"Probably wouldn't the best idea to ask him about it."
Caitlin shot him a mildly appalled look, complete with raised eyebrow. "I'm not in the habit of asking after the genitalia of blokes I'm not involved with, Felix."
"Caitlin," he replied with a smile, "if you're going to insist I never say anything stupid, you're going to be sorely disappointed."
"In your defense, one wonders how such a revelation might affect him."
"That's if it's, well, gone. They do have functional synthetics." Felix crossed his legs and then nodded at the screen. "You seem to have found something there."
Caitlin looked and found that her search had come upon a rather lengthy paper that promised to detail the physiological aspects of total adaptation. "This isn't something I've seen before," she said, "but it may be just as good."
"Pay dirt," Felix declared, already diving in. "A 'physiological study.' It's a start, at the very least."
Caitlin read a few paragraphs alongside Felix until her attention wandered across the table to where Gideon's discarded jumper lay. The paper wasn't going anywhere. "Give it a read, Felix. I'm beginning to think it unwise to leave Gideon out there overlong."
Felix looked up from the screen and moved a little closer to her. "Want me to come with you?"
She shook her head and brushed her hand over his. "Stay and read. I'll be alright."
He gave the screen a lingering flicker of a glance before looking back to her. "This can easily wait."
"If we both go he may feel pressured again. We'll only be on the lawn, Felix," she said. "Close enough for that boosted hearing of yours if anything goes," she hesitated on the word, neither wishing to worry him nor tempt fate, "wrong."
He nodded. "I should know by now you can take care of yourself. But call if either of you need me. I'll just be in here reading about the possible psychological instabilities of total cybernetic adaptation," he said with a smile.
She smiled back in appreciation of his worry and kissed his forehead. "Subtle, ducks."
"As a cow in a tutu."
When she reached him, Gideon was standing near the cottonwood tree that grew a little way up her driveway. His back was to her as he watched the sky. Though her footfalls were quiet along the grass, he must have heard her approach: when she'd drawn within ten paces, he spoke without turning. "I keep thinking there's something up there."
Caitlin cast her eyes up at the twinkling, velvet curtain. "In the sky?"
"On the Moon."
"Mm. What do you think is up there?"
"I don't know. Something I'm supposed to remember."
He continued to stare upward. Caitlin stepped nearer, still standing behind him, but not so far back that he couldn't see her. She was careful to stay further than arms length, though not so much, she hoped, that it was obvious.
"You've had a lot of demands of that nature lately, haven't you?"
Gideon's only response was an affirmative grunt.
"You know," she began again, "Felix—and I—are only asking to try to help you. We could take a break from our questions for a time, if you'd prefer."
"You're curious as well," he said. "The both of you."
Not without a pang of guilt, Caitlin nodded. "I suppose that's a fair assessment. But curiosity alone wouldn't have made me bring you here."
"Don't be defensive, it was no rebuke."
"What, then?"
He shook his head.
"It's just that you seem to have rather little patience for curiosity tonight, Gideon."
"Curiosity is a virtue. You Scry take strength from it."
"But?"
He was silent for long enough that she began to suspect he wouldn't answer.
"When each question," he said finally, "is a reminder that—that something about me is wrong!" He stopped suddenly, just breathing. "It gets difficult."
Caitlin said nothing, not wishing to interrupt and unsure what to say if she did. Gideon seemed content with the silence. Again Caitlin pondered the wisdom of having him there, and again dismissed it as a choice already made. Yet Gideon's mention of The Scry did bring a new worry to light. Her concerns found their way to her lips before she'd given the matter much thought.
"What do you plan to do after all of this? Will you go back to your old activities?" Caitlin stopped short of asking if he'd planned to involve himself with The Scry as he had before. If the resumption of his old course had not occurred to him, she had no wish to plant the thought in his mind.
"I don't know," he answered after a time. "I'm unsure it's even my choice to make anymore. Am I in control?" He shook his head in the dim light. "I did have plans. There were things that I felt were important for what I—what I was doing."
"You don't sound terribly certain."
"I remember that I felt those plans were important. Now, I no longer feel them, I only know that I made them." He took a breath. "But I feel other things. I'm not a soulless machine if that's what you're about to say."
"It isn't." She felt his confusion, his unease. "But do you feel anything from, well, before?" she added, immediately wishing she'd omitted the "but."
Gideon whirled to face her, and she flinched. That he made no additional move kept her from running or dodging further. Tensed to react, she met his gaze. The haunted uncertainty that showed there spoke for him. Gideon had startled her, but he was the frightened one.
"What can we do to help?" she asked finally.
Instead of answering, Gideon's attention went suddenly behind her. "What's that?"
Caitlin turned. Stars dotted the sky above the border of her house and the faint silhouette of the hills on the horizon. She saw nothing; there was no movement, only darkness and moonlight. His vision likely outdid hers, yet before she could form the obvious question, she heard it: the low whine of an approaching floater.
"They found me!" Gideon whispered. "Your boyfriend led them to me!"
Caitlin shook her head. "They're here, it doesn't matter how—"
"There's no cover! It's too open!"
She could make out two floaters now, soaring closer, their blinking lights highlighting them in the sky. Gideon was right. The only real cover in the open landscape was her house—an obvious choice. The next closest thing was her neighbours' barn just a quarter mile away, but with the floaters so close, there wasn't time. And home or not, she couldn't draw them into this, to say nothing of putting the horses in the line of fire. Mother of God, would it come to that?
Spotlights flashed from each floater to lance across the ground in a rapid search. "Bloody hell," she whispered.
"Inside!" Gideon ordered. "Run!"
There was no more time to think. Gideon bolted for the door, and Caitlin followed. A spotlight caught them as they gained the driveway. Their footfalls crashed on the gravel and they reached her porch surrounded in light, flung open the door, and dashed inside.
CHAPTER 26
Felix rushed into the entryway even as Caitlin slammed her front door behind her. "Are those floaters I'm hearing?"
"It's Marquand!" Gideon burst. "You led them here!"
Spotlights shone through the narrow window beside the door. Caitlin tugged the curtain shut and dead-bolted the lock, doubting its worth.
"If I did, I didn't mean to!"
"They're here either way!"
"Well I thought— Look, forget that now," Felix said. "What if we get you out of sight?"
Caitlin rushed from the door to herd both of them further into the house. "Bollocks hiding, they've already spotted him." She rushed to the living room curtains and yanked them shut as well.
"That's not going to help." Gideon was beginning to pace.
"Well if you can bloody think of anything better!" she found herself barking.
"Look, maybe we're overreacting here," Felix said. "We're acting like they're about to storm the place—"
"They are!" Gideon insisted. "They want to take me back!"
"They brought two floaters, Felix, we don
't know what they have planned." She risked a peek out the window and spotted one of the floaters touched down by the cottonwood. Black-suited figures were rushing out of it across her lawn. "I think they're surrounding the house."
"Caitlin, maybe you should get away from the window?" Felix urged, and then when she took his advice, "Is it too much to hope that they're just swinging by for coffee?"
Gideon whirled on him. "You think that's funny?"
"Look, I'm sorry! But what can we do? There's no time to—"
"Back door!" Caitlin said, rushing past them. "They saw us come in, maybe they won't see us go out!" She darted into the kitchen and realized that even if they did escape out the back, intruders would then be marauding through her home unchecked. There was hardly time to get angry at the thought before she spotted the flashlights outside the back door. "Too late."
Gideon froze. "I'm trapped."
"Funny, so are we," Felix said.
Caitlin threw the deadbolt there too, and then dashed with them back to the living room. Lights continued to flash outside the windows. They were fast running out of options. "Gideon, have you got anything else like your jammer?"
Gideon continued to pace. "Nothing."
"Nothing?" Felix pressed. "You sure? Something you don't know about yet?"
"I don't know what I don't know! I don't know what to do!" Gideon clutched his head, shaking it rapidly. "I don't know what to do! I don't know! I don't know!"
Caitlin froze. Felix followed suit, and before either could do anything more, Gideon screamed in pain and fell to his knees, still clutching his head. She and Felix rushed in, but Gideon flung them away as they reached for him. He collapsed into a fetal position and gave one last groan before going silent and still.
Caitlin and Felix lay where they'd fallen, exchanging wordless shock. In a blink, they crawled forward to Gideon's body. Caitlin felt against his neck.
"He's still breathing," Felix said.
"No pulse, but that—"
The doorbell rang.
The polite absurdity of it chased away whatever words she was planning to say. Felix cast a glance at her door and then drew a quick breath. "Wait here."
"Felix—"
"I think either one of us answers, or they break down the door. At the very least I doubt they'll just give up and leave. I'll go."
"It's my home, Felix. We'll both go."
He gave her a look that all but shook his head for him. "You should stay with Gideon."
"And do what?"
The doorbell rang again. Caitlin lowered her voice to a whisper. "We don't know what's the matter!" She wasn't about to let Felix go alone and she doubted he'd let her do so, either.
He began to protest, but then merely got to his feet. "Okay."
They moved toward the entryway, crouched low until they reached the door. Caitlin positioned herself to be sure she'd be the one to open it, thankful that Felix gave no argument and instead moved to stand just behind the door. He'd drawn his gun.
"I left mine at my flat," she whispered.
"Hope we don't even need this one."
Caitlin nodded. Felix would likely never shoot anyone, he could bluff admirably. Mildly comforted, she took the doorknob. "Who's there?" It sounded absurd given the situation, but then so was doorbell-ringing.
A female voice answered. "It's Ondrea Noble. Please open the door."
"And if I'd rather not?"
"Then we'll have to shout this conversation through two inches of wood, and I'd prefer it stay private. I'm alone," she added. "And unarmed, if you care."
Felix took a look through the peephole as Caitlin responded. "Two floaters and a bunch of blokes running around my yard is 'alone' to you?"
"It's just me here at the door. They don't have to be a part of this."
Felix pulled back from the peephole and whispered, "No one else there that I can see."
"Then you oughtn't have brought them with you. Send the sods home, and then we'll have a chat."
"I can't do that. Open the door. Please. Hear what I have to say and I'll give you my word that if you want me to leave then, I will."
Caitlin held the knob, still not turning.
Ondrea spoke again. "Please. If you don't let me in, I can't keep the others out." Her voice lowered to where Caitlin barely heard her though the door. "Believe me when I say I don't want them involved in this any more than you."
Caitlin glanced to Felix, whispering, "I'm thinking that last bit may have been sincere."
"Also the best offer we're likely to get. We can't stop the others from coming in ourselves."
"I was trying not to dwell on that, thank you."
Felix smiled weakly and moved back from the door a bit as she undid the locks. She opened it a crack. "Just you, Ms. Noble."
"Just me. Quickly."
Caitlin opened her door just enough for the woman to slip in. She closed it behind her and then redid the locks.
"Thank you," Ondrea said. "Caitlin Danae, I'm assuming?"
Caitlin arched an unfriendly eyebrow. "Read the mailbox, did you?"
"Please don't make any sudden moves," Felix warned, gun aimed. Caitlin wondered if he'd loaded it.
Ondrea gave the gun a wary glance. "Mr. Hiatt," she greeted. "You decided against my offer, I see."
Felix shrugged. "Gideon's not here."
"I saw him myself as we arrived."
"I didn't say he hadn't been here, I said he's not here now."
Caitlin did her best to stifle her worry for Gideon. Even a glance toward the living room where he lay could be telling. "Spread your arms if you please," she told Ondrea.
The woman rolled her eyes. "I said I was unarmed."
"Aye, and this is my house."
Ondrea sighed but gave no further protest. She lifted her arms, speaking again as Caitlin patted her down. "I need to speak to Gideon."
"What do you want with him?"
"That's not your business, Mr. Hiatt."
"Funny how someone holding a gun's suddenly got a lot more that's their business, isn't it?" Felix waggled the gun meaningfully.
"What did you do to him?" Caitlin added, finishing the pat-down.
"I healed him. But his treatment's not finished. I came to talk to him and bring him back in where I can make sure he's okay. You have to let me speak to him."
Caitlin stood, the image of Gideon unconscious still lurking in her mind. "How unfinished?"
"That's between Gideon and his doctors."
Felix frowned. "Well it seems like his doctors haven't been telling him very much since he didn't know what they did to him either."
"I told you, they healed him."
"And I told you," Felix said, "he's not here anymore. You've got nothing more to say to us, then maybe you'd better keep your word and take your thugs away from Ms. Danae's house."
"Felix," Caitlin began, then stopped. She felt a familiar twinge in her stomach as she weighed getting Ondrea out and letting her attend to Gideon. Either option put him at further risk. There was no perfect course. "Felix, I think perhaps we ought to show her."
"Show me what?"
Felix took his aim from Ondrea. "If that's what you want."
"Gideon's unconscious in the other room," Caitlin said. "We don't know why."
"What?"
Ondrea rushed past them into the house and Caitlin followed with Felix on her heels. She stopped short just inside the living room. "Gid. . ."
Caitlin came up just behind her, her eyes cast where Gideon had lain, but rather than lying prostrate on her carpet he was standing, awake and alert. He took a step back as they entered, remaining on the balls of his feet as if ready to bolt. His attention was fixed on his sister. It seemed to Caitlin that he was watching her as if through a fog or bright light, as if he could look through her if he focused just so.
"Got incredible balance for an unconscious guy, hasn't he?" Felix remarked.
"Why did you come here, Ondrea?" Gideon asked.
&nbs
p; "You didn't come back, Gid, I was worried. Why else would I come?"
"Am I your prisoner that you have to hunt me down each time I leave the lab, is that it? You've brought how many here to capture me?"
"You're no one's prisoner. But I've told you, it's not safe for you to leave the labs yet. You need rest. They just told me you passed out a few minutes ago. Can't you see you're not better yet? What if that happened and I wasn't around?" She took a tentative step forward.
Gideon stepped back. "I'm fine now."
"What if you weren't? You were in a coma for six months, you can't just expect to go back to your life so quickly."
"And those men outside, are they well-armed doctors?"
"Gid, they weren't my idea. They're worried—"
Gideon cut her off. "What did you do to me, Ondrea?"
"Why are you acting like this, Gid?" she pleaded. "Why didn't you come back to Marquand?"
"Answer me."
"We healed you, you know that. I've told you that before, can't you remember?"
"Why are you always asking what I remember?" Gideon demanded.
"What? Gid, you've been up for too long, we need to get you back. Just come back with me. It'll be alright, I swear." She took another step forward.
Gideon waved her back. "I—I don't trust you, Ondrea."
Ondrea stiffened as if struck. When she spoke again, her voice came out weaker. "Is that why you didn't come back, Gid? You didn't think you could trust me?"
"You've kept things from me."
"You're still recovering, Gid!"
Gideon began an agitated tally on his fingers. "You didn't tell me about the man that attacked us today. You didn't tell me he'd shot me! You didn't tell me about the hypnosis—"
"Hypnosis? What? Gid, what are you talking—"
"You didn't tell me about this!" He yanked up his jumper and turned to show her where he'd been shot.
"Gid, you're hurt—"
Gideon's face twisted in a mask of pained anger. "What did you do to me?" he screamed. It silenced her.
For a moment, no one breathed.
A signal and a voice sounded from within Ondrea's jacket. "Everything alright in there, Ms. Noble?"
It seemed to startle her more than Gideon's outburst. "Yes," she answered finally over a link she pulled from her pocket. "Yes, we're fine. Stay where you are." She put the link back and spoke gently to Gideon over the transmitted acknowledgement. "Gid, you've got to calm down now, okay? I'll tell you what happened, but I need you to stay calm or they'll come in here. Please, I don't want that, but they're afraid you might hurt these people."
A Memory in the Black (The New Aeneid Cycle) Page 18
