Smoke

by Mariah Esterly

  His eyes didn’t stray from her mouth as he murmured, “Your boss was looking. Thought we should make it look convincing.” She glanced across the bar to where Mr. Lott was sitting, glaring at them, and leaned into his touch, turning her head slightly to brush a kiss against his palm. He looked surprised for a moment, but prompted gently, “What’s your second question?”

  “Why are you here?”

  He looked down at the bar. “In all honesty? I was looking for you.”

  Gertie felt her face flush, but she snorted. “How very romantic.”

  He shrugged. “It's the truth.”

  She didn’t know how to respond, so instead she sipped from her glass. She took a moment to try to remember just how many drinks she’d had. But they all sort of blurred together. And that was a bad sign. A very bad sign.

  Vail touched her arm, pulling her attention back to him. “What’s your last question?”

  She looked up at him, tilted her head slightly, considering. “What do you do?”

  “Do?”

  “Like for work.”

  He didn’t answer. When it became clear that he wasn’t going to answer, she pressed, “It’s not that hard of a question.”

  He glanced around the bar, his eyes lingering on the cameras in the corners. Gertie got the impression that he suddenly remembered where he was and that he was expecting trouble. What sort of trouble she couldn’t be sure, but his entire demeanor changed. The straightened on his stool, rolled his shoulders. He suddenly reminded her of the guards that stood outside the checkpoints, eyes warily watching, catching each movement of the people around him, trying to identify the threat before it manifested.

  She touched his arm softly. “Vail?”

  His grey eyes came back to her face and he shrugged. “I can’t answer that.”

  Gertie laugh, disbelieving. “Why not?”

  “Because I don’t want to lie to you.” His face was so sincere that she believed him, and didn’t press further.

  “Okay, so I still have one question?” He nodded. “All right, I reserve my third question for later. Now you go.”

  He opened his mouth, closed it and considered again.

  “Gertie!” She turned on her stool and saw Liam rushing toward her. She couldn’t help the smile that broke over her face as he reached her side. He was dressed in jeans and a grey button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up. His red curls looked as though he’d tried to tame them, but had lost that battle. “Liam!” She exclaimed as he drew closer. “I didn’t expect to see you tonight.”

  “I got off early. Things were slow at the checkpoint.” He looked at Vail, at the broad hand that was still pressed against Gertie’s waist, the question plain on his face.

  “This is Vail. We just met.” Why had she felt the need to clarify that she and Vail were virtual strangers? “Vail, this is Captain McDonagh.”

  “We’ve known each other for a while.” Liam added as he held out his hand to Vail. They shook. “I haven’t seen you around, do you live in 3rd?”

  Gertie watched Vail as he shrugged, anxious to hear his answer. “I’m from here and there. You know around.” Her eyes narrowed. So did Liam’s.

  “You can’t be from here and there.”

  Vail took a swig from his beer, unconcerned. “Gertie’s from 5th, but she lives in 3rd. Isn’t that here and there?”

  He was being cagey, refusing to give specific answers to seemingly easy questions. Why? What did he possibly have to hide? Whatever it was it couldn’t be that bad, could it? After all he’d saved her from Mr. Lott which made him a hero in her eyes.

  Liam opened his mouth to respond, but Gertie cut him off. “You’re not working, Liam, you don’t need to interrogate him.”

  His face relaxed and he smiled at her, making her feel warm in her chest. “You’re right, I’m sorry.”

  Vail gulped down his beer. “Okay, well, I see you’ll be in good hands. I should go.”

  “No.” The word was out of Gertie’s mouth before she could stop it. Her face reddened again and she rushed to say. “I mean, I wish you wouldn’t but I understand if you have somewhere to be.”

  “I don’t have anywhere to be, Freckles, but I should go.” His grey eyes flickered to Liam as he stood up from his stool. She reached out and grasped his arm. The muscles under his skin flexed under her touch.

  “Thank you for everything.”

  He flashed her a quick smile and bent to brush his lips over her cheek, his breath tickling her ear. “Anytime.” Her hand slid down his arm until she grasped his fingers. His skin was warm, rough and callused.

  “Maybe I’ll see you around? You still owe me one question.”

  He grinned. “You can count on it, Freckles.”

  And then he was walking away from them. Gertie watched him go then turned her attention back to Liam, who regarded her with golden brown eyes. “Who was that?”

  Gertie shook her head. “I don’t really know. I just met him.”

  “You seemed to know him pretty well.” He looked in the direction that Vail had disappeared. “I don’t think I trust him.”

  She took a drink from her glass, shifted on her stool. “Well, he saved me from a very… uncomfortable situation, so I was inclined to like him.”

  Liam’s eyes snapped back to her face. “What happened?”

  Gertie waved her hand, as if the motion could dispel his worry like smoke. “It was fine. I’m none the worse for wear from the experience.”

  He leaned in closer to her. “Tell me what happened.” And so, Gertie gave a brief explanation of her run in with Mr. Lott. “Is he still here?” She motioned with her chin in the general direction of where her boss still sat, watching them.

  “So, me coming over sort of blew your cover, huh?”

  She shook her head and motioned around the room. “I don’t think so. Most of my colleagues aren’t exactly monogamous. Case in point, Kay, the blond over there, was making out with an entirely different guy ten minutes ago.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah, it's fairly common. The whole point of these required outings is to … make connections.” She said delicately. “To find the best chance of procreation.”

  Gertie finished her drink, while Liam’s face turned a bright shade of red. She motioned to the bartender to pour her another. “You don’t think it’s to create camaraderie among government workers?”

  “Are you kidding? Camaraderie is the last thing they want. Otherwise they wouldn’t make us go to bars. They wouldn’t require women to wear tight clothes to work and maintain a specific level of personal grooming that takes a minimum of an hour every morning. The men wouldn’t be required to lift weights and maintain a specific body fat ratio. We are government employees and they require that the women wear heels to the office every day. It’s certainly not to somehow enhance their cognitive abilities. All entry level positions are filled with men and women in their early twenties or younger, but the next level is ninety percent men. Why? You may ask. Because the women get pregnant and are required by law to stop working and take care of the kids. Government employment is basically one big breeding ground for those of us deemed worthy of procreating.” She paused and took a sip of her drink. Liam was staring at her, the wonder clear on his face. “What?”

  He slowly shook his head. “Nothing, I just think that is the most you’ve said to me in the entire time we’ve known each other. You’re pretty when you’re riled up.”

  Gertie blushed and looked down at the bar. “I’m sorry, I’m drunk. And when I’m drunk I apparently have very strong opinions on things and can’t stop talking.”

  “Don’t apologize.” His voice was so soft that Gertie almost didn’t hear him. “But also, maybe don’t voice your opinions so loudly in such a public place. You never know who might be listening.”

  Gertie glanced around. “No one here is listening to us. They’re all too busy.”

  “You never know.” She felt like he was trying to tell her somet
hing, without coming right out and saying it. She tilted her head, trying to catch his meaning, but her head was fuzzy from alcohol.

  She swayed a bit on the stool, and Liam reached out to steady her, his fingers warm against the bare skin of her arm. “You okay there?”

  She nodded and pushed her half-finished drink away from her. “Yeah, I’m just tired. I think I should go home.”

  “I’ll walk with you.”

  Gertie lurched toward him, practically falling off the stool as someone crashed into her back. Liam caught her, righted her on her feet, and then turned his attention to the man who had bumped her, his face hard. “You doing alright, sir?” He moved to place himself between Gertie and the drunk man.

  The man nodded and said something Gertie couldn’t hear. Liam glanced over his shoulder at her, and the man caught sight of her. He leaned around Liam. “Hey, baby, you wanna get out of here? I’ll take good care of you.” Gertie shook her head at him, shrinking back. “Why not?” He slurred.

  “Because she’s going home with me,” Liam answered for her, placing a hand on the drunk’s chest. He was a few inches taller than Liam, with broad shoulders. Gertie suspected that he was one of the men who spent hours in the gym lifting weights and doing very little else.

  The man glanced from Liam back to Gertie. “Like hell she is.” He leaned forward again, and Liam pushed him back with both hands, intent on keeping him from touching Gertie. This outraged the drunk man. “Get your hands off me!” He snarled, bringing up his hands to grab Liam’s shirt.

  Liam calmly took hold of the larger man’s wrists and squeezed. The man gasped, his hands loosening their grip on the fabric of Liam’s shirt. “I think you’ve had enough to drink.” Liam said. “I think it's time for you to go home.” The man nodded, wordlessly, pain clear on his face. “Good, I will see you out.”

  Liam turned to Gertie. “I’m going to take him to the drunk tank three blocks over. Don’t leave until I get back.”

  She nodded obediently at him and sat back down on the stool. “I’ll be here.”

  His gaze lingered on her face, as though trying to see if she was lying to him, before turning his attention back to the man swaying next to him and ushering him out of the bar.

  Gertie sat for a moment, then slid off the stool and moved toward the door. She didn’t bother telling Kay that she was leaving. Liam would be upset when he got back, but she couldn’t bring herself to care too much.

  She was tired and the world was wobbly and she just wanted to go home. She would be able to walk the few blocks to her apartment on her own. She didn’t need anyone to save her.

  8

  Liam

  Liam glanced over his shoulder as he guided the drunk out the door. Gertie was still sitting on the stool in her too short skirt, slumped against the bar. He didn’t want to leave her, but his training required him to escort the gentleman to a place where he wouldn’t be a danger to himself or others.

  He would have to be fast. With any luck, he would come across one of the pairs of guards that patrolled the city at night and he wouldn’t have to go all the way to the checkpoint.

  The man went with him without a fight, once Liam had nearly broken his wrist at the bar, all it would have taken was a slightest amount of pressure and the bones would have just snapped. He’d done his best to hide the use of force from Gertie. He didn’t want to scare her before she got to know him. Thankfully the gentleman had been sober enough to realize the peril to his health and hadn’t pressed his luck.

  Liam guided the man through the rain, ducking under canopies when they were available, pushing him faster when they were not. They’d only gone a few blocks when up ahead he saw the familiar outline of two guards, guns at the ready. He approached them dragging the man along when he stumbled. “Privates,” he said, stopping in front of them. He didn’t recognize them. They were probably from one of the checkpoints between 3rd and 2nd. They eyed him warily as he approached, their grip on their guns tightening slightly. “Captain Liam McDonagh, Checkpoint 342.” He held out his bracelet so that they could see his credentials. They immediately snapped to attention.

  “I need you to take this man to the station two blocks over. He needs to sleep it off.”

  They didn’t move to take him. Liam eyed the guard closer to him. “Is there a problem, Private?”

  “No, sir. Sorry, sir. It’s just that we have orders to patrol, sir.” He looked apologetic as he said it, and apparently felt the need to explain further. “We received reports of an imminent attack by the Extras.”

  Liam felt dread creep over him. They’d been receiving more and more reports of this recently. The attack on Brisco had everyone spooked, and citizens had started calling in tips about possible attacks and suspected Extras far more frequently than they had been. Hysteria was on the rise.

  He needed to get back to Gertie.

  He nodded once, decisively. “That’s fine, Private, just take your patrol in the direction of the drunk tank two blocks over.”

  The two guards glanced at each other. The drunk man spoke up for the first time since leaving the bar. “Hey, it’s cool guys. I’m good. I don’t even need to go. I’ll just head home.” He swayed on his feet, and Liam thrust him toward the guards.

  “Take him there now. That’s an order.” He very rarely liked to pull rank. And these men weren’t even under his command, but he didn’t want to continue to stand here in the rain, while Gertie waited for him back in the bar.

  He didn’t wait for their response, but instead spun on his heel and strode away from them. He honestly didn’t care if they actually took him at this point. They could just leave him on the street, but he knew that they wouldn’t. Their training would require them to take him as he’d instructed, the same way Liam’s training had urged him to do the same.

  Shaking raindrops from his hair, he stepped back into the bar. Gertie wasn’t where he’d left her. The stool was empty.

  He scanned the bar, his eyes adjusting to the darkened interior. Gertie wasn’t there. He walked in a circuit, peeking into each table that he passed, but she was nowhere to be seen. His stomach clenched. He shouldn’t have left her. She’d been far too drunk to make it home alone.

  He stopped by the table where Gerties friend straddled a man trailing kisses over her collarbone, her skirt hiked up. From what Gertie had said, her friend had all but abandoned her almost as soon as they’d arrived. He didn’t blame Gertie for not wanting to go out with her colleagues when this was how they acted.

  And her boss too.

  He glanced over his shoulder to where the older man sat slouched over the table, glaring at his drink like a petulant child. Liam was comforted to know that he, at least, hadn’t followed Gertie home. His fist clenched when he thought of the older man putting his hands on her, but at least that Vail guy had been there to intervene. Though, Liam didn’t like the idea of Vail putting his hands on Gertie either.

  He’d nearly lost it when Vail had kissed Gertie’s cheek before leaving. It had taken all of his self-control, built over years of training, to not grab Vail’s hand a twist until he heard the bones snap. But he’d refrained. After all, a kiss on the cheek was chaste compared to what other people their age were doing.

  He reached out and tapped the blond on the shoulder. She didn’t respond, too busy making out to notice him. He tapped her again, and this time she twisted toward him, sending her curtain of hair into the face of the man she was sitting on.

  There was anger on her face at first, but when she saw him a smile crossed her full lips. “Yes?” She asked sweetly.

  He motioned to the bar behind him. “Have you seen Gertie?”

  Her brow furrowed over her blue eyes as she scanned the bar. She shook her head. “I haven’t seen her in a while. She must have gone home.” A coy smile crossed her face. “You should go check on her, make sure she made it there okay. She’s in building 327.”

  Liam let out his breath, and nodded at her, “I’ll do that, tha
nk you.”

  “No problem,” She said her voice breathy. He could feel her eyes on him as he walked away. If he hurried maybe he could catch Gertie before she made it home.

  9

  Vail

  Vail watched from behind the bar as Gertie and the guardsman talked, watched as she became animated and her eyes fiery as she expounded on why the lower government jobs were basically a breeding ground. He had to say he agreed with her.

  He’d messed up big time by approaching Gertie. He knew that the Office was not going to be pleased when they saw the video. But she’d looked so trapped by that pervert of a boss of hers that he’d reacted before he’d had a chance to think.

  It took all of his self-control not to ram his fist into Mr. Lott’s face when he saw his plump fingers on Gertie’s leg. But he’d opted for a less violent form of intervention.

  It had felt like the most natural thing in the world to slip his arm around her waist, pull her closer to him. She’d looked up at him with such obvious relief and trust, that he couldn’t bring himself to regret it. Even though he knew he was going to catch hell for it.

  But then the captain had shown up and he knew he had made a huge mistake. He was supposed to remain invisible and unseen by anyone from the government. Certainly, he shouldn’t have drawn the attention of a guard.

  His gaze flickered to the cameras in the room, knowing that Dicie would have seen the whole thing. He could only hope that she would wait to tell Atkins and Graves until he could make sure Gertie got home safe.

  He watched as the guard reached out to steady Gertie when she swayed on the stool and his fist clenched of its own volition. He could still feel where her fingers had wrapped around his, soft and warm. He hadn’t wanted to let her go.

  A drunk man stumbled up to them, the guard exchanged words with him then turned to say something to Gertie, who nodded. The two men exited the bar and Gertie slid off her stool, landing on unsteady feet.