“She went out into the brush and woods, to explore and discover what Chisholm has for wild life around here. She’s comfortable exploring nocturnally, so I don't expect her back until after nightfall, and if she finds interesting animals, she might not return until morning.”
“Well then, I see no need for you to sleep in a barn do you? I told you the proprietor had a complementary gift for you, didn’t I? Perhaps you’ll accept a stay here?”
She watched him blush. “Uh…, yes, I’d like that. If you have a vacancy.”
She stepped close and said in a low voice, her gloved hand on his right cheek, “My apartment only has one bed, but it’s large, so it shouldn’t be too crowded.” Her lips briefly brushed his left cheek, and a surprisingly sharp image was delivered from that light touch, considering it didn’t involve his more sensitive hands.
He saw her stunning figure nude, in a side view backlit by sunlight against a window, as if seen from a large framed mirror, with her hair loose around her shoulders. He could see the gilded frame of the same tall mirror in the image, hanging on the wall in the next room. It was her recollection of her own image.
He gulped, and before he could reach for her, she did a little pirouette, revealed by her slight increase in height as she rose to her toes as she twirled away, and she touched a seam at her lower back with one hand. That revealed that she was wearing a Smart Fabric dress, configured to resemble satin, because the section at her waist separated from the top and expanded, and the lower gown fell lightly to the floor as she spun. That revealed that her top was a combination bustier and body suit. She was now dressed only in the revealing top, her long legs accentuated by the high cut at her hips, and wearing soft blue shoes, almost slippers he thought, and she still wore her elbow length white gloves.
Standing at the center of her collapsed gown, she cocked her head. “Wearing that gun belt, boots, and all those clothes, you seem overdressed somehow.” She smiled wickedly, and gestured to invite him to follow her into the next room, as she stepped over the discarded fabric.
This was a large living room, and the big mirror made it seem more so. There were several double doors, with translucent curtains, that appeared to lead to small balconies. Clearly, the former bank had received some remodeling. There was an open double door into a large bedroom, where the end of a prodigious sized circular bed could be seen, and another door led to a small kitchen.
“There’s a tub and shower with a vanity off the bedroom, where you can shed your trail clothes and bathe. You’ll find a robe behind the door. Do you mind if I watch? I’m naughty that way. When you are nearly finished, perhaps I’ll join you.”
Ethan grinned and blushed like the hick and backwoods rube he felt like, never having been around a woman this beautiful who one moment seemed so shy and elegant, and the next so bold and assertive. He did come from a small population planet, and he’d not traveled anywhere he wasn’t expected to fight and kill something. Therefore, hick and rube probably fit him socially, and he felt completely out of his element. He bobbed his head set his hat, held in his hand all this time, on a table, unbuckled his gun belt and coiled it around the pistol and holster, placing it next to his hat.
He walked through the bedroom, angling towards the open door of the outer vanity section of the large bathroom, unbuttoning his old fashion western style shirt he’d purchased in Cayuga. He could hear Maddi’s soft footsteps as she followed. Apparently, her stated request to watch him bathe was real, and the thought of her getting into the shower with him thrilled him to no end. That last thought made some of his Kobani physiology respond enthusiastically, requiring some additional effort to drop his pants when he was next to the clear glass shower stall, more than roomy enough for two.
Maddi slid the glass door open and reached through to adjust the water temperature on the fancy and unfamiliar controls for him, so he could see how flow and temperature were regulated. She had touched him on the shoulder with a gloved hand as she leaned in, but didn’t glance down or otherwise contact him, which she seemed to know would have been deeply embarrassing to him.
She was treating him a bit like a babe in the woods, although he was in his early twenties, a well-built and handsome young man. Surely, he had experienced a number of encounters with girls. Madigan was likely in her late thirties, which was not apparent physically, but evident by her behavior, and perhaps due to the business experience she obviously had gained.
With past genetic improvements, introduced to the general human population hundreds of years ago, before genetic changes were outlawed, every human today inherited the antiaging genetics that kept them young looking until well into their sixties and seventies. People had a life expectancy of up to a hundred forty Standard years.
Maturity and experience was a better sign of actual age, and Madigan displayed considerably more of it than did Ethan, a fact she had noted, and was using to get him to do want she wanted, where she wanted. He was too damned dangerous, otherwise.
She went to the vanity behind her, and opened a drawer, glancing back to see Ethan looking at her, with a boyish grin. “Liquid soap’s in the bottom tray of the shower caddy, shampoo in the top one. Get squeaky clean and then I’ll join you, to help you with the areas I think need the greatest attention. I’ll get ready, don’t take too long.”
She took a hairbrush from the drawer, setting it on the counter, and removed a few clasps and pins in her hair, removing the small wreath of flowers. She set the flowers down while her other hand helped shake her hair loose, and then used the brush as her hair fell to her upper shoulders. She only brushed it briefly, after all it might get wet. In the mirror, she could see Ethan making frequent glances her way, always over his shoulder, because he was shyly facing away from her. That was rather what she expected.
She reached behind her and touched another concealed contact at her lower back, and the Smart Fabric of the body suit opened from the “V” at her mid back, down to her derrière. She let the garment slide down to below her knees, where she caught it by the top, and stepped out one leg at a time, as she simultaneously kicked her soft shoes off. She was now dressed only in white gloves, and she had Ethan’s full attention.
She slipped the gloves down, one at a time, dropping them into the drawer, and laid the body suit over them. “Are you washing or watching me?” She teased, winking at him over shoulder.
“I’m washing, I’m washing,” he called to her, turning his head away, perfectly aware she was watching him in the mirror.
“If nudity makes you uncomfortable, I can bring my clothes with me.” She reached into the drawer and lifted her top and gloves, turning to face him. She walked slowly towards the shower, shifting her clothing around. “Want me to put them back on?”
“No. No indeed. You look beautiful.” He answered as he half turned.
“My, you do seem excited to see me.” She glanced down, and he turned away in embarrassment as she anticipated, then she slid the door open. “How about if I just walk up behind you, and when you feel me pressed against you, we’ll let events follow their natural course.”
“OK, that sounds like fun, if...” He didn’t finish. A bullet put the punctuation to his sentence.
He slammed face first into the wall, and slipped down awkwardly and hard onto the wet floor, making no effort to catch himself. Blood started pouring from the back of his head from a messy wound.
The noise of the .45 was deafening to her in the enclosed and reflective space. It startled Brethard much more than she had expected, despite being prepared for it, and having mentally rehearsed how she could get him so vulnerable and trusting, with his back to her. She had killed a boy, years ago as a teen herself, with a smaller caliber weapon she carried in a thigh holster. The attempted rapist, at least in her mind he was that, despite her enticing him in a tease, had required all nine of the .22 slugs to finish him off. It was the last two, through his eye and into the brain that finally silenced his groaning and ragged breathing.
She turned off the water, put the gun back in the drawer, laid down her clothing and walked over to grab the robe she’d told the late Mister Greeves was for him. First, she poured herself a stiff drink, then put her ear bud phone in place, and made a call.
“Nate. It’s done. I want the credits posted to my account now.”
“So fast? I’ll need confirmation first Maddi. I don't want to sound like I don't trust you, but this happened too damned quickly. He hasn’t had time to ride that far. He might be a superman, but he didn’t carry his horse and he couldn’t outrun the train.”
“I didn’t have to wait for him to get here, or even to lure him to my place. Hell, he was on the same damned train with me, with his horse and that blue animal that travels with him. He practically fell into my lap.”
“Show me proof.”
“Hold on.”
She walked into the bathroom with a small Tri-Vid home camera, and linked the video transmission to her ear bud. “Set up to receive video. He’s lying in my shower stall.”
She heard a chuckle. “I see how you made him vulnerable and got him off his guard. Except that could be someone else face down on the floor. Get to the side and let me see his face.”
“Ugh. I don't want to step in the blood.” She bent down and held the camera low to the floor, where the half-turned face could be seen.
“My AI says that’s him. Good work. I should hire your girls to do my dirty work instead of gunmen.”
“I don't think you could afford to pay that much, and not everyone you want dead will cheat on their wives.”
“Well, Greeves was a special case anyway, requiring a onetime special rate. You aren’t the only person I turned to, trying to get the bastard. He’d told some people at the stable that he was headed next to Trail’s End and then to Plains. I didn’t think he’d taken the train, because I had the station watched. I have people waiting along the trail for him. I hope they don’t kill some passing slob and expect me to pay them.” Then he had another thought.
“Although, if they managed to kill that big cat, its worth a tenth as much money to me.”
“They probably won’t see it now, with this guy dead. Kit came on the same train. It’s out exploring in the woods I was told, and might be out there overnight. It isn’t likely going on to Plains alone, after this.”
“Maddi, that cat is smart, and it can track. It might connect Greeves death to you, and it can’t be bought off. Until someone shoots it for me, you had better get to someplace safe before it comes after you.”
“Dad doesn’t have the number of guns you or Gregos hired, but he has quite a few. He and I have had our differences, but he’ll protect me with all he has. I’ll go out to his ranch. I have an old armored truck I can use to get there safely. It used to belong to the bank, and it came with the building when I bought that.”
“Fine. I’m making the credit transfer. You just became a rich bordello owner.”
“I was already rich Nate. I want to be wealthy, and this is just another step. When dad passes, I’m his only heir. Another step someday.”
“How did you keep Greeves from reading your mind? I imagine you and he were dressed about the same when you shot him. That’s lot of skin for contact.”
“I wore a fancy gown with long gloves, and kept him at a distance by acting formal, at least until I talked him into showering off the trail dust before I joined him. I even kissed his cheek, while thinking of myself standing naked in front of my mirror. I had done that just before I dressed in that ball gown to go down and meet him. You and I had just finalized my fee if I killed him for you.”
“Shit! You mean he was already there to see you when we agreed on the damned bounty? You’re one cool customer, Maddi, but even if you stay safe until that tiger is killed, you have the problem of a dead man in your shower. For a fee, I’ll have that taken care of for you. I have trustworthy men over there.”
This annoyed her. “I’ll keep my credits, Egerton. I can clean up my own messes, thank you.” She disconnected, and used her computer to verify the hefty deposit had been made. She promptly moved it to various accounts and other businesses, to hide the money, and erased the records of the first deposit. That account manipulation software was another purchase that came with the bank building, plus a kickback to the corrupt banker that lost his business to government prosecution.
Now, she had to make good on her boast, to clean up her own mess. She discovered she needed more assistance than expected. The body of the man was incredibly dense and heavy, and his muscles hard. She could move his limbs right now with effort, before rigor mortis set in after a few of hours or so. However, she couldn’t lift him at all, and there was no one she trusted, not even her most loyal girls, who might hold this knowledge over her head.
She had to think. Finishing her drink, she came up with a plan. She called in a small favor over the phone, without having to explain why she wanted what she asked to borrow.
She had barely finished dressing, in pants and boots this time, before her ear bud vibrated softly. She tapped it active and said, “Hello.”
A young man’s voice said, “The pallet mover is in your garage Mam.”
“Thanks Will. Did you put a pallet on the forks?”
“Like you asked. The pallet will never be missed, but an electric pallet mover will be noticed by the computer if it isn’t back in the store’s warehouse before closing time.”
“Will, I’ll have it ready for you to take it back with you, before you finish using your complimentary certificate. Just go to the front desk and I’ll have Ellice set you up with one of our new and younger girls.”
“Thanks a lot, Mam.”
She told the phone to connect to the desk, and informed Ellice that Will was doing her a favor, and to set him up with one of the new girls as payment. She said he deserved several hours of pleasure. That was far more than enough time for her purpose.
She took the lift down, used a back corridor not open to visitors, and went to the small parking garage. She activated the small forklift she found there, and steered it through her private garage entrance. Then she started the armored truck, and directed its basic AI system to back it through the garage, up to the same doorway with the rear doors wide open, leaving barely enough room for her to squeeze through the door opening.
The pallet mover fit into the lift, even with the pallet on the forks. That was good, because she hadn’t been sure it would. She took the mover through her apartment to the spacious bathroom, and with the waist tie from her robe, used the pallet mover motor to drag Greeves out of the shower by his ankles. She wrapped the bulk of the robe hurriedly around his head to catch the blood, which still flowed slowly. With considerable grunting and pulling, she finally managed to roll his heavy weight onto the pallet on his side, and used the robe’s tie again, to secure his wrists close to his ankles, with the folded limp body lying on its side, arms between his bent knees. She pulled a sheet from a linen closet and covered the still form. Neither the expensive Smart Fabric sheet or robe would hold a stain, but she never intended to use them again anyway.
She steered her cargo into the lift, and down, then along her private corridor to the garage. A quick peek proved there was no activity, and she steered the pallet lifter close to the back of the truck, raised the forks to drive the pallet into the truck. Then she lowered the forks to set the pallet down, and backed the device away. She hastily moved the truck forward, and with relief closed the doors on what h
ad been valuable cargo when alive, and was now just dead meat, ready for disposal.
She returned the pallet mover to where Will had left it for her, went back to the apartment and activated her auto-butler with it set to start with cleaning the bathroom, packed some clothes and retrieved her .45 from the drawer. She threw Ethan’s belongings into a disposable bag along with his gun, hat, belt and holster, and locked the apartment behind her. She went to the front to inform Ellice that she would be gone for a few days, and that she and Chantel were in charge. She didn’t mention her earlier guest, and of course, Ellice wouldn’t ask. Loose tongues at a bordello got you fired at best, or put you in serious peril at worst.
The two top girls liked it when the boss took off, because then they shared five percent of the earnings as well as their salary, for the entire time Maddi was away.
Brethard drove carefully out of the garage, with the window tint set to keep her invisible inside, and then let the AI control the truck as it left the small town, headed for her father’s ranch. Somewhere along the way, she needed to dispose of the body in back. Only now did she wonder how she would get the heavy corpse out of the truck and hidden without some mechanical assistance. She’d have to improvise, as she had been doing.
Chapter 5: Kit Cat Maddi Whack
Kit was enjoying her day. She’d chased eight Giant Longhorns, satisfied she could not only outrun them, she could out distance them. These were mostly two and three year old cows, one combative bull, and a recently microchipped calf that, after the roundup and auctioned to a buyer, had been released back onto the open range. She had caught up to each animal she chased, leaped on their backs, and brought them down with her weight and momentum, and without inflicting serious claw marks, held them so she could press her frill against them, to sense their terror and fear. That “taste” was fun, but somewhat diluted because these prey animals didn’t have the same superconducting nervous systems as comparable Koban animals, and the nerve impulses were less intense.
Koban Universe 2: Have Genes, Will Travel Page 18
