by JOSEPH RAY
“Damn it, Zena,” he snapped. “You know where I just came from, and the nasty shit I had to put up with. Right now, I’d appreciate some straight talk. While you’re at it, tell AJ to get his scrawny ass in here. Felt his eyes on me the entire time I’ve been here.”
The wooden door had almost closed itself due to the way the frame had been set. Now, it slowly swung open, the metal hinges creaking as the longhaired AJ entered the home. The long hair was brown, with heavy amounts of gray mixed in it as well as the scraggly beard on the man’s face. He wore a long, brown leather coat that matched Zena’s vest. A simple black t-shirt and brown pants lie beneath, making it difficult to see what was attached to the man’s belt. The addition of a hat would make him the perfect cowboy if such things existed anymore.
“Also suggest we make this quick,” Nathan continued. “There’s an MA riding my exhaust trail as we speak. Probably be here within the hour.”
Zena swore under her breath as she stepped back from the gun in her face. MA’s were nothing but trouble these days, especially on a planet like Mesa. If an Agent gathered a quarter of the attention of the planet, an MA would gather the rest. This was not a good place for her to be at the moment.
Nathan kept an eye on AJ, noting that the man’s left hand was under the coat, hidden from his view. He’d never met AJ Harper, but every lawman knew of his reputation. If the term ‘gunslinger’ were ever used in this modern time, Harper would be the picture they used in the data file. The cracked lines on the man’s face told Nathan that he’d been places, seen harder times than he could likely imagine. Calloway had done as he planned, getting the slinger to come out from hiding. Deciding it wise to let the pot simmer, Nathan slowly returned his pistol to its holster. After he snapped the leather strap back over the weapons hammer, Harper’s covered hand returned to view, closing the door behind him.
The three said nothing else as they ascended the stairs. Zena led Nathan up the dark stairwell, Harper following close behind. The Agent stopped at the edge of the room, his eyes locking upon whom he assumed to be Yomiel Koranth. Harper brushed past him, taking Zena’s place at the window. The rugged man pulled the drape back a few inches, peering out to the street.
“Mr. Koranth I presume?” Nathan asked, stepping toward the man.
“Yes,” he muttered. “Have you come to arrest me, Agent?”
Nathan had intended to extend his hand, but the trembling body of his host suggested it would only terrify the poor soul. He scanned the room, looking for signs of Lord Elsmere’s ‘property.’ There were doorways to other rooms, blankets hung for privacy. The Agent counted three, suggesting that some of the girls had shared a room growing up.
“Not right now,” Calloway replied, his eyes returning to the terrified host. “I would like to speak with your daughter, though.”
Yomiel looked anxiously to Zena and Harper before turning in his simple, wooden seat to face the Agent standing before him. The man’s large brown eyes looked to the floor, not wanting to make contact with the Agent’s gaze.
“Captain Benson says she knows you,” he started. “How is this possible?”
Agent Calloway looked to Zena, noticing the determined look upon the woman’s face. His memories flashed before his eyes, reminding him of simpler times in his life. Everyone has days or moments in their lives they wished to live over again. For Calloway, the blue-eyed face before him haunted those moments.
“We were partners,” he replied, still looking at the Captain. “Many, many years ago.”
“Not SO long ago,” she whispered, a pleasant smile forming on her plump lips.
“Not long enough,” Nathan finished, turning his attention back to Yomiel. “She probably told you not to worry about me. She’s probably right. I don’t want to talk about Elsmere right now, just want to see your daughter.”
Yomiel looked to Zena, his brows pushed high upon his forehead. The Captain closed her eyes, only offering a nod in acknowledgment. The brown eyes swept the floor as the narrow head turned to face forward.
“Elzana, come out here please,” Yomiel shouted.
From the room to his left, Calloway could hear the shuffling of feet on the stone floor. Slowly, the light brown curtain slid open, revealing a familiar face to the Agent. Elzana was clearly the eldest of the sister’s, the same unmistakable features upon the woman’s face. Nathan felt no shame in admiring the view, this time, the girl’s simple beauty practically demanded his attention. Two darkened bruises covered the left side of the beauty’s face, likely a parting gift from Elsmere.
“Agent, this is my oldest daughter, Elzana,” Yomiel said. “I’m sorry, I would introduce you, but I do not know your name. I don’t wish to call you Agent all night.”
Nathan’s face became red in embarrassment. Even out here, amongst the outer planets, one should not have forgotten one’s manners. He almost felt shame, knowing he’d been raised better than that.
“Forgive me,” Nathan stammered, a sheepish smile forming upon his face. “I am Nathan Calloway, an Agent from the I.I.U. I’m just following up with the incident on Parasus.”
“I am pleased to meet you, Agent Nathan,” she replied, her eyes locking onto the stone floor. Her voice was soft, a faint wind on a warm day. “But I would hardly diminish my life on Parasus to being called an incident.”
“Agent CALLOWAY,” her father corrected. “Forgive her, Agent Calloway, we say things a little differently on Mesa. Surnames are treated much as middle names are on Earth. They are important on documents, but not in our conversations. We prefer things to be personal here, not formal.”
“Well,” Calloway replied, scratching his brown hair. “Then just call me Nathan. That seems informal enough. Also, I don’t mean to underplay what you went through. Just trying to remain professional. ”
Elzana smiled, her narrow face looking up to the Agent for the first time. He could see the father’s eyes in her, the same brown and black engulfing the white. A darker side of him knew why Elsmere had taken the four, knowing that the three younger sisters would eventually blossom to the creature before him.
“That’s terrific,” Zena said. “Now that we’re all comfy with each other, perhaps we could get back to that MA that’s heading this way?”
“I don’t understand,” Elzana stammered, still gawking at Calloway. “What is this MA you speak of?”
“Military Advisor,” Zena replied. “You see, the kind people on Earth seem to think they still have jurisdiction over the whole galaxy. In fact, they’re so kind that they send not one, but two investigators every time there’s a problem that goes off the world. Since they can’t seem to agree who has authority over what, they send someone from the government AND from the military, just to make sure they cover all the bases.”
Elzana looked horrified as she listened to the woman’s explanation. Her wondering eyes shifted back and forth between her two guests, uncertain which one would speak next.
“As I recall,” Nathan started. “YOU were an Agent once. You didn’t seem to mind dumping problems on the military when it suited you then, so why is it such a big deal now?”
The mocking smile faded from Zena’s face, her plump cheeks shoving her lips forward into a scowl. She took a step forward, putting herself within inches of the taller Agent Calloway.
“You know damn well why,” she spat, her blue eyes burning through his face. “You got some nerve even questioning me like that.”
Nathan paid her little attention, his larger frame pushing past her as he made for the man watching the window. Harper diverted his stare from the window, his hand preparing to reach for the pistol hidden beneath his jacket. Before Calloway could cross the room, a shiny, heavy firearm was aimed at his face. It seems legends were sometimes true.
“Speaking of nerve,” Nathan started, taking a step back from the enormous cannon pointed at him. “I remember where I’d seen this one before though it was a different name back then. The Rattler, that’s what they used to call
you. How many bodies did he leave us back then, CAPTAIN?”
Zena hadn’t bothered to turn towards the question, her body still facing the empty wall before her. Her pale skin was turning pink, her heart rate soaring to an uncomfortable level. Part of her wanted to order Harper to pull the trigger.
“Plenty,” she snapped, turning towards the Agent.
“Then why choose him for company?” he asked, still staring at the gun.
“Because those bodies deserved to be bodies,” she snapped. “Not one of them were decent people, you know that. Same reason why I left you in that alley, Calloway. Don’t act like you forgot.”
He ignored the gun. He ignored the other three people in the room. At the moment, the room only consisted of himself, and a ghost from the past. It’d been seven years, best to his recollection since he’d seen her ass end tailing away from him. Seven years since she’d left him in that alley to die.
“The hell with you,” he hissed, pushing through her once more and making for the stairs. “Good luck with the MA. Hope you know how to deal with a Cyber.”
Jaws dropped.
“Cyber?” Harper gasped. “Ya didn’t say nothing bout a Cyber Cap!”
“Wait!” Zena shouted.
It was too late as Nathan was already halfway down the stairwell. His feet stomped every step, sending thundering echoes through the stone dwelling. Zena looked back to Harper, before groaning and chasing after the Agent. Her feet were quick, descending the stairs before the man could get a hand upon the wooden door handle. She reached out with one hand, clasping onto the Agent’s shoulder. He turned, faster than she’d anticipated. As his plain features skewed, a menacing face bore down upon her.
“Tell me why I should give a fuck what happens next!” he whispered hoarsely. “Huh? Give me one damn reason why I shouldn’t have all of you hauled to the Colony. Go ahead Red, gimme one good reason.”
The blue eyes stared back into his simple brown. For a moment, she had to remember to breathe. How long had it been since that horrible night? Six years? Seven? How many more had to pass before he forgave her? Worse still, how many more until she forgave herself. She’d been pushed to her breaking point, but it had nothing to do with her former partner. If not for him, she’d snapped long before that night. The anger was fading quickly, humility settled in.
“I’m so sorry Nathan,” she cried. “I know you can’t forgive me, but at least, try to understand me. Take me in if you want, but leave them out of it. You know they don’t deserve to be drug back to him.”
There was something about the face she was showing him, the side of her he hadn’t seen in so long that he doubted its existence. Time heals all wounds, but some wounds need more time than others need. He knew she was right, he had zero intentions of dragging Yomiel and Elzana into their war. They were good people, by any standards. The type of people that needed him the most. He wouldn’t sacrifice them just to get petty revenge over his ex-partner, no matter how deeply she’d wounded him.
“You know me better than that,” he snapped. “What I can’t figure out is why there aren’t twenty rings between those two and Parasus. This is the first place he’ll look for her and you know it. You got a plan that doesn’t involve handing them over to him for a bigger payment than they’re giving you?”
“Don’t you dare!” she whispered back. “Don’t you dare talk to me like I’m a backstabbing bitch. You think I didn’t tell them to run. You think I didn’t feel for them when she told me what Elsmere and his men were doing to her. I’d have them on the other side of the galaxy by now if they weren’t so damn stubborn.”
Despite her inner demanding, tears had begun to stream over her cheeks. The drops amplified the tiny freckles on her face, reminding him of the younger woman he’d once known. He leaned away from her, sensing the trap.
“Can the waterworks Red,” he replied solemnly. “Don’t think you can just cry your way out of this one. I don’t need you to tell me what that bastard was doing. I met the man and wanted nothing more than to put a bullet between his eyes. I don’t say that about many people, so you know I mean it. You know I’ll just walk away and say they weren’t here. I’ll say it, but how long til they send someone else. Elsmere has a ton of power. He’ll have hunters in here by tomorrow morning. Hell, he may just send a message and find some right next door to this place. Mesa isn’t exactly the pinnacle of proper citizens.”
“The tears aren’t fake,” she snapped, wiping them away. “Wouldn’t waste the water on you anyways. But don’t you go acting like some hardass neither. You got a soft side to you. That’s why you’re here to warn them instead of waiting for a squad to help you take them back.”
“I HAD a soft side,” he replied. “Must have fell out when they dug that bullet outta my chest.”
“Oh don’t you even go there,” she whispered, the anger returning to her face. “I called the medical team in and you know it. I saved your life damn it!”
Nathan’s hands shot forward, clutching both of Zena’s wrists and pulling them up between them. He leaned in, his face only inches from hers. In another life, the act would have symbolized a much different intent. This time, it meant that years of built up anger and resentment were about to be unleashed.
“You better get your damn head checked,” he snapped. “That bullet I took was meant for you, and you just left me there, bleeding out on the street. How long til you found out if I even survived, huh? Did ya find out for yourself, or was today the first time you thought about it?”
She tried to pull away, but his hands were stronger and he outweighed her by fifty pounds, at least. She wouldn’t let the tears return, but the ball of guilt in her throat was demanding to be heard. The lips turned to anger as she tried to rip herself free of his grasp, but the tears were still threatening, still lingering.
“I think that’ll be enough!” Harper snapped from the stairwell. “You two been carrying on for a little too long. Maybe I’ll just heave a bucket of water on ya and be done with it. Whatever history you too are pissing and moaning about won’t mean squat when that MA gets here. Think it’s time we start talking bout that instead.”
She managed to wiggle her wrists free when Nathan fixed his stare to the man. True, they had to come up with a plan, and quick, but he wasn’t feeling too worried about the Cyber at that very moment. He felt her pain, felt her pulling herself away from him. It was like living a dream all over again.
“Yeah, the Cyber,” she started, keeping her face hidden from both of them. “What do we do when IT gets here?”
“Don’t go calling him an IT,” Nathan snarled. “Thought you were better than that.”
She stopped crying, the Captain returning to her helm. Her blue eyes dove right to his brown, her stance finding defiance once more.
“Seems to be a bad habit for you, Agent,” she replied. “When IT gets here, we’re all fucked, even you.”
“Even me?” Nathan laughed. “Why the hell would I be in trouble?”
“Cuz you ain't taken her back yet,” Harper replied, coming down the last few stairs. “That can’t look too good for you, now can it?”
Calloway turned his attention to the older man, wishing he’d come this close to him ten years ago. Legendary law-breakers were prized commodities for lawmen, especially one with the reputation like the Rattler. The locals always liked to tell the tales of how many men he could drop before any of them could return a single shot. It always seemed like an impossible stretch, but that was the problem with legends.
“So far,” Nathan replied. “I’ve done everything the MA and I agreed to do. I said I would come here and find them, which I’ve done. Right now, I’m just waiting for him.”
“You won’t have to wait much longer,” Elzana cried out, racing down the stairs.
The young woman jumped down the last few, bouncing off Harper as she stumbled and regained her balance. She pushed through the arguing crowd, reaching for the doorway and throwing it open. They could hear
the reaction long before they could see anything from the doorway. Cries of joy echoed through the small collection of buildings. Calloway pushed past Zena, rushing out the open door to see what caused the commotion. The sight lifted his heart. Not a hundred paces away, the back of Elzana, her arms stretched out wide, could be seen running towards three smaller figures. Nathan didn’t need to see past Elzana to know what was happening. Somehow, some way, the Cyber had proved to be the hero.
Nathan thought of running to meet them, but a brush of wind sailed by as Yomiel raced out to catch up with his daughters. The three arguing adults set aside their differences, each happily striding towards the reunited family. Tears fell over dark faces without an ounce of shame. The girls hugged their sister, their father, and each other in turn. The happy man could scarcely contain his joy, smothering the returning daughters with kisses on their foreheads and cheeks.
Behind the joyous scene, a tall figure loomed. Gradually, the shadow drew closer to the small crowd. Agent Calloway smiled, uncertain if a Cyber could appreciate the scene that he’d created. It took many more seconds for Zena to see the approaching MA, but that was what she hired the Rattler to do. The longhaired man had his pistol drawn, the sites splitting the eyes that glared back at him.
“Put it away,” Nathan suggested.
“Don’t see that happening,” Harper replied. “Not when I got that thing dead in my sites.”
Harper felt the metal push against his skull long before he heard the Agent move. He lowered the weapon, feeling it being removed from his weathered hand. The MA slowly closed in, still focusing upon the threat of the gunman.
