The Huntress

by Michelle O'Leary

  He held her gently, careful of her wound. "You're welcome. Of course, I did expect to see you pregnant first before you became a mother, but what the hell."

  She laughed softly and kissed his cheek as she let him go.

  "How much longer, Ema? I need to talk to Uncle Mike."

  "It's going to be a couple of hours, so relax."

  "I don't do that very well. Warren, could you get me a portable?"

  With a nod, he left, but was gone longer than Mea had anticipated. She was shifting restlessly to Ema's grumbling when he came back carrying a portable viewscreen. "What took you so long?"

  "I wanted to wait until you were healed before showing you, but—" He sat down, propped the viewscreen on the table and pressed a few keys before turning it around so she could see.

  A slow smile curved her lips. "Well, well. Didn't go far did he?"

  She watched Stone's soft white silhouette as he stood leaning casually on a building she knew was in visual range of the Starfire. I sure as hell am not going to get any sleep now, she thought. Not with him so close. "He's watching out for Regan."

  "That's probably part of it, but I'll bet a couple of my servos that it's not the only reason he's out there."

  "Don't get my hopes up. Speaking of which, don't show this to Regan. I don't want to see that look on her face ever again when he leaves."

  "This time he might not leave."

  "Yes, but he might."

  "But he might not."

  She sighed, arching a brow at him and he held up a hand.

  "Okay, he might."

  After glancing one more time at Stone's white shadow, she tapped the screen with quick fingers. Uncle Mike's rugged features appeared.

  "Still not on Belatan time, Hunter?"

  "Did I wake you?"

  "No, I'm your boss. I never sleep. What is it, Mea?"

  "Have you heard from Regan's family yet?"

  "No. I don't know what the holdup is, but I would've contacted you if they had."

  "Can you send an addendum to your communication to them? I want you to tell them that in the event that they can't take her, there's someone who will."

  "Oh, yeah? Who'd you find—" He froze, staring at her as she smiled. "Mea, no."

  "Oh yes."

  "You can't! The life of a hunter is not one for a little girl!"

  "I turned out okay."

  "Damn it, Mea, you don't know what you're getting into."

  "Uncle Mike, are you trying to tell me that you regret taking me on?"

  He shifted with obvious discomfort. "Of course not."

  "That you didn't love or want me?"

  "You know I did." His eyes slid away from hers in embarrassment, but that didn't stop him from speaking his mind. "I fought like a dog to have you in my life, girl. I loved you like you were my own."

  "Uncle Mike, you were the best thing that ever happened to me, until now. I would slay dragons for this little girl. I would do anything to make her happy and by some miracle, what would make her happy is to be with me. Do you have any idea what that feels like?"

  He looked straight into her eyes and smiled, eyes crinkling at the corners. "Yeah, I sure do."

  She wanted to reach through the screen and kiss his dear face, but she settled for a tender smile.

  "I'm going to fight for her, Uncle Mike. Tooth and nail, right down to the bone."

  "Then it sounds like I raised you right." He sobered, becoming more business-like. "I'll send the message to her family. If they want her, though, you don't stand a chance. I hope you realize that."

  She nodded.

  "You'll need to petition Child Security for authorization to adopt. Don't you dare wake them up and try to do it now, though. Pissing them off is not how you want to start. I've got records from when I adopted you around here somewhere. I'll send them along—something in them might help. Oh, and you have my official approval to proceed, Hunter."

  "Thanks, Boss. I knew I could count on you."

  "Always."

  "How's the investigation going?"

  "What, on Bragan? That's over. With great bureaucratic pomp and circumstance, they've decided that Hunter Nat Bragan went rogue and was stopped in an unfortunate but necessary way." He shook his head ruefully. "You might even get a medal out of this whole mess."

  "For killing one of our own? Don't you dare let them."

  "By the way, we're holding a wake for him tomorrow night in the Academy courtyard. I think you should be there."

  She frowned. "You don't think that would be inappropriate? I'm the one who killed him, after all."

  "I'm making it an order. Besides, you didn't kill him by yourself." His mouth twisted bitterly. "Where is your supposed partner?"

  Mea looked away, catching Warren's grimace over the top of the viewscreen.

  "He's—around."

  "Around as in, not on the Starfire."

  It wasn't a question, and Mea looked at her boss narrowly. "Keeping tabs, are you?"

  "I said I would. What's going on, Mea?"

  "He's still deciding."

  He made a rude noise. "He's going to decide himself straight into trouble. Did he have anything to do with that slaver fiasco?"

  "No, he did not. Absolutely nothing."

  "You tell that boy to watch his step."

  Mea rubbed a hand over her eyes, weary beyond belief and not just physically. "Look, I've got to go. I need to get some sleep. Will you send over those records?" When he made an affirmative noise, she continued, "Goodnight then."

  She clicked off the viewscreen before he could say anything else and lowered her head to the table. "Warren, would you make sure we get those records? I need to rest for a little while."

  "No problem." He took the viewscreen off the table. "Why'd he call the slaver thing a fiasco?"

  "Hmm? Oh, the woman refused to testify against them, claiming she was a willing participant. No one saw the start of the fight, so it's my word against five of theirs that they threw the first blow. HQ had to let them go."

  "Damn."

  "You can say that again."

  "You need a pillow?"

  "Not necessary," Ema murmured and activated a force field under her body, lifting her above the table. It felt like gentle hands cradling her with perfect support.

  "Thanks, Ema. Could you wake me when you're finished?"

  "Umhmm."

  "Don't heal the scratch on my neck, though."

  "Why not?"

  "Sentimental value."

  Ema snorted, and Mea closed her eyes, drifting for a while. She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep, but tried anyway, concentrating on keeping her mind blank. Sometime later, she was lowered gently to the table. Sitting up, she ran an experimental hand down her left side.

  "Good work, Ema."

  "You'll need to come back in the morning for me to recheck it. And you need to sleep. Take some tranquilizers if you have to. You're body needs the rest, young lady."

  "Yes, Ema."

  Stretching gingerly, she left the infirmary. There was just a faint pulling in the area where the wound had been. Tomorrow morning that too should be gone. Slipping into her room, she put her bloody underclothes into the sanitizer and showered to get the blood off of her skin.

  Standing naked in the middle of her quarters, Mea fought with herself for a long moment before sighing in surrender and throwing on a wrap. She could use some fresh air anyway. And it wasn't like she was planning on seeing him.

  Stepping out of the hatch into the night, she tipped her head back to gaze fondly at the moons in their staggered positions. All three were up, which meant that it was very late indeed. Leaning against the ship, she studied the night sky and listened to the familiar roar and hum of the spaceport. Though it was noisy, it was also soothing and she felt a lethargy weigh down her limbs.

  Would he sleep? she wondered. The night was warm enough, and the sky seemed clear. Would he get tired of watching them and leave? The stars seemed to blur, and she blinked s
lowly. If she had Regan, she might survive that.

  Tipping her head down, she looked toward Stone's last known position. Of course, she could see nothing. If he was still there, he was hidden in the darkness. With a shake of her head, she stepped back through the hatch. That's enough fresh air, she thought to herself. Going back to her quarters, she stripped and slid into bed. When she finally did fall asleep, it was deep and dreamless.

  The next day was spent in the control room battling with Child Security over the viewscreen. At first they were adamant in their refusal of her petition, but Mea wore them down slowly. Arguing and cajoling her way through the lower ranks, she pushed up past the supervisors to the managers, ready to go all they way to the Coalition if she had to. Sweet-talking those that could be sweet-talked and bullying those that could be bullied, she finally managed to get them to agree to send a psych evaluator out to interview them.

  The evaluator interviewed them separately and then together, inspecting the ship and even questioning Warren and Ema. Mea did her best to be as cordial as possible, but after several hours of endless questions, the woman started to get on her nerves. The evaluator was trying very hard to find something else wrong with the situation besides Mea's profession and only Regan kept Mea from pitching the woman off the ship by the seat of her pants.

  When she finally left, they both breathed a sigh of relief and took a break for a meal and cookies. They tried to distract each other until Child Security came back with the verdict, but the wait was excruciating. It was late afternoon by the time they were notified. The final verdict was approval of Mea's petition to adopt, pending a negative response from Regan's aunt and uncle. Only if her family couldn't take her would Mea be allowed to keep her. It was a victory and Mea refused to let Regan think otherwise.

  "Let's go shopping."

  "What?"

  "I need a new outfit for Bragan's wake, and you, my dear child, have been wearing the same clothes since I met you."

  "I don't know, Mea. I don't feel like being in a crowd—"

  "Are you kidding? I don't shop that way. Come on, this'll be fun."

  Mea sat down in front of the viewscreen again and tapped it quickly. A man's face appeared after a moment. He had long dark hair, a thin face, and bird bright eyes. When he saw her, his face lit up and he spread his arms as though to hug her through the screen.

  "Mea Brin! My beauty! My sweet! It has been too long."

  "Hey, Powel. It's good to see you."

  "And how may I be of service to you this day?"

  "I'm going to a wake tonight and I need a new dress. Something appropriately boring and old fashioned and conservative. The munchkin here needs practically a whole new wardrobe."

  "Well, then, by all means, hook me in! I'm all yours."

  "All right, give us a minute to get down there."

  He nodded affirmative and disappeared from the screen.

  Mea's fingers flew over the panel in front of her before she got up, grinning at Regan's mystified expression. "Come on, squirt."

  She moved out of the control room and turned to her right, sliding back a panel in the wall to reveal a ladder leading down to the training room. Mea slid down it and waited for Regan.

  "I didn't know this was here."

  "I could tell."

  When Regan stepped off the ladder and turned around, she jumped about a foot to see Powel standing in the center of the room. Mea could tell the instant she figured out that it was a hologram. The child's face was as easy to read as a viewscreen.

  In order for Powel to see them, they had to be within a certain range of the holographic system. Once they came close enough, he turned to them, all smiles.

  "Mea, my darling, you become more exquisitely beautiful every time I see you."

  He kissed the air beside her ear, and she shook her head ruefully.

  "Flattery will not get you a bigger commission, Powel. This is Regan Freya, your new subject."

  "Oh, you are just the cutest thing! Step closer, little darling, and let me take your measurements."

  She inched closer with a dubious look, and Powel tapped away at some invisible panel, making approving noises.

  "All right, now, that's excellent. But perhaps we should start with you first, Mea, since you have only one paltry dress to purchase."

  "This should be quick."

  Mea pulled Regan out of the way as he tapped on his panel again and a dress appeared out of thin air, floating in front of them. It was vibrant red, long, nearly sheer, and sleeveless.

  "For god's sake, Powel! I'm going to a wake! I said boring and conservative, not screaming 'come get me.'"

  "But sweetness, this is the very thing these days. You would take their breath away—"

  "One of our hunters is dead. I don't want to take their breath away; I want to show proper respect and regret. Let's try something in black or deep blue. Something you can't see through."

  "To hide that lovely form would be a crime," he pouted, but the red dress vanished to be replaced by a cobalt blue long shimmering sheath cut dangerously high in the front.

  Mea rolled her eyes and Regan giggled.

  "Okay, I guess I'll have to be more specific. I want black, no slits, no shimmers, no glitters, and no frills. It doesn't have to be long, but not the short I know you like."

  "You try my creativity, but I think I have just the thing."

  The blue disappeared, and a short soft black dress appeared. It was still sleeveless, but cut fairly conservatively otherwise, considering what he'd shown her so far. The thick straps went around her neck leaving shoulders and a generous portion of her back bare, but the bust was cut fairly high and the skirt was just above her knee. Thoughtfully, she paced around it, and then stepped into the hologram so that it seemed as though she wore it over her clothes, eyeing herself in the mirror.

  "Pull the back up a bit and you've got yourself a deal."

  "Splendid! You have marvelous taste, as usual."

  "Now," she said as her purchase disappeared, "let's see how much credit we can burn through for you, sugar."

  But before they could get to it, Warren dropped down the ladder. His expression was solemn. "Ladies, Mike's on the com for you. It's your family, Regan."

  Mea's stomach dropped, but she managed a reassuring smile for Regan and took her cold little hand. "Let's go get the good news!"

  The pale dread on the child's face was a mirror of the cold knot in Mea's stomach, but she hid it as best she could and turned to Powel. "This may take awhile. I'll contact you again when we're ready."

  He nodded discreetly and turned away, flickering out of sight. At least the wait is over, Mea thought as she steered Regan's stiff little form towards the ladder.

  Chapter 14

  Stone eased back into the shadow of the building and wiped sweat off of his forehead. The damned sun was hot as hell. He wouldn't have to worry about that for long though, judging by the black clouds that were rolling in with unbelievable speed. Soon, he was going to be drenched and wishing for that damned sun.

  He leaned out again to look at Mea's ship, its surface reflecting the light painfully back at him and making his eyeballs ache. What the hell was going on in there? Conley had said that Regan's family would contact them in a few hours. That had been a day and a half ago. Why was she still in the hunter's ship? She should be long gone, to her aunt and uncle or to a foster family.

  Just as the clouds swallowed the sun, the android walked out of the hatch and headed straight towards him carrying something. Grinding his teeth, Stone folded his arms and waited. Warren stopped within a few feet of him and held out a slicker and two thermoses.

  "Coffee and soup."

  Stone ignored the offerings. "Why isn't she gone yet, android? What the hell is going on?"

  Expressionless, the android stared at him for a minute, then put the food and slicker down in front of him. "You want answers? You come inside out of the rain." Then he walked away.

  Stone thought that maybe
he'd feel a hell of a lot better if he took off the android's head. Fat drops of rain began to fall just as the android made it back to the ship. They felt icy on Stone's overheated skin, and he looked down at the slicker with a grimace. He slipped it on just as the sky opened up and sheets of rain pummeled him. It was falling so hard he could barely see the ship. Crouching over the thermoses, he waited—irritated, angry, and now very wet.

  After a while, it let up enough for him to open the thermoses. His stomach growled gratefully at the soup, but he grumbled at taking charity of any kind from the hunter. He ate it all, though, and was just finishing the coffee when a delivery transport stopped in front of the ship. He watched with a puzzled frown as two loads were taken up to the hatch and received by the android. He couldn't see what they were.

  The rain had stopped and the clouds began to break up when another transport arrived. This one he recognized. It was from Hunter HQ. This was it, he thought. They were here for Regan, and this was the last time he'd see her. That thought made the soup and coffee in his gut turn to lead.

  When Regan and Mea appeared though, he frowned. They looked—happy. Mea said something to the kid, and Stone could actually hear her laughter from where he stood. What the hell? He expected tears at least and maybe some kicking and screaming. Not smiles and laughter. Something was wrong.

  Regan disappeared into the transport, but Mea hesitated. Turning her head, she looked straight at him. And smiled. The lead in his gut turned molten, and he ground his teeth. What the hell was that woman up to now? She ducked into the transport, and they lifted off.

  Stone stalked toward the ship grimly. He was going to get some answers out of the android if he had to tear him apart to get them. Warren was waiting for him at the top of the ramp.

  "Before you get all violent on me, I have a transport coming so you can follow them."

  Stone stopped halfway up the ramp and stared at the android. "Why?"

  "That's what you want to do, isn't it?"

  He really wanted to wipe that smirk off of Warren's face. The android grinned wider as though he could see the violence moving under Stone's skin.