“She’ll be fine,” he tried to assure her.
“You love her,” she said matter of factly.
He wanted to shake his head and assure her that wasn’t the case. There was no basis behind it and no reason to think on it at all. Truth was they’d had a lovely evening once so many moons ago he’d need fingers and toes to count them all. While he was on the road he’d looked forward to the conversations he’d have with Ryla. He enjoyed her company and he was glad to have it again. He could have said all that and more, given his gift with words, but he didn’t want to lie. Least of all to her.
The truth was if even a week ago Rain had come to him and said, “Take me. Take me and Leone and run us far away and never look back,” he would have done just that. She never would though, that was a fact he’d forced himself to come to terms with. He wasn’t sure where he stood with Ryla or what they were just yet and so now wasn’t the time for such talk. Still he needed to say something.
“Rain will always be special to me,” Quey admitted. He looked into her eyes and added, “I don’t love her though. Maybe once I thought I could, but it’d never been given the chance to go that far. And maybe it took me a while to realize…” he stopped. Ryla didn’t need all his fancy verbiage. She was a woman of directness who liked things strait and to the point. “When I was on the road I was always on the lookout for a reason to call you. I missed you out there. Found I thought about you from time to time, if I saw something that reminded me of you.”
“I occur to you?” Ryla asked.
He smiled and chuckled a bit. “You do at that strange one,” he told her and tapped her nose.
She smiled at what she’d once considered an insult but now found she rather welcomed as a term of endearment and settled against him peacefully. “I don’t know how this works,” she admitted, a bit self-consciously. “Everything’s moving so fast and in new directions. I don’t know what to make of it.”
“Then take your time and don’t make anything of it just yet.” She settled against him, her thin frame entwined with his.
It didn’t feel like long to them, lying naked on the couch, arms wrapped around one another, but it must have been hours before there was a gentle wrapping on the door. “Hey, uhh,” it was Reggie. “Anyone in there?”
Quey and Ryla shot to their feet and dressed with haste.
“Oh yeah,” Quey shouted, “We were taking a break.” Ryla was dressed first as she only needed to throw her dress over her head and straiten it. She hurried to the door as Quey finished pulling on his paints and unlatched the door slowly, buying him time to finish putting himself together.
When she finally pulled the door open she found Reggie outside and waiting. “Something wrong?” she asked.
“Arnie’s all worked up. Wants to talk to us.”
“What about?” Quey asked.
Reggie shrugged, “Won’t say but I can guess if you can’t.”
Quey nodded thoughtfully. Rain. This would be about her.
As they emerged from the lounge Arnie came through the doors. “There you are,” he blurted. Before Quey or Ryla could respond he asked, “Do any of the cars in the garage work?”
“No,” Ryla replied simply.
“How long would it take to repair one?”
“They are damaged beyond a reasonable threshold, their best function now is as spare parts.”
“But they can be fixed,” he insisted.
“What’s this about?” Quey asked.
“It’s about if we can get one running, with a few modifications, I can drive out of here. So is it possible?” he asked Ryla.
After a thoughtful moment she replied, “Yes.”
“And how long would it take?”
Quey interrupted, “We can’t divert any-”
“Six hours,” Ryla offered. “With minimal disruption of other repairs,” she added, looking at Quey.
“And you could soup ‘em up a bit, make them faster, bigger engine, manual transmission?”
“Yes,” Ryla replied.
“Good, then we do that and when it’s done the three of us’ll go find Rain.”
Quey blinked and looked to the boy, “The three of who?”
“You me and Reggie.”
Quey glared at him. “You understand why that can’t happen right?”
Arnie stared back at him. “Look, I think it might help. I mean we’re sure to draw some of the Brood off with us.”
“And what? You think they’re just gunna follow us and forget all about this place?”
“Of course not but Ryla’s ships-”
“Might not be ready,” Quey finished for him.
Reggie watched the exchange, keeping his tongue to himself.
Arnie sighed, “Well we have to do something. She’s one of us, what did you call it? One of our crew, we can’t just…” he trailed off and Quey could see in his eyes that he didn’t know whether to be pissed off or devastated.
Quey nodded. “She is, Arnie. But the brood wasn’t here when she left. It was clear sky’s and she could have asked any one of us for help and sure enough we’d have given it to her. She chose to go her own way and you should know she did it because she didn’t want us following.” It was Quey’s turn to sigh. “I mean to do something about this, but,” he trailed off thoughtfully.
Arnie looked up at him.
“I know it’s hard,” Quey told him, “but she’s a tough girl and on this we’re just going to have to trust her to take care of herself.”
Arnie took a long time to process what Quey had said. When finally he was done he looked up and said, “Give me the car and I’ll go myself.” Before Quey could say no he added, “If something happens to her and I don’t at least try, I’ll never forgive myself.” His head sunk and took his shoulders with.
Quey looked at the young man standing before him and saw he meant what he said.
“We should at least try,” Ryla said softly. Quey looked at her and she added, “She’s my friend.”
Finally Quey took a long breath and said, “She has over a day’s lead on you.”
“Yeah. Across hundreds of kilometers of strait road,” Arnie said. “She’s in Reggie’s piece of shit—no offense,” the big man shook it off. “She’d be lucky to break a hundred and seventy. If we can get an engine together that pushes three fifty, four hundred, we’ll catch her.”
“Woah!” Reggie was taken back and tossed his hands in the air. “At that speed a stone in the road’ll send you tumbling to your final resting place.”
“I can handle the driving,” Arnie grumbled.
“I believe you,” Quey assured him. He turned to Ryla and asked, “Six hours?” Ryla nodded and the other two followed. “That’ll put your start at mid-afternoon. Try and rest as much as you can,” he told Arnie.
After a nod he said, “Thank you,” and went toward the elevators.
Ryla went to the computers to begin a rebuild of one of the Once Men’s cars. “You okay?” Quey asked. When she didn’t answer he added, “I’m worried about her too.”
“Then why aren’t you going?” Ryla asked, almost chiding him. Reggie’s eyes widened a bit. He was surprised by the intensity of her words.
Quey peered at her, a little puzzled, “Did you happen to miss the small army amassing outside your little building.”
She glared at him and he saw something in her eyes that was different from any look she’d given him before. It was far different from what he saw when they were together on the couch mere hours ago. “I can handle that,” she proclaimed then added, “This isn’t the first time I’ve been attacked.”
His curiosity burdened him regarding what that meant but there wasn’t time to explore it now, so he simply nodded. “You really want me to go after her?”
“You really want to send Arnie on his own?” Her question stunned him into silence. “Because if you do why don’t you just shoot him now.” That one stung.
When it was clear Quey wasn’t going to speak
, Reggie asked, “It means that much to you?”
She looked at the big man and her eyes softened a bit. “She’s my friend,” she said again, almost as if it were a plea of some sort.
“We’re all friends,” Reggie said.
Ryla looked down slightly. “Are we?” Ryla asked. “I don’t know sometimes. I know she’s different. Different from anyone else I’ve met.”
“She’s your best friend, makes sense as she took to you right away,” the big man said. “It may have been awkward for the rest of us at first but I’d like to think we’ve grown a bit of fondness since then.”
“Some might say you only keep me around because I’m useful?” she asked.
“And I’d say they’re a fool,” Reggie said, as he tentatively rested his massive hand on her slender shoulder. She could feel the power in it, even though his touch was gentle. “Being useful’s a perk held by plenty I insist go their own way. Naw,” he added as his hand slipped from her, “I like to have you around because your jokes are funny and the way you wear that dress,” he said the last bit sultry. She was surprised by the flirt and unsure of how to take it, then she smiled as he glanced her over. “Mmm,” he grunted with a shake of his head. “You know you ever get tired of this one,” he said gesturing toward Quey, “You know where to find me.” He winked and she laughed and nodded to him.
“It would be interesting to explore the different sensations a greater variety of people can provide.” She said it as if it were an actual consideration, because on some level it was. She was curious, and curious as to what a man of that size would be like.
“If you two are through, can we focus?” Quey barked.
Reggie cocked a sly smile at her and said, “Look at him. All jealous.”
“So no, would be the answer then.”
Reggie chuckled a bit and shrugged, “She’s one of us. Shouldn’t have gone off on her own like that but hell, we all get a case of the dumb ideas from time to time.”
Ryla nodded, “I’m starting the repairs.” She turned her attention to the computer in front of her. “You have six hours to come up with an idea. Otherwise I’ll figure out a way to go after her myself.”
Quey and Reggie exchanged a glance. “Six hours,” Quey shrugged.
“Plenty of time,” Reggie told him with a grin.
The two men left the room and went to the elevators. Once inside Quey hit the button with the number 1 on it and Reggie gave him a look.
“I need a drink,” he said and Reggie nodded.
“Probably a good idea,” the big man agreed.
With a few keystrokes Ryla arranged for the car least damaged by the gunfight a year ago to be repaired and upgraded. It took six minutes to set in motion and after that there was nothing for her to do but wait. She sat back in the chair with a sigh and decided she’d go check on Rachel.
As she walked toward the elevator she smelled Quey, a subtle presence that lingered on her skin. She was conflicted about the situation. Of course she didn’t want anything to happen to him, but she wanted Rain safe as well and she believed he could keep her that way.
She should say something to him, she knew, but what? She’d never had to convey affection before and found it difficult to select the proper words. She smelled herself, and his lingering aura upon her and felt something in her belly. It was a tingly something that made her spin on the balls of her feet between steps, sending her deep blue dress flaring out around her legs. Turning this way and that, swaying her hips, gliding from foot to foot and spinning she formed each step into a graceful dance. At the elevators she stood on one leg with the other extended behind her and reached forward, tapping the call button with the tip of her finger then sprang back onto both feet and did another twirl.
When the elevator beeped she stopped and fixed herself, her lips touched with the slightest of smiles. It was new and exciting and scary all at once, the feeling that caused this sudden burst of emotion. She’d always enjoyed dancing, it was true enough, since the first time she watched videos of people doing it online, but usually she only did it when there was music playing. What did it mean?
As she boarded the elevator a look of perplexity crossed her face. It was all new to her and she didn’t understand any of it.
Upstairs she found Rachel still asleep in her bed. Botler had brought her a glass of water and a sandwich that were still resting on the nightstand beside the bed. Ryla watched her sleep, peacefully and with one hand resting on the gentle swell of her belly. The idea of something growing inside her, moving around and feeding off her made her stomach churn. It was so odd. She much preferred the robots way of multiplying. Take parts and put them together then add programming and wahlah, a new bot.
Ryla turned and left the woman to her nap.
She went to her bedroom and used the shower to scrub the residue of her romp with Quey off her skin. When she was finished and back in her room pulling on a black dress decorated with tiny red skulls and crossbones wherever pokadots might have been she caught a glimpse of boyfriend standing along the far wall. She chewed her lower lip briefly, thoughtfully, then hurried out of her room and to the elevator. She pushed the button for the second basement and the doors closed slowly.
Jacob looked up as the door opened and called to her as she entered, “My Queen, so good of you to grace me with your presence once again. I would bend the knee,” he added, “Though as you can see, I have none.” He gave her a sour look and waited.
Ryla moved into the room, sidling around toward the left side of his table on feet that flowed like clouds across a blue sky. “You were wrong about them,” she told him with a touch of self-satisfaction.
“Was I now?”
“They like me. They’re my friends. And one of them really likes me,” she declared to him, slyly.
“Really?” he seemed surprised. “How can you tell?”
“He got jealous when one of the others made a flirt at me.”
“Ahh,” Jacob replied. “And he’s told you he likes you?”
She shrugged.
“Have you engaged in coitous with any of them?” Jacob smirked.
“What’s that matter?” she glared at him.
He laughed. “Silly rabbit, you have so much to learn about men. If they don’t say it they don’t mean it,” he looked at her. “If they stutter in saying it or are hesitant about saying it. If they say it while they’re inside you… they don’t mean it.”
“He did say it,” Ryla glared at him. “And we were at dinner, if you must know,” she lied poorly.
“Sad. You were a lot of things before this but you were never a liar. What has this boy done to you?” he asked as the screen behind him flicked on. The image that appeared was her sitting across from Quey in the first floor restaurant. “Do I need to go through this minute by minute?” the head asked. “Perhaps we should make a transcript and you can point out to me the moment he professes his affections for you.”
“It doesn’t matter what was said,” Ryla barked at him. “He likes me. They all like me. He wouldn’t get jealous otherwise.”
“You know that?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“I’ve read about jealousy and love and all sorts of things.”
“And you’re sure he likes you and not just that he likes fucking you? Men are that way you know. When they’re inside you they’ll love you more than anyone, and when they feel the urge to be again they’ll think you’re the greatest thing in the world.”
Her eyes shimmered. “You’re so cruel,” her voice was small.
“You’re so naive.”
“He likes me,” she said with uncertainty.
“And he knows about you?” Jacob proposed.
Ryla was silent. “Yes. He doesn’t care,” she finally declared.
“Really?” again Jacob played surprise. “Because you know I have little to occupy me down here save watching security feeds and looking through the old experiment records. You know the ones.
Found some interesting things in the good doctors files, maybe I should arrange for your new friend to stumble upon them?” Her eyes widened slightly. “But if he knows about you, not just what you are but who, as in how you came to this place and came to possess it then there won’t be a problem. Oh and I don’t mean that bullshit you tell about being a little girl and the bad men came,” Jacob laughed. “I mean the truth.”
“It is the truth.”
“It’s a truth but only because its filled with omissions.”
“I had to do what I did, it was the only way-”
“Bullshit!” Jacob snapped. “You can tell that lie to yourself all you want but not to me. We both know what you did, you murdered those people.”
“It was self defense,” she snarled at him.
He glared at her, “It was revenge. Pure, simple, vengeance and nothing more. That’s what made Annie afraid. That’s why she lost hope. She looked up to you. You were supposed to be better than that. We both know you could have exiled everyone in this place and shut down that whole town without harming anyone. You chose to shed blood.”
Ryla’s eyes were swimming with tears.
Jacob went on. “They killed the doctor-”
“My father,” she snapped.
“Fine, your father. They killed him so you killed them back. And what about the clean sweep program?”
Her eyes snapped to him and she shouted, “I never used it.”
“No but you wrote it and if you wrote it that means you had a mind for it once. How would he feel about that?” Ryla stood silent, trembling slightly. “What would he say if he saw what you kept on the levels below the third basement?” Ryla swallowed hard. “Stupid girl,” Jacob sighed at her. “A man gets hard for you and gives you a thrust and you think he’s on the road to love? Get a grip, he doesn’t even know you.”
She stood firm on both feet but inside she was trembling. Jacob was right about at least one thing. She didn’t really know how Quey felt. He hadn’t said anything to her. She’d just assumed that since he’d wanted her a second time and seemed to get jealous when Reggie offered her sex that he wanted to be with her. Of course she only knew it was jealousy because the big dark man pointed it out to her.
The Saffron Malformation Page 62
