Playing With Fire

by Adrienne Woods et al.

  "You are?" His eyes met mine and he wore a kind of hopeful smile.

  "I mean, Victor and I were looking for you."

  "Victor the android?"

  "Yes. He left Genitech and followed me, that day that I saw you in the lobby."

  Tyler laughed. "You really do have a way with machines."

  I smiled, but it faded fast. "There's something you have to see. Will you come to my house?"

  "Of course, but that sounds awfully ominous. You're not a serial killer, are you?"

  I chuckled. "Won't matter with your power, you can just convince me to stab myself instead."

  "Good point," he said, as we got off the bus.

  "My house is only a few blocks from here, if you don't mind walking."

  He nodded. "Lead the way."

  Now that I was so close to the sanctuary and comfort of my home, fatigue set in, and I realized just how exhausted that whole adventure had made me. I let out a yawn.

  "Please don't, if you start that, I'm liable to pass out," he said. "Haven't been sleeping that well."

  "New city? I guess Jersey takes some getting used to if you're from the south."

  He snickered. "That would be an understatement."

  "It's late, would you like to sleep at my place? I'd hate to see what kind of Uber driver you would get at this hour..."

  This time he yawned. "If you're sure it's all right."

  "I know this is going to sound a little insane, but I feel like I already know you."

  "It's not crazy, I feel that way too." He took hold of my hand, and a wave of peaceful warmth traveled the length of my body.

  A soft gasp escaped my lips.

  "You felt that too?" he whispered.

  Part of me wanted to run away, and part of me just wanted to enjoy the pleasure of his touch, the delightful possibility of a future with him. But he was enhanced. And I knew what happened the last time I had a relationship with someone enhanced.

  I reluctantly let go of his hand and motioned at my house in the distance. "It's just up there." Then I picked up the pace in hopes of avoiding an uncomfortable conversation with him. As much as I wanted him, it was simply too dangerous.

  Once we were inside, I showed him to the guest room, the one that Victor was using. I figured it would be best to leave Victor off until the morning—I was too tired to argue with him.

  "Good night, and thanks," Tyler said, as I left the room.

  I nodded. Then I went to my bedroom and collapsed on my bed. For the first time in a long while, sleep came immediately.

  Chapter 12

  In the morning, I awoke to find Tyler already up, with the smell of coffee lingering in the air.

  "I hope you don't mind," Tyler said, motioning to his cup. "Would you like some?"

  "Yes, that would be nice." I knew I left things off kinda weird with him last night. I had to talk to him, but I wasn't sure what to say. I bit my lip, trying to come up with something.

  "Oh no, I've seen that look before," he said, and handed me a cup. "It's usually followed by, 'It's not you, it's me...'"

  I laughed. "It's just, I didn't mean to be cold with you. I'm sorry."

  "I apologize if it was too forward of me." He took a deep breath and exhaled. "The last time we held hands, it was the most amazing feeling. I guess I got impatient."

  Held hands? "Do you mean when we shook hands, the day we met?"

  His eyes looked off to the side. "Yeah, uh, there's something I need to tell you."

  He looked up, making eye contact with me. "Please don't freak out or get angry with me..."

  I was sure it had to do with whatever I sensed he was holding back yesterday. But what could possibly get me angry?

  "Persuasion isn't my only power."

  Before my eyes, he shifted into the city water employee, Johnny.

  "What the hell?" I staggered back from him. Why would he go through all that trouble, unless to spy on me? Has he been following me the whole time?

  And then a disturbing thought replaced my paranoia. I knew how I got more than one power—it was inadvertently through sex with another enhanced. "Did you deliberately take someone else's power?"

  He shifted back into his regular Tyler form. "I got the powers by accident. This woman, she took advantage of me. I had no idea she could've killed me. But then I was the one who survived, and I got her powers."

  I walked out to my backyard, leaving him in the kitchen. I needed some fresh air, some time to clear my head.

  What he said was plausible, I didn't realize what was happening either, when I was with Pete. But to intentionally deceive me? How could that be justified?

  Some of the flowers from Mrs. Swanson's yard escaped into mine, and the pretty purple buds were a welcome addition to the boring nothingness of my yard. I had always wanted to get into gardening, or at the very least, hire a contractor to landscape my yard, but I just hadn't had the time.

  I felt a hand tentatively touch my shoulder. "Please believe me, when I say I could never purposefully hurt someone, just to gain a power. It's not worth it."

  "I do believe you," I said and turned to face him. "I had a similar experience—I didn't know how dangerous it was to be with someone else like me. I acquired his power to detect lies, and he... he died. Only a monster would knowingly do that."

  I sighed. "What I don't get is why you would masquerade around here as someone else."

  "I wasn't trying to spy on you, I swear." His cheeks began to blush. "The truth is, I just wanted to be around you. After we met in the park, I couldn't get you out of my head. It was driving me crazy, wondering if I would ever see you again. Then in the lobby at Genitech, I couldn't believe my luck."

  He half-smiled to himself. "I didn't want to take the chance that you'd think I was a creeper, stalking you at your house. So, I invented Johnny and came up with the ruse of testing your water."

  Tyler ran his fingers through his hair. "God, it sounds worse saying it out loud. I'm sorry...I, I'll just go now." He turned to leave, but I caught his arm.

  "No, it's okay. I mean, it's not okay to lie to me, but the rest, I get it." I looked down. "I thought it was weird, to feel that amazing calm, something I'd never felt before, with two different people." I took hold of his hand and closed my eyes, relishing in the sensation. "For this, I can understand it."

  His arms closed around me in an unexpected hug, and the sensation amplified. It was akin to the feeling of total relaxation after a deep meditation.

  "I've never felt this before, either. It's incredible," he whispered into my hair, which sent a chill down my spine. It was as if that little reaction acted as an on switch for me. I wanted nothing more than to kiss him.

  I opened my eyes and withdrew from his arms only enough to kiss his lips. It was soft, sweet at first. But I wanted more. I craved more. The smell of his body, the taste of his mouth, his unusual calming energy pulsing through me. He moaned as I slid my tongue inside his mouth.

  For a moment, I was lost in the delicious sensation of the kiss. I grew more and more turned on as his tongue probed deeper, kissing me with a kind of ferocity I'd never experienced, ever.

  But then the gravity of my actions set in. I broke off the kiss and stepped back.

  "We're enhanced," I said. "We can't."

  Tyler's eyes closed. "Right." He took some slower breaths, which lead me to believe he was as excited as I.

  I pushed my hair back from my face, trying to refocus. First thing I needed to do was get Victor back online.

  "Come on, let's wake up Victor."

  I thought I heard him mumble as he followed me inside, "Wow, you're just turning everyone on today."

  "What was that?" I said, smiling afterwards.

  "Nothing." He smiled back and grabbed his coffee on the way to the couch, where Victor still lay.

  He looked so peaceful, as if he were sleeping. I reached around to his back, feeling in between his shoulder blades, until I found the button deeply embedded beneath his skin
. I clicked it on.

  Victor booted in seconds, faster than before, which made me wonder if he were just in some kind of stasis, like a sleeping mode as opposed to completely off.

  He stood, and then turned his head towards me. "Why did you shut me down?"

  "I'm sorry, Victor. I couldn't risk Genitech capturing you."

  If I didn't know better, I'd think his feelings were hurt. His eyes seemed sad, or maybe just disappointed with me. "We discussed this. I need to keep you safe as well, Cass."

  "I made it back in one piece," I said. "With Tyler's help." I motioned to Tyler, who now sat on an adjacent chair. He appeared to be observing Victor.

  "You found him!" Victor smiled as he introduced himself to Tyler, and they shook hands. "I will play the videos for you."

  I recalled when I first met Victor, how I felt that calm all of a sudden. I looked at Tyler. "That's not even necessary, is it? You saw them the first time, didn't you?" The only conclusion I could draw was that he had the power to camouflage somehow. "Invisibility?"

  Tyler just stared at me, his mouth slightly opened. Then he finally spoke. "Yes. That woman I mentioned, she had two powers I acquired. How did you know I was there?"

  I found myself blushing. "I felt this calm out of nowhere. The same feeling from in the lobby, when I'd met you."

  "Ah. I see I won't be able to use either shapeshifting or invisibility around you." He smiled a warm smile, which set off a chain reaction of butterflies in my stomach.

  "Any other powers we should know about?" I asked.

  He laughed. "Nope, you know them all, now. I promise."

  Victor's gaze switched back and forth between Tyler and me. I wondered what he was thinking. Was that disapproval in his expression?

  Finally, he spoke. "So, you understand what we're up against?" he asked Tyler.

  Tyler nodded. "I suspected Genitech was in with the OCEI, but I didn't realize how much until I started spying on them. I have no doubt they manufactured the serum from the video."

  "What did you discover?" I asked.

  "The detection tool they're making, codenamed Holmes, is in the final testing stages. They plan to distribute it everywhere—hospitals, police stations, schools. It requires a small blood sample to determine if someone is enhanced."

  "Oh my God. I can only imagine what that will mean..." I said, fearing the worst. Humans seem to have a natural tendency to want everything, everyone to be the same. Differences simply aren't tolerated.

  "I know, it's scary," Tyler said. "But there's more."

  "PE-145?"

  "Exactly. From what I overheard Dr. Rhodes saying, it sounds like the serum. It's designed to neutralize powers permanently. They started testing on live human subjects." His gaze fell to the floor. "Not a single person has survived."

  "Fuck," I whispered.

  Victor suddenly stood. He appeared to be scanning the wall behind me. "We have visitors."

  "From Genitech?" I whispered. Which was probably silly, as they likely couldn't hear me from the outside.

  "I believe they're from OCEI," Victor said. "The two of you should leave, I'll hold them off."

  "Cass is safer with you," Tyler said, as he began to undress. "I'll stay and keep them occupied."

  He's getting naked? Now? Is that how he intends to occupy them?

  He took his shirt off, and his muscle definition was nothing short of beautiful. He must've noticed me gaping at him because he stopped. In two paces, he bridged the distance between us, and then kissed me. It was the passionate kind of kiss you see in movies, fevered and hurried yet still sheer perfection.

  When he suddenly turned invisible, I understood why he undressed—his clothes formed an outline of his body. Hard to be conspicuous like that.

  And then it occurred to me, every time I felt that calming sensation and I thought I was alone, he was there with me, naked. Wasn't sure how to feel about that, it was a strange combination of sexy and creepy. Mostly creepy.

  But I didn't have time to dwell on it. Tyler was totally undressed now, his clothes a pile on the floor. We didn't have time to discuss an alternate strategy—I would've preferred we all stay together. The sound of the lock being tampered with at the back of the house set my legs into motion.

  I grabbed my purse. My laptop was still in my car, which was parked a couple of blocks from Genitech, in a strip mall parking lot. If the car was still there.

  "There are intruders at the back and front of your house," Victor said emotionlessly, as if he were reading from a non-fiction book. "Our best escape route is through your bedroom window, then to the woods behind your house."

  "I'll make some noise, so they don't hear you escape," I heard Tyler say.

  "How will we find you again?" I asked, scanning the room. I felt an invisible hand enclose around mine and I was instantly calmed.

  "Let's meet in three hours," he replied. "At the place where we dropped off the car."

  "Okay," I agreed. I wanted to say a hundred things, but there wasn't any time. So, I simply said, "Please be safe."

  He squeezed my hand. "I'll make it back to you."

  The peaceful calm left me in a rush, and I knew Tyler had exited the room.

  Victor followed me to my bedroom. I closed the door behind us as quietly as possible. From the living room, I could hear the back door open. Then I heard what I guessed was the TV, the volume of a news broadcast growing loud enough to fill the entire house.

  I signaled to Victor to leave, and he soundlessly opened one of the windows. The distance to the ground was in jumping range, but I stumbled as I landed. Victor followed, and as he assisted me to my feet, we saw someone peer around the corner, from the front of the house.

  "I've got eyes on the android and the female," the man said, who appeared to be wearing a headset.

  I was about to make a run for it, when Victor scooped me in his arms and took off. The speed at which he ran was phenomenal—at least four times faster than I could've run. We were in the woods about the time the OCEI thugs made it to the back of the house. The trees whizzed by, and not a single misstep. Victor was able to compensate for the uneven ground with perfect precision. The technology within him was like an old familiar friend to comfort me. It was reassuring, being held by someone I knew to be infallible. Someone who couldn't hurt me, at least not in the way humans typically did. I felt completely safe in his arms.

  I wondered if Tyler was okay. With his power, it would be easy enough to leave undetected. At least I hoped that would be the case.

  The men still gave chase, but they were falling far behind.

  "Where shall we go next, Cass?" Victor asked.

  I considered it. We needed to get a cab from somewhere safe, so we could pick up my laptop.

  "To the deli," I said. "Where you were stalking me."

  "Understood," Victor said. "But I was not stalking you," he added in an offended tone.

  If we weren't literally fleeing for our lives, I would've laughed. I sighed, as the gravity of the situation set in. They know where I live. Will I ever be able to go back home?

  I had the worst feeling about it. Like there was no going back. That my life would forever be changed.

  We cleared the woods and returned to the quiet streets of the neighborhood. It was only a matter of minutes before Victor made it to the deli.

  He gently released me. A wave of disappointment washed over me—after being so close to all that complex technology within him, it felt empty to be separated. Almost like someone had yanked the covers off me in my warm bed.

  I walked in, followed by Victor.

  "Back already?" Mike said, from behind the counter. A friendly smile appeared on his face. "That's what I like to see!"

  I ran over to the counter, unsure how closely we were being followed.

  "Mike, I have a huge favor to ask you. Can we use your office for a bit?"

  "Of course, anything for you, Cass." His eyes grew serious. "You in some kind of trouble?"

&nbs
p; I nodded. "Bad people are after me. There's no time to explain, I don't know how close they are—"

  "Say no more," he said, and ushered both Victor and I into his small office in a back room behind the deli counter. "I'll let you know when it's clear."

  Mike shut the door on his way out, and I locked it after him.

  On the wall was a "Hang in There" kitten poster reprint, from a time before computers. I smiled, appreciating Mike even more.

  Victor's gaze was to the floor, and I wondered what he was thinking about.

  I kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you for saving me."

  "I am sorry they infiltrated your home." He looked down. "This is all my fault. If you hadn't met me, none of this would've happened."

  "Right, and then humanity would just be wiped out in a couple of weeks anyway. Home's no good to me if I'm dead." I took hold of his hand. "I'm glad I met you."

  He managed a small, bittersweet smile, but it faded fast. "They've arrived."

  I listened, and I could barely make out Mike's voice. I couldn't discern any of the words.

  "What are they saying?" I whispered.

  "They are providing a description of us and asking if he has seen us."

  I had no doubt Mike would cover for us. That's the thing about Jerseyans, when shit goes down, we stick together.

  "Mike is telling them he hasn't," he said. "Why would he do that? Why would he lie for us?"

  "I've been coming here a long time, Mike is a friend," I explained.

  "Do you have many friends, Cass?" Victor asked.

  I sighed, turning away from him. "No. I've... I've never been very comfortable around people."

  Victor's hands rested on my shoulders. "I know exactly what you mean. I thought Sylvia was my friend. But she only wants to use me."

  I turned to face him. "Humans are good at deception. I guess that's why I feel so comfortable with you."

  He looked off to the side. "Cass, I still don't know if—"

  I cut him off with a kiss. It was short and sweet, innocent. "You've been a great friend to me."

  He touched my face, tentatively at first. His hand was warm and gentle. I closed my eyes, feeling the steady hum of technology in his hands.