by Ramy Vance
“What?” Aki said breathlessly.
“Let’s ask Biddie to bake us some chocolate chip cookies!” Even though some part of Martha knew that something was very wrong with her body, she was helpless to fight against it. Had she been drugged?
Biddie stepped back into the room. “Can I get you two ladies something else?”
Martha stared at her, trying to fight the chemicals running through her veins or whatever was going on with her. “You know,” she said slowly. “Biddie, you’re just…so great. Such a sweetheart.”
“Oh, thank you, I just love you, too. Both of you guys. Group hug.”
The three hugged each other, then suddenly Aki pulled back and shook her head. Desire gleamed in her eyes, and she ran her tongue over her lips. She seemed to be trying to fight the effects too. “I’m not…feeling so…I’ve gotta go.”
Aki started for the door, and Martha called to her, “Wait, where are you going? You’re like my best friend, ever.”
The door closed behind Aki, and Biddie turned to Martha with a sexy smirk on her face. “Martha, would you like a massage?”
For some reason, Martha liked the way Biddie had said her name. She really liked it. The next moment, Martha was holding out her hand, and Biddie was guiding her to one of the padded massage tables.
Biddie’s hands were warm and soft as she eased Martha onto the table by the shoulders. “I think you’re really going to enjoy this.”
“Am I?” Martha heard herself saying. She turned her head back to see where Biddie was. She felt like she was in a blissful, drunken stupor and it felt good. God, it felt so good to cut loose of all the tension.
Behind her, Biddie scooped up the remote control on the end table, and a moment later, the air in the room began to pulse with lush electric dance music.
Oh my God… Was it the massage table that was vibrating or was it her ears?
Biddie was behind her again. Her hands began to massage Martha’s shoulders, working out knots and kinks she didn’t even know she had. A moan escaped her as Biddie’s hands traveled skillfully down her back.
“Do you want more?” Biddie asked.
The dance music was throbbing through every bone in Martha’s body. She felt like she was partying on a cloud with no inhibitions.
“Yes,” she groaned.
Biddie cocked her ear. “What was that? Did you say you wanted more?”
“Yes!”
“One moment then.” Biddie’s hands left Martha’s body, and irritated, Martha turned over onto her back. She watched as Biddie moved to the end table and messed with the remote. Soft bedroom music began to seep through unseen speakers.
“Biddie?” Martha said.
Then Biddie tore off her top and hopped up onto the massage table, straddling Martha’s thighs. “I think you’re really going to enjoy this.”
The next thing Martha knew, the room was very bright, and she was waking up on the leather couch under a fleece blanket. She had one hell of a headache, and she raised her hands to fend off the ceiling lights. Finally, her eyes focused on the doorway.
“Fuck me…”
Buzz.
He stood there in the doorway with his hands in his pockets. “I see Biddie gave you the full treatment.”
Martha’s eyes searched the room for her clothes.
“Your shirt’s over there.” Buzz pointed toward the massage table. “And your pants are…” He jerked his head toward the tanning beds.
“What the fuck happened, you pervert!”
“You pressed the button. I didn’t tell you to press the button.”
“Button?” She wrapped the blanket around her body and went to retrieve her clothes.
Buzz chuckled. “The oxytocin button beneath the end table.”
“Oxytocin?”
“You know. The love hormone—”
“I know what oxytocin is.” Martha slipped her shirt back on. “It’s what the body produces during sex. So, wait, you put that in the air so people…”
“Will want to have sex, yes.”
“So basically this is an oxytocin gas chamber?”
He shrugged. “I like to think of it as my little looove shack.”
“I thought it was a massage room.”
“The thing about massage therapist robots… They never do what you want them to do. Say, where’s Aki?”
Meanwhile, Aki cornered Rueben alone in the bunk bed room and was already completely stripped naked before she even managed to say, “Hello.”
Chapter Thirteen
Thursday, May 25, 9:32 a.m.
Rueben drummed his fingers against the tabletop of his workstation in the conference room. He hadn’t seen Aki since last night.
Sure, she’d caught him off guard, and it was so crazy. And good. Better than anything he had ever experienced before in his life. Then in the morning, she was gone, and he didn’t know what had happened. What did last night mean to her? Nothing?
He loved her. He knew that. He wanted to tell her that but not if he was only a good time for her. He wanted something more with her.
He thought back to last night when she had shown up in front of him with that look in her eyes and…
“For crying out loud,” Buzz complained. “We’re missing someone. I thought I said morning meeting at nine-thirty a.m.”
Buzz, Martha, Marshall, and Carolyn turned to look at Aki’s empty seat, then at Rueben. Rueben held up his hands.
“Oh shit,” Martha muttered and glared at Buzz, who thrust his hands into his pockets and started to whistle.
Rueben didn’t know what that was all about
“Well, find her,” Martha said. Buzz picked up a tablet and started flicking through surveillance footage inside the cave.
“Ah yes, she’s in the artificial greenhouse.” Buzz straightened his shirt collar with a glance Martha’s way. “Alone.”
Rueben nodded and got up to find Aki. First, though, he grabbed a cup of coffee to take to her.
Rueben didn’t know the place had a greenhouse in it. He eventually found it behind a steel reinforced door in what might have been the center of Buzz’s lair.
It had a high ceiling with small trees and bushes and grass growing from soil covering the stone floor. There was a fresh humid quality to the place that made him feel like he was out in the woods somewhere instead of below the ground. A few small streams flowed through the room, and insects chirped and buzzed. It reminded him of the conservatory in Buzz’s mansion but on a much smaller scale.
Wide rectangular light panels on the ceiling basked the entire area in surprisingly realistic morning “sunshine,” and he had to shield his eyes if he looked directly up at it. As he glanced around at the green growth, Rueben wondered how Buzz had the time to take care of any of this stuff, given that all he did was wander around in his slippers, get drunk, and tinker with robots. That was probably the answer right there. Robots.
Stepping lightly upon the soft grass, Rueben followed a stream to where Aki was sitting at a small bistro table with her laptop. She didn’t look up when he approached.
“Brought you a…lukewarm cup of coffee.”
She smiled and took the cup. “Thank you. Ah, lukewarm as advertised.”
“It was hot. Back when I started the hike to the greenhouse.”
“I know, this place is so huge.”
“Yeah.”
An awkward silence passed between them.
She broke it. “Look, about last night, I…”
He interrupted her. “Aki, I’ve been meaning to tell you—”
She cut him off. “Let me get this out first. I think I might have been drunk on something. I mean something weird, and my hormones went full-blown crazy. I…just want you to know that wasn’t me, and I’m not like that.”
Rueben frowned at the bistro table and played with the edge. “Um, okay.”
She sipped the coffee, and Rueben tried to read her expression. “So you’re not really into me, is that what you’re sa
ying? Last night was good, but it was as fake as the sunlight down here?” There was a disappointed tone in his words, but he didn’t say them harshly.
“No, no, that’s not what I’m saying at all.”
“I don’t understand. I mean, we had that moment in the hot tub, and I thought it was something.”
“It was something,” Aki said.
“Look, Aki, I…” He stopped. This was definitely not the time to tell her he loved her.
She placed her hand on his palm. “Rueben, my feelings for you are real.”
“Okay.”
“It’s just I’m still a little confused as to what overcame me last night. Martha and I were hanging out together, and the best I can come up with is Buzz’s massage therapist robot spiked me with a massive dose of oxytocin.”
It sounded ridiculous, but Rueben didn’t laugh. Knowing Buzz, that’s probably exactly what had happened to Aki.
“What I’m saying,” Aki continued, “is that I didn’t want our first time together to be like that. That’s all.”
Rueben’s shoulders relaxed, and he grinned. “Are you saying that you want me to kill myself and warp back so that you won’t remember last night…”
She punched him playfully on the arm.
“…because I thought it went pretty well.”
She laughed. “You dork. No, you can’t warp back. It could interact with the time disease if it’s here and you don’t want to start the apocalypse, do you?” She paused, her smirk turning incredibly sexy. “You thought last night was that good? You haven’t seen anything yet.”
Rueben chuckled. “Fine by me. Now I think we ought to head back to the conference room before Buzz sends his massage therapist robot after us both.”
Rueben and Aki made it back to the Operation Z meeting in the conference room. Everyone was finishing eating some donuts Emma had brought. Buzz wiped icing and crumbs from his hands. “Come on, people. The fate of the world is in our hands. Let’s try to be on time.”
Aki smiled apologetically, and she and Rueben took their seats.
Buzz started the meeting. “Here are your assignments: Rueben, Aki. You both are going to do some surveillance outside the hotel Rueben-Z is supposedly staying at. It’s possible that it’s a trap. Until we can confirm that he’s in there, you are to watch only.”
“Sounds easy enough,” Aki said.
“And,” Buzz continued, “if Rueben-Z does show up, I need you two to get a blood sample from him.”
“You expect him just to hand over his blood?” Rueben asked.
Buzz scowled. “You’re going to have to use your combat skills and draw it yourself. I’ll give you a syringe before you go. Any questions?”
They didn’t have any questions.
Next, Buzz turned to Martha and Marshall. “As for you two, you’re going to stop by the police precinct to view the pawnshop footage of the hotel from across the street. You did call your partner to get the footage, correct?”
“Yes, oh great one,” Martha said jokingly.
“Good. You and Marshall go through the footage and call Rueben and Aki if you come across Rueben-Z or anything suspicious. Remember, this could be a trap, but we need Rueben-Z’s blood so I can analyze it for the virus. Any questions?”
Marshall nodded. “What’s the plan for after we get this prick’s blood and you analyze it?”
“Good question.” Buzz licked his lips. “Once I’m able to get a look at the virus in Rueben-Z’s blood and have a better idea what we’re up against, we’re going to lure him here and trap him in a specially designed cell. It’ll contain the virus for whenever its trigger is activated, and the virus gets airborne.”
Marshall scratched his chin. “Wouldn’t it make more sense to lure him here, take the blood sample, then lock him up?”
Buzz looked like he was about to pull his hair out. “I want to know what we’re dealing with first so I can make sure his cell will contain the virus. Plus, I want you all out of here for a few hours so I can think. You people are so loud. There’s a reason I lived in a mansion by myself.”
Carolyn raised her hand. “I don’t have an assignment.”
“Oh right.” Buzz turned to her. “I have a different task for you. Everyone else, get ready to go.”
Rueben and Aki quickly packed for the trip into the city. From the clothing Rosa had purchased, Rueben selected a pair of sleek gray track pants and a black sports hoodie. A perfect contrast to Rueben-Z’s white one, and the hood would hide his face if they spotted Rueben-Z. Rueben had also found a pair of Versace shades among the new wardrobe.
Aki grinned when he slipped them on. “Sexy. Versace, huh?”
Rueben shrugged.
“Looks good on you. But didn’t those go out of style, like, three years ago?”
He scoffed. “You had to ruin it, didn’t you?”
She laughed. She was wearing an inconspicuous golden sundress with a cream silk scarf over her hair and chic designer shades. Together, they kinda looked like a celebrity couple trying to go incognito.
Once they were ready, they headed to the living room to find Buzz. Buzz was talking to Carolyn. “If I can get a blood sample from you, then.”
“Sure.”
Buzz turned and saw Rueben. “I’ll need a blood sample from you too.”
“Me? What is this, a maternity test? This isn’t the Jerry Springer Show.”
“No, it’s not, although I find the human interaction on that program entertaining. And equally confusing. No, I need a blood sample for science.”
Rueben snickered. “With you, everything’s for science, isn’t it?”
“I am a man of the mind. What can I say?”
Rueben pulled back his hoodie sleeve and joked, “How many pints you need? I don’t want to be light-headed during the mission.”
“Jeez, we’re not doing a plasma donation or anything. A vial from each of you will suffice. One moment. Let me get the sample kits.”
He turned to leave, and Aki said, “What about me?”
“What about you?”
“You don’t want some of my blood too?”
“Nope. I only need Repeater blood.”
Buzz turned and left the room, and Carolyn winked kindly at Aki and Rueben. “You two look so happy together. Kind of reminds me of Marshall and me when we were younger.”
Aki smiled.
“Which version of Marshall?” Rueben asked. “Marshall-Z or Marshall-A?” He realized as soon as he’d said it that it was probably an insensitive comment, but he hadn’t meant it that way.
“Both,” Carolyn said fondly. “Both parts of my life were such happy times for me. Looking back, coming to Earth-A was a blessing—not a curse.”
Buzz returned and handed Rueben a syringe. “For the Rueben-Z sample.” Then he drew his samples from both Carolyn and Rueben. As he finished, Martha and Marshall stepped into the room, dressed in street clothes to make their trip to the police precinct.
“All right, people,” Marshall declared behind a pair of gleaming aviator shades. “Commence Operation Z, shall we?”
Chapter Fourteen
Thursday, May 25, 2:34 p.m.
Martha and Marshall made good time into the city, probably because Marshall had allowed Martha to drive. He didn’t complain about the rough, bumpy dirt roads heading out of the Catskill Mountains. He held on and let her do her thing.
Now they stood outside the NYPD precinct building.
She hadn’t seen this place in days, ever since she’d requested some days off after the world summit situation. After everything that had happened, her boss Ken Kenneth was glad to give it to her.
“You earned it, Dragone. Why don’t you take a few days at the spa, get a cucumber wrap or something?”
No matter how many high-profile cases she solved, she would always be a “lady cop.”
She bounded up the steps, then noticed Marshall had stopped. “What?”
He shook his head reverently. “It’s been a l
ot of years since I’ve been in here.”
“Well, you were a hero back then. Still are.”
He nodded. “Good to be back, especially with Carolyn back and all. Feels good. Feels right.”
Martha peered at him. He didn’t ever open up like that. It was an odd thing to hear. She didn’t want to ruin the moment, so she said nothing and they pressed on through the doors.
“Dragone!”
She heard it as soon as she walked in. Tom. Tom had been the alpha male on the squad for a while, but once she cracked the Pout case and Kenneth promoted her, his star had fallen. Now he groveled for her favor, which after all he’d put her through, she wasn’t about to give him.
“Hello, Tom, good to see you. You might remember Marshall Peet, decorated hero?”
Tom nodded in awe. “They were going to make a movie about you. Weren’t they?”
“Yeah, well, it shows how desperate Hollywood is for good ideas these days, right?”
Tom laughed a little too loud and slapped Marshall on the back. Marshall laughed with Tom and glanced around the room. “Yep, looks like they kept this place looking about as good as it was when I was here.” One of the fluorescent lights flickered, and Marshall grinned. “To the T.”
Tom laughed. “Still the same old shithole, huh?”
Marshall rested his hands on his hips. “I always used to tell the junior officers when they’d complain about the place, ‘Well, the jail has a better facility. You don’t like it, go down there.’”
Tom chuckled. “It’s almost true.”
Zach the intern appeared then with an eager grin on his face. Martha shook her head. She didn’t know how many argyle blazers this kid had. This one was blue and orange, and he wore it with a light-blue dress shirt, khakis, and Converses. “Hey, guys! I’ve got that footage pulled up for you. Oh hey, Tom.”
Tom frowned and turned to leave. “Hello, Jack.”
“It’s Zach,” Zach mumbled to Tom’s departing back.
Marshall winked at him. “Ah, it’s part of it. If you haven’t pissed off someone yet, you’re not playing the game right.”
