“That sounds serious.” She turned to face him. The box put him a little lower than her, but it would do. He had made a decision when she’d shown him this room. “How do you know we’re shielded?”
“I’ve got…” He hesitated, never having told anyone about his enhancements before. It was harder than he’d thought. “I’ve got internal sensors.” That was putting it mildly, but he’d see how she dealt with that idea before he told her the full extent of his cybernetics.
He’d thought long and hard about this moment over the past hours. He didn’t want any secrets between them. Not if they were going to take this to the next level. He knew he was moving fast, but his heart wouldn’t be denied. He didn’t want her getting closer unless he was sure she could accept him for all he was.
“Really?” She looked at him for a moment, her gaze curious. That was a promising sign. “That must be so cool. What kinds of things can you sense? Is it a direct brain interface or something else? I thought that tech was still experimental.” Her questions tumbled out one on top of the other. The questions were eager and she had a smile on her face, which boded well. She didn’t seem repulsed by the idea and that last question…
“You know about brain interface tech?”
That stilled her questions and she reached for his hand. “I guess now is the time to tell you that my husband was a neuroscientist. He worked on all kinds of projects for General Winters, even though he was a civ through and through. His research and expertise brought him to the attention of the military and he went to work for them gladly. He wanted to do his part to keep the jit’suku out of our galaxy. He was a patriot, even if he wasn’t born with the body and temperament of a soldier. We met through our mutual work for Winters. I retired from the intelligence service when we got married and concentrated on starting our family while he kept up his research into neuro-enhancement and cybernetics.”
“Your husband was Dr. Smith,” he guessed. There had been a team of doctors who had put him back together again, but he remembered the soft spoken civ neurosurgeon best for his calm demeanor and confidence. He’d liked the other man and had struck up a friendship of sorts with him during Chip’s long recovery.
Lila smiled. “That’s the code name they gave him. Silly, I always thought. Did you know him? Was he the one who operated on you?”
“We used to play chess. He had a quick mind and a penchant for butterscotch candies. He always seemed to have a few in his pocket.”
Lila caught her breath. “I used to put them in his pockets. He always forgot to eat regular meals when he was working and his blood sugar would sometimes drop. The candy helped him stay on a more even keel.” Tears gathered in her eyes and a sad smile lifted the corners of her luscious mouth.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you sad.”
“I miss him, but it’s not like it used to be. Right after he died, I was utterly devastated. Time heals, they say. It’s a cliché for a reason. It’s true as far as it goes. Talking with people who knew him makes me feel good now, instead of sad. The fact that you knew him…” she trailed off as her face lit with a nostalgic sort of happiness that he didn’t really understand. “It makes me believe that things have happened as they were meant to happen. I was supposed to find you. It was fate.”
Chip took a deep breath, wanting the slate clean between them before they went any further.
“Then you might as well know all of it.” He took a deep breath for courage. “I’ve never revealed this to anyone, Lila. It’s top secret and need to know. I need you to know before we get any more involved.” He held her gaze as he began his story. “When I joined Winters’ elite group, I had already been Enhanced. Do you know what that means?”
“Genetic therapy to make you a faster, stronger, better soldier. It was a top secret program and was discontinued, as far as I know.”
“Good. So you know I was already different, but then I was involved in an accident in a safe zone. On one of our own bases. An out of control carrier ran over me and I nearly died. That’s when I met Dr. Smith and his team. It took months, but they put me back together like the big egg in that children’s nursery rhyme. I didn’t just know Dr. Smith. I was one of his biggest experiments. I’d like to think we were friends. He told me stories about his family—usually the antics and escapades of his kids. Like the time his baby daughter tried to ride the dog like a horse.”
Lila laughed as her eyes filled with wonder. “I remember that.”
“I was in the hospital for months, Lila. He came to see me every day and spent time with me as the surgeries progressed and he was able to test my abilities and responses to the technology. I had severe brain damage from the accident. Your husband changed all that. He gave me experimental cybernetic implants that saved my life and my mind. I owe him everything, Lila. Without his gift, I wouldn’t be here today.”
“That is so amazing to hear. So much of his work was secret. I never got to meet anyone he worked with at the time.”
“He helped a lot of people, Lila. I’m betting I was one of the most extensive repair jobs though. I wanted you to know, in case it changed your mind about being with me.” He laid himself bare, putting it all on the line. “I’m not quite a cyborg, but I can do all sorts of things with my implants that make me even more different than the Enhancement did. I’d understand if it repulsed you. I wouldn’t like it, but I’d understand.”
She regarded him curiously for a moment before speaking.
“What kinds of things can you do?”
Surprised by her question, he became hopeful. Now was the time. She’d make her decision and he had to abide by it, for good or ill.
“Watch the screen,” he instructed, already sending out a tentative recognition code to the closed system. Sure enough, the code was accepted. It was a code common to all operatives who worked for Winters. The system had a failsafe that would recognize any operative with the correct code and it welcomed him into its inner workings easily.
Chip sifted through the data until he found what he wanted. Images flashed over the screen faster than the human eye could decipher, but he knew what they contained. He had a computer linked directly to his brain that was faster than the human eye.
“You’re doing this?” Lila asked as the images whizzed by.
“I’m searching backward from last night to find out if any of the suspect group has been past your quarters before. And yes, we have a winner. Hmm. I don’t like this.” He placed one particular series of images on the screen for her to see. It was Bjornson and Beezus both, strolling by as if looking for some other address, and they had a few of their posse with them. “The time stamp is two days ago.”
“Do you think they’ve been suspicious of me since then?” But she answered her own question a beat later. “Of course. Why else would they come down this hall and linger for a bit too long in front of my hatch? Damn.”
Chip didn’t miss the fact that she didn’t seem at all upset by the revelation of his cybernetics. She seemed more concerned—rightly so, in his opinion—about the stalkers on the screen checking out her address.
“This site is good, but the bar is better. More escape routes to hidden compartments. More tentacles into the station’s systems. We can do more from there to stop whatever it is these bozos have planned and keep everyone—especially you, Lila—safe.”
She looked at him as if measuring his words. He hated the little worry line between her brows. He moved closer to kiss it away, then lingered close to her, happy when she leaned into him. He’d lend her his strength anytime.
He didn’t know how it had happened or exactly when, but this woman had become incredibly important to him in a very short time. He’d revealed his deepest secret to her and she’d just taken it in stride. What a woman.
“All right.” She leaned away from him, seeming to gather her strength before his eyes. “Let’s close up this shop and lock it tight. I’ll pack my stuff and we can carry on with our original plan. I’ll cam
p out at the bar for the time being, until we figure this out.”
“Sounds like a plan to me,” he agreed, kissing her once before moving away.
He retracted his cybernetic signal from the console and left it to her to shut it down and park everything in standby mode. It didn’t take long. She sealed the secret panel soon thereafter and began gathering her things and closing up the apartment. Within twenty minutes, they were on their way out the door.
Lila grabbed his arm as they stood in the small entryway, just as he was about to open the hatch. She stood very close to him, her expression serious.
“What you told me before,” she began hesitantly. Chip knew the whole apartment was well shielded. They could speak freely here, but not once the hatch was popped. He withdrew his hand from the control and turned to face her. “I want you to know it doesn’t make a difference to me. In fact, knowing that you benefited from my husband’s work makes you even more special to me. I’m glad you knew him. And I’m glad he could help you.” She took a deep breath. “It took me a long time to get over losing him. I didn’t come here expecting to get involved with you, Charlemagne,” she smiled as she spoke the name only she ever used for him. “But I don’t regret a thing and if you’re agreeable, I want to see where it leads us.”
She stood on tiptoe and kissed him. It took him only a moment to extend his arms around her and deepen the kiss. He’d take anything she chose to give him, especially a kiss that tasted sweeter than the finest spun sugar.
They stood there, exploring each other’s kiss for long, long moments before the soft chime of a clock from within the apartment alerted Chip to the passage of time. They’d already been away from the bar longer than he’d planned. It was about time to head back and get his woman to safety.
“You’re a special lady, Lila Senna.” He let her go by slow degrees, knowing it was necessary to get moving but annoyed by having to let her go.
She smiled at him and moved back, picking up the smaller of her two bags. Chip already had the heavier one strapped around him, keeping his hands free and distributing the weight so it was easier for him to carry if they needed to move fast. He checked the external monitor Lila’s sister had installed in her quarters to be sure nothing bad awaited them on the other side of the door.
Seeing nothing, he popped the hatch and moved out, a lightness in his step as he thought about what she’d said. His fears about her reaction had been overblown as it turned out, though any other woman probably would have been more upset by his revelation. He wondered if all her talk of fate bringing them together had some merit. What were the odds he’d meet up with Dr. Smith’s widow even if they did both work for the same branch of the intelligence service?
The odds weren’t high. He knew that for certain. Intel agents rarely crossed paths except with their handlers, for everyone’s protection. If you didn’t know your co-workers, you couldn’t betray them. So then… was it fate that had brought them together? Lila seemed to think so and he was beginning to respect her opinions more than most operatives he’d worked with. He was even starting to believe in her so-called gifts. After last night he had to believe she had some of the psychic abilities she claimed. She’d known Beezus was waiting to do her harm.
On a basic level, he believed in her abilities, or he never would have turned that pod around in the tube. He had to admit it to himself. If psychic abilities did exist—and he had proof now from two sources, Lila and her sister, Della—then they were most definitely in existence in the Senna family.
The halls were clear of trouble as they made their way to the tube station a short distance away. Chip used his implant to call a pod for them, so it would be waiting when they got there. He’d opted for a larger version this time, considering the luggage. He placed the bag he wore on one seat and took another, already programming the destination via his implant. He was gratified when she decided to sit right next to him, even though there were other seats available.
The pod sealed and moved out into the stream of traffic, heading toward their destination.
“You did that?” She nodded toward the console he hadn’t had to touch in order to get them underway. Normally, one had to program the pod manually before it would move. He hadn’t touched it, yet they were underway.
Chip only nodded. He didn’t usually talk about his abilities. Very few people even knew about them. It was novel to have anyone ask, especially a woman he’d made love to the night before.
All the normal rules were broken with Lila and Chip found he didn’t mind a bit. It would take some getting used to, but he actually looked forward to learning how to be part of a couple—for as long as she’d let him. Chip put his arm around her shoulders and just enjoyed the sensation of being close to her for a few minutes. It was a sensation of peace and fulfillment he’d rarely experienced in his life. Lila Senna was special in so many ways.
Just then, the station rocked and the pod they were in bounced off the side of the tube, taking them on a bumpy ride before it settled again. Chip’s arm tightened reflexively around Lila while her luggage bounced around inside the pod.
“What was that?”
Chapter Seven
Chip already had his implant querying station computers.
“Some kind of explosion in the mech section,” he reported as the data returned.
“How serious?” Lila held tight to him as the pod continued to sway a bit in the aftermath, but it stayed on its course. They were nearing their station, thank goodness. They’d be out of the vulnerable transport system soon.
“Not very. Enough to knock the station around a bit, but the containment is holding. Teams are already rectifying the problem.” He kept part of his attention on the pod and part on what he was learning from his cybernetic implant.
“Sabotage?” She didn’t have to clarify what she meant. They were both suspicious of Bjornson and his crew and had been expecting something like this from them. Most of them worked in the mech section of the station.
“Hard to say just yet.”
Their pod arrived at the station closest to the bar and they disembarked quickly. Chip was tempted to double-time it down the hall, but he didn’t want to draw that much attention. They both walked quickly and within a few moments they’d made it to their destination. Chip had never been happier to see the dim interior of The Rabbit Hole.
He dropped Lila’s bags behind the bar without comment, though he could feel the curious eyes and raised eyebrows as if they were fists beating on his back. He should’ve known. They wouldn’t have to say a word. The nosey barflies would infer the change in their relationship, and Lila’s new place of residence, all on their own.
Good. He felt a bit of caveman pride, knowing the other men in the place knew she was his. Under his protection. In his bed. In his life.
Damn. Chip had never felt so possessive of a woman. It was a good feeling. A scary feeling, but a good one. He’d learn to live with it—for as long as she allowed him the privilege.
He touched her shoulder as he passed her behind the bar. That little touch spoke volumes to the men watching. The guys at the bar were all vets. A few were intel operatives. All now knew that Lila was under his protection. A few discrete nods and one teasing toast was all it took to know that these men, these former soldiers, could be trusted to look out for her even more than they had already. Now she was one of them. Part of the family, so to speak.
Chip had claimed her and now she was his responsibility. His brothers in arms would help her as they would help him. The brotherhood of military vets stuck together.
“Thanks for manning the helm,” Chip thanked the man he’d asked to watch over the bar while he and Lila had run their errand.
Julian was a stand-up guy. A former pilot who’d gone through genetic Enhancement a few years after Chip. He was younger than Chip, but of the same breed of special operators turned covert intel agents. They’d worked together before. Julian had lots of connections on Madhatter Station and was one
of Chip’s main contacts in this new position.
“Glad to help. Anything else I can do, you just ask,” Julian replied in his deceptively lazy drawl. He was between assignments and Chip was glad of his presence. He could definitely be counted on in a pinch and he had many versatile skills.
“I may take you up on that,” Chip gave him a subtle hand signal to stay alert. Action might be imminent. “What’s the scuttlebutt on the turbulence?” Chip asked quietly so that only those at the bar might be able to hear, but not the civs sitting farther out in the room.
“A few of the techs said it was a blown valve that vented to space. The thrust was hard enough to shift the station a bit, but easy enough to fix.” Julian’s words seemed offhand, but Chip felt the seriousness behind them.
“That kind of thing shouldn’t happen, though,” Chip replied, noting who was sitting at the bar and exactly which mech workers sat at tables in the rest of the room. There weren’t many and none were part of Bjornson’s clique.
“A lot of stuff that shouldn’t happen has been happening lately,” Julian commented. Chip didn’t take his words lightly.
“Really?” A wealth of information passed in that single word. “You know, I could use some extra help around the bar if you’re looking for work.” As codes went, it was pretty straight forward, but it would do the trick. Chip needed help he could trust if everything suddenly went to shit on the station.
“I’m available most of the time,” Julian answered calmly. “And if I’m busy, I know Thad and Freight Train are looking for work.” Julian nodded toward two other Enhanced operatives who were sitting close enough to hear their names mentioned. Both men nodded when Chip gave them a subtle status check signal. They were good to go if Chip needed them.
Two more men saw the signal and gave positive replies from farther down the bar, which was more than Chip had hoped for. All five vets were on standby, awaiting assignments. They were free to assist Chip, should the need arise. Excellent.
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