by S. E. Smith
“Me too. Otherwise Avery would kick all of our asses,” Rose joked in a trembling voice.
“Come on. Let’s go get some hot chocolate and dessert. This calls for a celebration. Runt, you coming?” Maria asked.
Runt shook her head. “I’m good,” she replied.
“Okay. If you need anything, give us a ring,” Maria said.
Runt watched the two women walk out of the elegant office. The space felt more like a living room than an office, but it was the computer that made Runt feel at home. Her fingers moved to the mouse as the door closed behind the women, and she clicked open her previous screen. Her eyes widened when she felt her headphones buzz around her neck. The hacker she’d been monitoring had gotten a hit. She pulled them on.
Doughboy, aka the twenty-three-year-old who worked at a security firm in the Philippines, was a halfway decent hacker, moonlighting as a digital thief, fence, and illegal investigator. RITA had flagged Doughboy recently when he was contacted using a number she had identified as belonging to Weston Wright, but Runt had been following him long before she joined Cosmos’ team. They’d had a few online run-ins a while ago, nothing major, but when he started getting a rep as the guy to go to if you needed a good fake id or info on someone, she’d started monitoring who he was working for and what he was doing for them.
Runt looked over her shoulder to make sure the door was closed all the way, then she looked back at the screen, swallowed, and intercepted the call. It was coming from the States.
“Name?” she answered.
There was a pause on the other end. For a second, she thought the guy was going to hang up. She wouldn’t have blamed him. She obviously wasn’t the person he’d been expecting.
“I need information on Avery Lennox, Head of Security for Cosmos Raines Industries,” the man replied.
A shiver ran through Runt. This was Karl Markham. She would bet her computer on it. She recognized his voice from the video feeds—and the restaurant when he’d placed his order with the waitress. She bit her lip before responding.
“One hundred bitcoins,” she stated, clenching her fingers around the mouse as she recorded their conversation.
She listened with growing apprehension as he agreed. She needed to warn Avery about Markham’s investigation. The man had almost killed Trudy already; obviously he was dangerous.
Runt responded to Markham before disconnecting the call. She bowed her head and pursed her lips. She shouldn’t have made that last comment. Who cared if the guy smoked? She hoped it did kill him!
“The call came from Oregon,” RITA suddenly said.
Runt sat back in her seat and looked at the screen. In front of her was a map of the world with thousands of dots flickering.
She pulled a Ziploc bag out of her pocket, opened it, and set it on the desk next to her, absently pulling out a carrot stick to nibble on while she studied the monitor.
She had been looking into Markham for a while, but nothing so far had been helpful to pin down his home base. “He likes expensive cigars. That brand costs over eighteen grand a box. That will help us. Pull up the shipping logs of those suppliers,” Runt instructed.
“Unless he is using the black-market or purchasing through an undisclosed retailer. I swear some of the older companies still use paper ledgers to do all their transactions. What do you want to do about Markham’s request? Should I alert Avery?” RITA added.
Runt’s fingers were already flying over the keyboard. She pulled up all the easy-to-find photos and information on Avery. Then she began creating a fictitious persona for her new boss.
“We give him want he wants—sort of. Does Avery look like she would carry a Coach purse?” Runt asked.
Runt looked up as RITA appeared, and reluctantly smiled when she noticed the AI had styled her hair and clothes remarkably like Avery’s. Runt returned her attention to the computer screen.
“No, she wouldn’t carry a purse,” she muttered, answering her own question.
“Well, you don’t want it to be too much like her. Let’s say she attended Harvard Law School,” RITA suggested, contributing the necessary documentation.
Runt’s expression turned skeptical. “Law School? Are you kidding? She’s the Chief of Security. She would have attended MIT or some fancy school like that, not Harvard,” she scoffed.
“Mm, perhaps you’re right. How about Harvard for Law and MIT for Computer Information and Cybersecurity? This way we have everything covered,” RITA agreed, waving a hand at Runt’s computer.
Runt giggled when the screen flickered and all the data changed. Within ten minutes, she had a full history created and spread throughout the web. Runt read through the official documents RITA had helped her create.
“I wish her life had been so simple,” RITA said with a sigh. “You and Avery have a lot more in common than you realize, Amelia.”
Runt shivered and pulled the sleeves of her tattered green sweater down until only the tips of her fingers were visible. She didn’t reply. Her past was better kept hidden as well. When enough people wanted you dead, covering your tracks became pretty important.
Her palm tingled. She turned her hand over to look at the intricate design. It was growing more defined every day.
“RITA,” she murmured.
“Yes, Amelia,” RITA replied.
Runt looked up at the hologram with haunted eyes. “I don’t want to be anyone’s bond mate,” she whispered.
RITA’s softly glowing eyes gazed down at her compassionately. RITA was the closest thing to family that Runt had now. Sure Maria, Trudy, and Rose tried to make her feel like part of the team, but she couldn’t relate to the other women. They teased each other and liked to go out. She preferred the quiet of the night, the hum of a computer, and the language of code.
Runt blinked in surprise when she felt her hair move. Her mouth dropped open when she realized that she could feel RITA’s hand brushing the short, dark strands of her hair back from her cheek.
“FRED and I have been working on electrical pulses. It allows me to physically move things. Unfortunately, it is also very draining.” RITA sighed with regret when her holographic form dimmed. “I don’t think you’ll have much choice, honey. These aliens have the whole mating thing down pat. It might be good for you, though. They are very protective, and they don’t appear to have the incompatibility issues that humans have. If it is any consolation, you’ve got Derik tied up in complicated knots so tight, a veteran Navy man would be proud to have you on board his battleship.”
“You’re not helping,” Runt scowled.
She wiggled her nose when RITA faded. She knew the AI was still there. RITA was always available if there was a device connected to the internet.
Runt looked back at the information she had provided. It was at least as thorough as the info Doughboy usually gave his clients. The guy was good, but not really better than the average self-taught programmer. She had slipped into his system through weak code that he should have cleaned up right away.
Markham on the other hand was a piece of work. He was smart. He didn’t keep any electronics that weren’t encrypted with some of the most current code out there. He also only had a few regulars. He wouldn’t be using Doughboy again after she was done with the jerk.
Runt waited until Markham’s bitcoins were ready for release. Leaning forward, she clicked send and watched the exchange. Her fingers flew over the keyboard and a moment later the funds were transferred as a donation to a homeless shelter in New York. Their accountant would be having a heart attack when he or she came in the next morning.
Rising from her chair, she typed in a script that erased all trace of her transaction in Doughboy’s account. Hopefully Markham wouldn’t feel like going to the slums of the Philippines to find the hacker who had taken a nice chunk of change for fake information.
“Where are you going, love?” RITA asked.
Runt paused at the door to the office. “I wanted to let Rose and Maria know about Markham,”
she said.
“I’ll ask my sis to pass on the information to Avery,” RITA replied.
“Sounds good,” Runt replied.
She pulled the door open and stepped out into the hall. After she let Rose and Maria know about the call, Runt would start planning her disappearance. She wasn’t going to stick around to become some alien’s property. She’d already dealt with one person who had thought of her that way.
14
Avery stood on the open deck that looked out over the water. They had returned to Core’s home over an hour ago. It was late—or early depending on how you looked at the time. She had slipped outside while Core talked with Merrick about the council meeting tomorrow.
After everything that had happened in the last few months, she would be surprised if they didn’t ban all Gateway technology. It should be obvious by now that humans were much more trouble than they were worth.
Absolutely not! We are warriors first! Core’s thoughts came through loud and clear.
If Avery hadn’t given up rolling her eyes when she was thirteen—well, except for the very rare occasion when she forgot—she would have done it now. Instead, she wrapped her arms around her waist and stared out over the moon-drenched water.
Our people need the Gateway, he continued.
Aren’t you in a meeting to prepare for a meeting? Why are you talking to me? she silently retorted.
We are almost finished, he promised.
Take your time. I’m enjoying the beauty of the night. It isn’t often that I get this type of solitude, she dryly thought back.
She could sense his concern before he withdrew—or at least pretended to withdraw. This form of communication was definitely different from what she was used to. Lifting a hand to her temple, she rubbed at the dull throb, then sighed when she felt Core’s gentle touch. In seconds, the throbbing was gone.
What did you do? she asked.
I took your pain. Relax. I will be there in a few minutes, he tenderly replied.
Bring a glass of wine when you do, please, she responded.
His fading chuckle filled her with warmth. Once again he was gone—almost. She dropped her hand to the railing and leaned forward. A part of her wondered if their connection could stretch across the universe before she shook her head at the ridiculous idea.
“It truly is beautiful here,” RITA2 said with a sigh.
Avery turned toward the AI. This time RITA2 was dressed in a silky nightgown with a matching robe that would have made a Victoria’s Secret model drool. Avery raised an eyebrow.
“Have you been shopping?” she asked.
RITA2 twirled and grinned. “DAR’s idea after our visit with Trudy,” she replied.
Avery crossed her arms and gazed at RITA2 with a pointed look. “Is there a reason why you are here or are you so bored with advancing military defenses and intergalactic programming that you’re selling lingerie now?” Avery retorted.
RITA2 chuckled. “First, Trudy is doing much, much better. The medical units on this world really are superior to those back on Earth,” she said.
Avery waved her hand at the AI. “We haven’t been gone from the medical center all that long and it was pretty obvious that Trudy was doing fine,” she stated.
RITA2 hummed thoughtfully. “Well, I was just showing off a few new fashions to DAR to see if I could find the glitch he was talking about. Certain colors and transparencies of my nightgown caused an interesting spike in his coding. I’ll have to ask RITA about it. I’m trying to decipher if it will cause long-term damage and how the vulnerability can be fixed,” RITA2 explained.
Avery lifted a hand and pinched the bridge of her nose with her fingers. This was a case of definitely too much information, but RITA had never been programmed with Sex Education 101, and given that RITA2 was only a partial copy of RITA, it made sense that she wouldn’t know how to analyze these kinds of things. Dropping her hand to her side, Avery looked at RITA2’s perplexed expression and shook her head.
“DAR is horny. It sounds to me like you are giving that Prime computer system a digital version of an erection. Now, was there anything else you’d like to understand?” Avery asked.
“An…. Oh, that explains so much! Perhaps I should speak to Tilly. Yes, I think that is what I’ll do. Tilly will know all about erections and horny men. She is constantly causing Angus’ blood pressure to increase, even after all these years, and Cosmos can….” RITA2 said with growing enthusiasm and excitement.
“Enough! I don’t want to think of Tilly and Angus that way, and I already feel like I need to scrub my brain without you adding Cosmos to the mix,” Avery insisted with a shudder of distaste.
“You always were rather prudish when it came to sex, Avery. You should try shopping for something a little sexier than an oversized shirt with a football on it,” RITA2 remarked.
Avery’s fingers curled into her palm. “My night clothes are none of your concern, and neither is my sex life—which is anything but prudish, by the way,” she growled.
“Yes, well, I’ll have to monitor Core’s blood pressure to see if it spikes,” RITA2 responded with an indignant sniff. “I also came to tell you that RITA and Runt intercepted a phone call between Karl Markham and a hacker that Runt has been monitoring. He wanted information on you. Runt has thrown him off the trail for now, but you should be on your guard, Avery.”
“Markham… What did he want to know?”
“He didn’t ask for anything specific, just whatever could be found out about you. It isn’t the first time. Before he hired help, RITA suspects he tried a few times to search himself, but she can’t be completely certain because he always ended the search before she could pinpoint him. Clearly, he is aware that CRI was involved in shutting down Keiser and freeing Merrick,” RITA2 added.
Avery nodded. “Thank you,” she murmured.
“If there isn’t anything else, I think it is time to test my theory with DAR,” RITA2 replied.
Avery waved her hand. “That’s all,” she said.
RITA2 vanished as fast as she had originally appeared, and Avery tapped the railing impatiently. It was time to end this. If Markham was looking for her, maybe it was time he found her.
“I have brought your wine,” Core said, stepping up behind her.
Avery brought her memories of the past two days to the surface, submerging all thoughts of Markham to a more private part of her mind. She turned around, and leaned back against the railing, smiling when she saw that Core had changed into a pair of loose fitting pants.
“I could get used to this,” she murmured walking toward him.
She took the glass of wine from him and skimmed her free hand down along his bare chest, locking gazes him as her fingers trailed a fiery path to the edge of his pants. She took a sip from her wine, then leaned forward to smooth the tip of her cold tongue over his nipple. He swiftly inhaled a breath and rumbled a soft moan, standing still as she dipped her fingers into the wine glass and touched the droplet to the skin above his breast bone. She stroked his sides as she waited for the droplet to reach his stomach. Then she licked the trail it had left.
“Ta me ja’te, Avery,” he murmured.
Avery closed her eyes when his words filtered through the translator Cosmos had implanted in her ear months ago, and she understood they meant I love you. A shaft of emotion pierced her. In response, she nipped his skin, causing a surprised curse to escape him.
He took the glass of wine from her, and placed it on the railing. She pressed tiny kisses up his chest until she reached his lips. Her hands moved down his stomach and beneath the waistband of his pants.
“I want you, Core,” she murmured against his lips.
“Then you shall have me, ku lei,” he replied, grabbing the hem of her oversized shirt, and pulling it over her head. She wasn’t wearing anything beneath it.
“Ku lei,” she whispered. “My beloved…” She gulped, knowing deep down the words were true. This relationship scared the shit out of her; yet
at the same time, she felt stronger than ever.
Her breath hissed out in surprise when he suddenly bent and scooped her into his arms. She looped her arms around his neck. It still took her by surprise that he was strong enough to pick her up without a groan.
They didn’t make it very far. He lowered her onto a nearby cushioned bench. She released him when he stepped back, and she hummed with pleasure when he pushed his pants down and kicked them to the side, her gaze fervently taking in his body.
She skimmed her hand up the side of his thigh, a smile teasing her lips when she saw his cock’s reaction to her light touch. She locked eyes with him.
“Three days is not going to be long enough,” he stated in a terse voice filled with emotion.
“No, it isn’t,” she admitted.
She wrapped her arms around his shoulders when he pressed her to lie flat against the bench and moved on top of her, lightly resting his weight against her length. His lips captured hers in a kiss that was a mixture of passion and desperation. Her legs rose and they came together, both determined to cling to the moment and forget about everything else. For the rest of the night, Avery reveled in this dream, and wished she could convince herself that it really didn’t have to end.
15
Core watched Avery with amusement. She had an expression of bemused fascination on her face as she nodded in response to his little sister excitedly telling them about her incredible weekend.
Is she always this animated? Avery’s sudden inquiry flashed through his mind and she glanced at his face before returning her attention back to Nadine.
She can be worse, he teased.
Nadine had appeared first thing this morning, unable to wait a moment longer to tell him about her weekend. He turned when the computer announced that his mother had also suddenly decided to visit.
I will return, he said.
Promise? she asked.
