by K. T. Hanna
She listens to Dom ushering the men to sign and then releasing the two from their cells. It’s difficult to block the sound out and focus a sliver of her power on checking the wound. Sitting down isn’t an option because it’s seen as a sign of weakness, but the paranoia she has about having healed a serious wound requires she recheck it and leaning against the hull is the compromise.
Being outside feels more vulnerable, but she waits until the men are escorted away from the transport before entering the cabin again. Dom finishes reverting two of the holding cells back to their original form and leaves the third visually blocked off from them. Sai can’t help the sigh of relief at not having to watch the sleeping man on the ride back.
“I’ll have your bed ready in a few, Sai. You can sleep on the way home. You need it.”
Shaking her head, she sits down on one of the smaller single seats behind the driver, facing toward the benches he’s making into the bed. She puts her hands under her butt to ward off the sudden chill. “I don’t want to. I’ll sense them all over those cushions...”
Dom looks up at her and frowns. He reaches out a hand to feel her forehead. “You’re warm. Are you sure you’re okay?”
She bites her lip and glances away. “No, I’m really not. If they’d have combined their attack, there’s no way I’d have knocked them both out cold. One day someone will call me on my bullshitting, and I’ll be exposed. They’ll realize I’m nothing more than a kid posturing as an enforcer, and all hell will break loose.”
“Don’t be silly.” He kneels down, taking one hand.
“I couldn’t even keep this from happening!” Sai knows the tinge of hysteria in her voice is bad, but the wound has shaken her.
Dom shrugs. “Not many people would have been able to. If you’re posturing, you’re doing fine. Being so harsh all the time will turn you into a female Bastian. How am I supposed to deal with two of you?”
Sai gapes at him and laughs despite herself, cringing at the ache in her side.
“Let me see.” Since it’s not really a question, she leans to the side as he gently lifts up her shirt. He draws in a breath, a hiss through his teeth. “May I?” he asks softly.
She has no idea what concerns him, but nods anyway, closing her eyes tightly. A soft humming starts in her head as soon as Dom’s hand touches her skin. It’s accompanied by a beautiful warmth that overrides the pain. She feels so safe and so calm she gasps with surprise.
“Did I hurt you?” Dom asks, but the warmth continues.
“No.” Sai is afraid to move. After a few minutes, the humming stops and the warmth subsides. Her side feels almost as good as new. “What did you...?” She looks down at him in amazement and, for a moment, thinks he’s beautiful. His gold eyes glow softly and there’s a shimmer of incandescence around him, like his camouflage is fading.
“Once something is tentatively healed through psionics, I can encourage it.” He smiles and stands up, his hand lingering on her shoulder for a moment. “You’ll feel extremely tired soon. We should get you comfortable.”
“I’ll sleep in the passenger seat if that’s okay. I don’t want to sleep where they were.”
Dom holds her gaze for so long she starts to feel a little dizzy, and then he nods. “You’ll be safe up front.”
Sai smiles and barely settles down in the seat before complete exhaustion overtakes her.
The shiver down her back wakes Sai up at the roadblock to get back into the cities north of Central. Sai sits upright and turns around, noticing Hounds leaving their transport and giving Dom the go-ahead.
He glances at her before pulling back into traffic. “Sorry about that. I was hoping you’d manage to sleep through them. How’re you feeling?”
“Insatiably curious about what a Hound is.”
“You’re feeling like yourself again then.” Dom checks a few of the switches on the console, the cameras, and settles into cruise. He leans back and looks at her, crossing his arms. “A Hound is a failed version of me.”
“Say what?”
“Well, not me, but the Domino Project, which initially began decades before the wars. They were the first attempt at making the perfect disposable killer but are far more animalistic than intended. Bound by blood to their handlers, they’re currently used to sniff out illegal substances and people.”
Sai scrunches her face up, trying to figure it out. “They’re related to dominos?”
“Not exactly. They experimented with their sense of smell and hearing, their shell or skin. Don’t let one rub up against you. Their skin is abrasive and noxious. Hounds were a part of the process before they thought to introduce the adrium compound into the mix, before they figured out we could synthesize it. Even before the Damascus.”
Sai shudders at the mention.
“If the Damascus were operational right now, the Hounds wouldn’t be handled by humans, regardless of blood ties.”
“Why?”
Dom shrugs. “No one knows. When the Damascus were created, the Hounds’ loyalties shifted immediately. Since the Damascus have been in stasis for the past two decades, the Hounds are less dangerous.” He pauses for a moment, his expression darkening. “There’s nothing we can do about it anyway. Not about any part of the project.”
“You make it sound like you regret being...” Sai stops on the word, not sure how to phrase “being created.”
“Sometimes I believe there are instances where humans shouldn’t play god, even if I’m the result of one of them.”
Sai leans back, slightly confused by Dom’s demeanor. No emotions flicker across his face, and his almost reflective imitation of skin dulls for a brief moment.
“Make sure you’ve filled out your report of the incident in full. We’ll deliver our guest to Markus and head straight over to give Bastian the report. He should feed you. Assignments are rolling in. We’ll be on our way again shortly.”
Sai balks at the information, as well as the complete change of subject. “Do I get time to heal?”
“Maybe.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
Dom glances sideways at her and shrugs again. “I really wasn’t created to kid, Sai.”
Waiting, especially sitting down alone at a table in one of Central’s nicest restaurants, has never been one of Bastian’s strong suits. He glances at the menu, sure of his order since before he walked through the door, and eyes the stained glass at the entry as it opens.
Zach raises his hands in defeat and sits down, oblivious to the patrons surrounding them. The deep blue of his suit matches perfectly with the plush velvet of the antique chairs and the brown accents in his tie complete the look. “The woman doesn’t know what she’s doing, Bastian. She’s running this company into the ground.”
Bastian glances at his watch, suppresses a sigh, and reminds himself again that Zach likes to be the center of attention always. “I take it you mean Deign? Again?”
Zach blinks and reaches for the glass of wine delivered stealthily by their attendant. The crystal sings softly as he swirls the liquid. “Who else would I be talking about? Are you paying attention to me, Basty?”
No, Bastian thinks as he pushes himself upright. He clears his throat before speaking softly. “So you’re saying the unforeseen profits we’ve had since Deign took over eight years ago would be much higher with you in her place?”
Zach glares at him and rolls his eyes melodramatically. “Listen, Basty. You don’t have the drive I do.” He glances at Bastian with unconcealed pity in his eyes. “After all, you’ve never really cared about the politics of it all. Not since your old man...” He grins and changes the subject. “I’ve always excelled where it counted, and you sort of drifted along and succeeded in your own way. Not that the jobs you, uh, do aren’t extremely important.” Zach daintily avoids naming Bastian’s real purpose. Sitting in one of the most popular restaurants in Central, with its remnants from earth long before the Disaster Era, it’s probably best to avoid anything indelicate. “The school
needs you. But apart from that, it’s nothing that the people depend on now, is it?”
Bastian waits for the lecture to continue, hating the dulling taste of Shine on his tongue. It mixes strangely with the cabernet, giving it a bitter aftertaste. The only reason Bastian ever has to be wary of Zach is his friend’s ability to sense psionic strength. He picks the people who fuel the psionic grids overlaying the cities. Zach is the reason Rares are so scarce.
He allows his gaze to drift around the old-fashioned decor. Almost everything at Riccardo’s is old, and if it isn’t, it’s made to look like it. The prices can only be afforded by inner-city Central inhabitants, of course, but then again, most things are...
“The city agencies I run have become extremely profitable. It’s not all her doing,” Zach continues, a slightly whiny undertone poisoning his words.
“And I take it my graduates who provide fuel to the suggestion grids don’t contribute either?” Bastian doesn’t rely on volume to drive home his point.
Zach pales for a moment but covers it with a grin. At some stage, the server miraculously refilled his drink. “How is the student body doing?”
Bastian leans forward and takes another sip of his own drink to stave off the horror he constantly feels at so many young lives lost. “You should know. You helped select the final examinations.”
“Point being, I thought only specific candidates were supposed to make it.” The smile is gone from Zach’s face.
Bastian leans back and shrugs, sealing the mortar of his shields tighter. The young girl inconspicuously serving their meals reminds him of Sai. “We were bound to be surprised one day.”
Zach chuckles, but the expression doesn’t reach his eyes. “I’m only sorry I couldn’t be there.”
“And is Kabe measuring up to your levels of sneakiness?” Bastian makes sure his tone is light and inoffensive.
Zach barks out an arrogant, self-assured laugh. “He can try to meet my standards.” He winks at Bastian before downing his glass in one shot. “You even found an empath for Deign for once. She’ll be good for the grid. Empathy is always the best way to direct any type of suggestion.”
“It is, isn’t it?” Bastian pops a bit of salad into his mouth. The taste is almost lifeless, and he wishes that for once he visited this place when he didn’t have to dull his senses.
“Of course! You know it. You placed her there. And they all thought you were too young to take over.”
Bastian raises an eyebrow as he takes another tasteless bite of his food.
“I’m not sure quite how you managed it, old friend, but people in this school fear you. Good for you. ‘Rule with an iron fist,’ our fathers always said, eh?”
Sometimes Bastian wonders why Zach wasn’t drowned in the bathtub as a child. His arrogance leaves him oblivious to anything that doesn’t directly affect him. Full of good intentions GNW might be, but reverting government back to inherited positions was one of their major flaws.
“We’re going to have to do something about the Exiled. I heard your girl was shot.”
Bastian nods, sips his drink, and tries not to tighten his grip to the point he breaks the glass. Dom didn’t mention Sai was shot in their last communication. Bastian doesn’t like being the last to know. “I don’t believe it was the Exiled.”
Zach shrugs. “We’ll know for certain when they deliver the man to Markus.”
“Of course.”
Zach watches Bastian for a few seconds. “I’ve been getting a trickle of information, but nothing solid. You’ll take care of it when I have something substantial, of course?” He asks the question carefully, shifting his gaze to the wine in his hand. Asking someone to eliminate a likely human problem is always awkward.
“You know I will. Anything for the greater good.”
“You’re a good man, Basty. You’ve always had that outer calm.” He pauses for a second, lips pursed, and then shrugs. “I’m not sure how you do it.”
“Because I have to.” It slips out before Bastian can stop it. He smiles tightly to lighten the mood. “Comes from losing my mother at such a young age.” It’s not a lie. That exact moment is when his entire life’s purpose fell perfectly into place.
“Sarah would be proud of you.” Zach downs the rest of his drink and glances at his watch. “Must go and entertain Deign. Have to make sure her new little brat doesn’t accidentally brush against me when she takes my coat. Poisonous little thing, that one.”
Bastian raises an eyebrow. “You know the touch has to be prolonged, right?”
“You never know.” Zach grins. “Thank your girl for me.”
Bastian stands and shakes hands with his oldest and worst friend. “I’ll see you soon, Zach.”
“Don’t be a stranger, Basty. You know where I am.”
Watching as he leaves Riccardo’s, Bastian wishes Zach hadn’t always been as fickle as he is. Perhaps they could have had a true friendship instead of...this.
Bastian hears them coming down the hall before they knock on his door. “Come in,” he says, unable to stave off the exasperation.
“What’s up, boss?” Sai’s greeting is over-bright. “You sound annoyed.”
“You’re spies? More like elephants in disguise.”
“Can’t be.” Sai lowers herself into a seat. “Elephants have been extinct for a hundred and seventy-five years.”
Bastian glances at her, not sure if she’s serious or not. Her pupils seem unnaturally large, and he raises an eyebrow at Dom.
“She’s tired and stressed. You sent us into an ambush.”
“Not my intention.” Bastian stands up, walks over to lean on the edge of the desk, and crosses his arms. “I heard you got shot.”
Sai closes her eyes and pulls at a strand of her hair, twirling it around her finger so tightly it probably hurts. “I got shot. Dom saved me. Would have hit me in a place I couldn’t stop the bleeding fast enough if he hadn’t knocked me out of the way.”
Bastian looks back at Dom. “That bad?”
Dom shakes his head and motions for him to be quiet. It’s difficult not to push, but it means Dom will talk to him later about it.
Bastian tries a different approach. “The culprit?”
Sai shrugs. “Some disgruntled employee who acted out of rage after I...rebutted Yearns and Dawson’s arguments. He’s with Markus now.”
“Food is ordered. I’ve read through the file you sent ahead. Frankly, Sai, you don’t seem well.” He lowers his voice with the last, unable to keep the concern from it.
“Thanks, boss.” She waves at him, eyes drooping, and focuses on her hands. “I don’t like these assignments. I’m not the person I pretend to be. One day, that’ll be dangerous.”
“Do you know why I send you, Sai?”
She looks up at him, as if he’ll give her all the answers. “No.”
“I send you because I know that, if it comes down to it, you can be dangerous. There are a lot of people who can pretend. Perhaps even some that can act it out. But when all is said and done, if you get into a pinch, I can count on you to be the dangerous element you’re pretending to be. Even if you’re scared at first.” He pauses and watches her bite her lip and turn away from him.
“Sai, you were born with this ability for a reason. Just like I was.” He kneels and turns her chair to face him, pretending not to see the tears decorating her face. “Just like Dom was created for a reason. Do you understand?”
She nods and raises her chin, setting her jaw.
“There it is,” he says and stands again. “I thought you’d lost the spitfire in you for a second.”
“You wish.” She laughs weakly, but at least it’s a laugh. After a moment she sighs and looks up at him again. “You mentioned food?”
“Oh, I thought with all this feeling-sorry-for-yourself, you might not be hungry.” He pretends to press the communications panel on the desk.
“No!” She reaches forward and stops him. “I’m starving. Transport rations are horrible
and the healing took it out of me.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not canceling. Dom might kill me.”
She leans back in her chair, watching him warily. “You’re in a good mood tonight. I’m not used to seeing you like this.”
“My killjoy. I’m in a good mood because I got to see someone today I haven’t seen in a while and am not sure how much I’ll get to see of him in the future.” There’s a resounding knock at the door. “Perfect timing. That would be our dinner.”
Sai’s expression is blissful as she bites into food she’s likely never tasted before. Even though the fare is less extravagant than what he ate for lunch, Bastian enjoys watching her experience it. It’s amazing how much of an impact a simple roasted sandwich can have on someone unused to good food.
Bastian tries hard not to think about the animals bred and raised in concrete shelters in the outer areas of the UCs, past even where Sai grew up. They have to provide meat to the populace somehow, but if he thinks about it too much, he’ll revert to only eating the consumables in the hydroponic shelters.
Sai smiles in contentment as she finishes her last bite and pats her waist. He often forgets her origins. Life below the poverty line and in the training facility hasn’t given her palette much of a range.
“Take my guest quarters for now. You leave shortly after midnight, so you may as well sleep here. Dom and I will plan your next assignment while you do. You need to be as rested as possible.”
“Fine.” But she smiles as she heads to the other side of the room.
“To the right, not the left,” he calls as she almost wanders into his room. The slight hitch to her step is worrisome.
“Oops.”
Bastian pushes his hair back and stares hard at Dom. “Are you going to tell me how the hell she got shot at on such a routine mission?”
“It wasn’t exactly routine, Bastian. They jumped her from the moment we walked in and had no intention to negotiate. What they didn’t count on when they were told a woman was coming to mediate for them was that she’d kick them back into last century.”
