she was innocent of murdering anyone, but would assume that she was in some sort of trouble. For a brief moment she thought about not responding to him. But she put herself in his place, and when she thought about what it would be like for him to be worried for her and to not hear anything back to his frantic messages, she knew that she could not let him continue to believe the worst.
She didn't have to tell him exactly what was going on, because until they knew who was behind all this she didn't want to take a chance of endangering him. But she could talk to him, let him see that she was alive and well.
She clicked on the mouth icon, put in Remy's call ID and waited for the call to go through. Remy was frowning when he appeared on the screen and she was taken aback for a second by how he'd seemed to have aged. The last time she'd spoken to him he'd seemed the same as ever, but now it was like something had aged him overnight, causing deep lines to appear on his face. Had he really been that worried about her?
"Hello Remy."
She could see relief come over his face.
"Thank goodness you’re alive. I've been worried sick about you. Why haven't you replied to any of my messages?"
"I have been out of contact with the outside world for a few days. I want you to know that whatever you've heard or seen in news reports about me are not true. I have had nothing to do with any murders."
He scowled for a second. "Of course I know they aren't true. As if you would murder anyone. I have to say that I am not surprised someone murdered Xander. I cannot think of anyone more deserving of it."
Remy had never made it a secret that he thought that she could do so much better than Xander for a handler. He'd recommended several to her but she'd decided to forge ahead on her own once she'd left Remy when he'd retired.
"No one deserves to die, Remy." Being hunted by a killer had certainly given her a new perspective on the value of life.
Remy waved away what she'd said. "Never mind what I said about him. Please, tell me where you are and I'll come collect you."
"No. It's better if you aren't involved in this right now. I just called to tell you that I'm safe and you don't need to worry."
"Don't need to worry? Of course I worry about you. You're my little Cheria, the closest thing I have to a daughter. I have been out of my mind for the past few days wondering if you were dead or alive. Now stop this silliness about not involving me and tell me where you are."
His voice had taken on a commanding tone, one she'd never heard from him before. She almost told him, but didn't. The machine hunting them was proving to be clever, and she in no way wanted it to make a connection between Remy and her. It would devastate her if something happened to him because she'd been foolish enough to involve him.
"I'm safe and that's all that matters. I will get in touch with you if I need help, but for now please don't worry about me. I'm fine and I'll continue to be fine."
A look of anger crossed his face for a second, and she wondered at it. Remy was usually not this persistent. Had his worry for her been that transformative for him?
His face smoothed out and he seemed to regain control of himself.
"I can help you. I can keep you safe. I have resources available to me so if you are concerned that you will bring danger to me, don't be."
He was not going to let his go. He would insist that she tell him where she was. Calling him had not been a good idea, a simple message would have been better.
"I'm safe and will contact you soon. Bye Remy."
"Cheria wait—“
The screen went blank as she clicked the red X in the corner of the display. She folded down the lid of the computer and frowned. She hated ending the call like that, but she'd had to do it. He would have browbeaten the information out of her and she couldn't let him do that.
The stairs creaked and she stood up and went to the doorway of the kitchen. Rone turned his head and saw her. A smile spread across his face, and her breath caught in her chest. He was attractive when his face was neutral, but his smile and the warmth in his silver eyes transformed him.
He turned and walked toward her.
"I missed waking up with you by my side this morning, woman." He put his hands on her waist and pulled her toward him. He dipped his head down and kissed her tenderly. When he pulled back, she tilted her head back so she could look up at him.
"You looked so peaceful that I thought I'd let you sleep. I sent a message to Landis, letting him know that we made it here in one piece."
She moved away and stepped back into the kitchen. Her stomach reminded her that she hadn't eaten since yesterday, and if she was hungry she was willing to guess that someone as big as Rone would be starving by now. If they were going to be staying here they would need to get some provisions.
"I thought I heard voices when I was upstairs. What did Landis have to say? Is he close to breaking the encryption?"
"I wasn't talking to Landis. I received a message back from him and he is working on the encryption and is confident that he will be able to break it. It's just going to take some time."
The smile faded from his face. "Who were you talking to if not Landis?"
"I called Remy." She held up her hand as he crossed his arms over his massive chest. "Before you say anything, you should know that I didn't tell him where we are. I agree with you that the less people involved in this the better. I only called him because he seemed quite frantic with the messages that he'd been sending and I had to reassure him that I was still alive and well."
He seemed to relax a little. "It is for the best that you didn't involved him."
"I know." She moved toward him and put her hand on his arm. He wasn't going to like what she had to say next, but she hoped that perhaps she could soften it by being casual and having a bright smile on her face. "We have nothing here to eat so I'm going to go out for a little while and get some supplies. Is there anything you'd like me to get for you while I'm out?"
A scowl descended on his face and as she'd predicted, she knew that he didn't like the notion of her going out by herself at all.
"I will come with you. Just allow me to shower and we'll go."
She shook her head. "If he is hunting for us, he will be looking for us as a pair. I'll be more conspicuous with you than I will without you. I know this neighborhood well and It won't take me long to get what we need. I'll blend in a lot better by myself. Plus I doubt he's made it to Tusko M
'Kedi yet even if he's figured out that we've come here. I promise I'll be careful."
It wasn't that she didn't want his company, but if they were going to be in this house for a while they needed supplies and if she was honest with herself she needed a little time to herself, to think. Her thoughts would be centered on him and what would happen with them once the mess they were in was over.
He seemed to consider her words and didn't appear to be any happier about the notion that she was going out by herself.
"I want your word that if you feel at all threatened you will come back here immediately."
"I promise."
She moved to walk by him and he reached out and took her arm in a gentle grasp.
"Take the stun gun with you."
"I can do that." Although she didn't think anything was going to happen to her here, it would be wise to take precautions. "Anything else?"
He pulled her closer to him and wrapped his arms around her.
"Yes, come back to me unharmed, woman." He brought his mouth crashing down on hers and the ferocity of his kiss knocked the breath from her.
She was certainly going to have a lot to think about while she was out. Like how she craved his touch and his kiss and couldn't think of her life now without him in it.
* * *
Rone came downstairs after his shower and looked at the clock for what had to be the hundredth time since Cheria had walked out the door. It had taken her five minutes to get out of there since he'd stopped her for a kiss or to touch her every few moments before she could walk out the door. It had gone against his very nature to let her go off by herself, especially knowing that there was someone after her.
With a hat pulled low on her head she'd walked out the door and he'd paced around the lower floor of the house like a caged animal. It was only the knowledge that she was right, that his presence by her side would only draw attention to her that kept him in the house. They needed the supplies and she knew the neighborhood much better than he did. But that didn't stop him from feeling the need to protect her claw at his insides. She was his woman, his to protect. If anything happened to her, he felt certain that he would rip this planet apart to find the creature who'd hurt her.
