Smoke

by Mariah Esterly

  He chuckled. “Yes, well, that was before the government sent goons to take care of you. That instantly makes you interesting.”

  “Lucky me.”

  Vail stood and pulled a pillow off the bed and one of the two blankets. He came back to the couch. “We should try to get some sleep. Doctor’s orders. I’ll take the couch. You can take the bed.”

  She shook her head, reaching out to take the linens from him. “I’ll sleep here. It’s okay.” He looked like he was going to refuse, so she said. “We can sit here and argue about it, but know that at the end of it I’ll be sleeping on the couch and you’ll be on the bed. I can be stubborn when I want to be.”

  He smiled down at her, “Okay, I give.”

  “Good.” She placed the pillow on the couch and kicked off her shoes before pulling the blanket over her. Vail waited until she was settled then tapped the button to turn off the wall. She didn’t hear him settle into the bed, she was already asleep.

  12

  Vail

  Vail woke to the uncomfortable feeling of someone whispering in his ear. He shot into a seated position, glancing around the room to find the intruder. But the room was empty except for Gertie, curled on her side, her cheek pillowed on a fisted hand. The blanket had fallen off her, and lay piled on the ground next to the couch.

  He slipped from the bed and move on silent feet to her side, scooping up the cover to lay it over her gently. She shifted slightly and sighed as the warmth enveloped her. He brushed his fingers over her forehead, skimming the edge of the bruise on her cheek.

  If she hadn’t already killed them, Vail would hunt down the men who had done this to her and take care of them himself. His stomach clenched as the image of her sprawled on the floor covered in blood rose unbidden to his mind. He’d been so sure she was dead. That he was too late to help her. When she’d moved, the relief that flooded him was a surprise even to himself.

  And then she’d punched him.

  He smiled at the memory.

  “Denhelm.” Vail stiffened. Atkins. Now he knew what had woken him from his sleep. “Meet me in room 602 in fifteen minutes.” His knees went weak, and his stomach flipped. 602. There was only one reason to go to that room.

  “Denhelm? Are you hearing me?”

  Vail nodded, then said in a whisper, “Yes, sir.”

  “Good. You now have thirteen minutes. Get a move on.”

  He’d only been to 602 once before when he was first brought into the Office. Dicie had been with him then. He hoped she wasn’t there this time.

  He tucked a strand of hair behind Gertie’s ear, lingering in the room longer than he should.

  It was worth it. Whatever came it was worth it, because she was here and she was alive.

  Gertie didn’t stir as he pulled on his boots and slipped into the hall. He took an elevator down two floors and stopped outside the room where he was supposed to meet Atkins. His stomach twisted on itself, making him feel slightly nauseous. He clenched his hands, trying to stop them shaking.

  Memories from the one and only time he’d been in this room came flooding back to him, making his blood run cold. It had been a warning then. A way to show him and Dicie what happened when you didn’t follow the rules in the Office, to make sure that they were committed to the cause.

  The man that had been in the room with them, the one who had betrayed the cause hadn’t survived the punishment. The image of his limp, lifeless body flashed into Vail’s head. They wouldn’t do that to him. He hadn’t betrayed them, just disobeyed an order. The punishment would be less severe.

  He still couldn’t stop his hands from shaking, or his heart from pounding in fear.

  He glanced down the hall, seeing a familiar figure hurrying toward him. He should have known that she would be there. Dicie didn’t say anything as she approached, just took his hand and gave it a squeeze. He squeezed back, half wishing she hadn’t come, half grateful that she was there.

  He didn’t like her to see him when he was scared, but then she’d seen him at his worst.

  The door opened. Dicie’s fingers tightened again. He glanced in her direction. “Check on Gertie for me?” She nodded, tears shimmering along the lower lashes of her blue eyes. He looked back at the open portal, fighting the urge to get away from this room as fast as he could.

  Taking a deep breath, he released Dicie’s hand, squared his shoulders and stepped inside.

  Time to face the music.

  13

  Gertie

  Gertie had no idea how much time had passed when she woke up. The room was empty. Apparently, Vail had gotten up and left while she slept. Surprising, as she’d always been a light sleeper.

  She sat up on the couch and looked around. Vail’s room was tidy and sparsely decorated. No doubt because he spent very little time in it, he was too busy following unsuspecting girls around the city.

  Anger welled up quickly, but she took a deep breath forcing it down again. She understood that they had been doing what they thought was right, but it still felt wrong to her. No, it was wrong.

  She stood up from the couch and made her way to the bathroom, glancing in the mirror as she washed her hands. The bruise was still there, dark as ever, but the swelling had gone down quite a bit. Her hair was a mess. Feeling only slightly guilty, she glanced through his cabinets hoping to find a brush but came up empty, so instead she ran her fingers through it, trying to restore some sort of style to it.

  She returned to the main room and wandered to the door, already knowing that she would find it locked. She glanced around again and tapped the button that activated the forest wall. The scene was the same but it was bathed in late afternoon light, rather than the pale morning light from before.

  She stared at it for a bit, letting the view wash over her, even if it was fake. She’d never seen such large trees before. Smaller trees circled the city, hiding the wall that surrounded them, but the city sent out workers to trim them, keep them manicured. This was truly the image of a wild forest.

  Her stomach rumbled.

  There was nothing but bottled water in the fridge. She routed through the cabinets as well, but only came up with an open bag of stale chips and a jar of unopened green olives.

  Sighing, she went to eye the small bookshelf at the foot of the bed. She was idly flipping through a book about the history of the monarchy when the door slid open. “Do you only read non-fiction?” She asked without looking up.

  “Not generally, no.” Gertie leapt to her feet and spun to face Dicie. “I prefer books that are brain candy. Let’s me stop thinking for a bit.”

  Gertie smiled. “Me too. Not that I need to stop thinking. My job itself is pretty mindless. But you probably already know that.”

  “Mine too.” Dicie set the bag she was carrying on the counter in the small kitchen, and started pulling groceries out of it, storing them in the refrigerator and cupboards.

  Gertie’s stomach dropped watching how at ease Dicie seemed to be in Vail’s space.

  “Oh, do you… do you live here… with Vail?”

  Dicie shook her head, snorting, “God, no. I just thought the you might like some real food, rather than what they serve in the cafeteria. I know you like to cook and I know that he doesn’t exactly keep a well-stocked pantry.”

  Gertie set the book on the couch and perched on a stool on one side of the counter, while Dicie finished unpacking. When she finished, she looked directly at Gertie, her blue eyes wide and honest. “Look, I know that this entire situation is weird.”

  Gertie nodded. “Really weird.”

  “And I don’t expect you to just be okay with it. I mean, no one in their right mind would just be okay after everything you’ve learned. But I want you to know that I’m pretty much the only one that watched you at home. There weren’t a bunch of people crowded around the monitors taking notes. Even then, I would hardly watch you, I just have the feed running on my computer and usually I read while I do it. It’s nice that you have such a predictable
schedule. It makes my job so much easier.”

  Gertie crossed her arms over her chest. “Well, I’m glad I could make your stalking so easy for you.” Gertie looked down at the wooden countertop, and silence stretched between them. She could feel Dicie’s gaze on her, considering.

  “So, I’m sure you weren’t watching me twenty-four-seven. There isn’t someone else in this office that you switched off with so you could sleep?”

  When Dicie started the task of making coffee, Gertie could have kissed her. “Nope, no one else. You’d be surprised at how long I can stare at a computer.”

  “And I suppose when you weren’t watching me, Vail was there.”

  “Yes, Vail was there when I wasn’t watching and sometimes when I was watching. And I would think that you might appreciate that. He helped you two times in one night.” She pushed the on button on the coffee maker and turned to Gertie. “Do you realize what kind of trouble he’s in for revealing himself to you in the bar when your boss got a little handsy?”

  Gertie uncrossed her arms, dropping her hands to her knees. “Probably a lot?”

  “Yeah, a lot. He’s being punished right now.”

  Gertie’s stomach dropped and she felt slightly sick. “What’s his punishment?”

  “I’m not going to tell you. Vail will, if he wants to. But it’s not pretty. Trust me.” She turned and poured coffee into two mugs. “Black?”

  “Don’t ask like you don’t already know.” Gertie wrapped her hands around the mug, savoring the warmth against her fingers.

  “I was being polite.”

  Gertie shook her head, guilt washing over her. “I know, I’m sorry. I’m just on edge.”

  Dicie took a sip of coffee, made a face and pulled cream out of the fridge. “It’s okay. I will tell you that they did reduce Vail’s punishment. Seems they think that overall, him helping you in the bar was a good thing. They just have to make an example of him for disobeying orders.”

  “Well, that’s something.” Gertie took a sip of the coffee. It wasn’t as good as the coffee she was able to get in 3rd, but it was hot and full of caffeine so she took another sip.

  “So, what do you want to eat?” Dicie asked, motioning around the small kitchen.

  “Oh, um, I don’t know. I can make something, you don’t have to worry about it. I like cooking.”

  Dicie gave her a brilliant smile. “I know, but you are, for all intents and purposes, a guest. The least I can do is feed you.”

  Gertie stood up. “How about we make something together?”

  Dicie’s smile grew even wider, “I’d like that, though this kitchen might put up a fight.”

  By the time that Vail wandered in they’d made macaroni and cheese from scratch with mushrooms and bacon, a salad and crusty bread. Vail paused as the door closed behind him. Dicie started toward him the concern clear on her face, but he gave a quick shake of his head and she stopped.

  “You okay?” She asked, her hands clutching the edge of the counter, as though she wanted to ignore his warning and go to him. Gertie glanced between the two of them. It was clear that they cared for each other. She wondered just how deep their relationship went. During the time she’d spent with Dicie, Gertie hadn’t worked up the courage to ask.

  Vail ignored Dicie’s question and instead took in the mess they’d made of his kitchen. “What’s going on here?”

  Gertie smiled at him. Cooking always made her feel better and Dicie had gone out of her way to put Gertie at ease, leaving her in a much better mood than she had been the night before. “Dicie just thought that you could use some real food in your home.”

  “So, we’ve been cooking.” Dicie shrugged.

  He nodded, moving stiffly to the couch to drop his black canvas jacket on it. “I can see that.”

  Dicie scooped up the cheesy noodles and plopped them onto a plate, followed by salad. She handed it to Gertie who sprinkled a little parsley on the top of the noodles and added a piece of bread to the side, before sticking a fork in it and passing it to Vail.

  Gertie watched as he eyed the noodles in the dish, then looked up at them, before picking up the fork and lifting a scant bite to his lips. He chewed and swallowed, then looked back at them. “You made this?”

  “Yes.”

  “In here?”

  “Yes, Vail. Don’t look so surprised.” Dicie said, throwing a dish towel at him. He laughed and dodged the towel, though not as fast as Gertie would have thought, before sitting on the couch and digging into the food. Gertie laughed too, and turned to accept the plate that Dicie passed to her.

  “So, Vail,” She said nonchalantly. He looked up. “Dicie was just telling me about when you two met.”

  He glanced at Dicie, his grey eyes sharp. “What did she say”

  “Easy, Vail,” Dicie said setting her plate on the counter. “I just told her that we were little, babies really, that we grew up together and that we were each other’s first kiss.”

  “She said it was… Sloppy.” Gertie provided helpfully.

  She delighted in the way that Vail’s face reddened all the way to his ears. “I don’t know why I ever thought that you two should meet.” He grumbled into his food.

  14

  Gertie

  When they finished eating Dicie left them and Vail took Gertie to see Doctor Bailey again. The curvy redhead hardly spared Gertie a glance, “You seem to be healing nicely. You’ll be sore for a few days, but should be fine.”

  She turned her eyes to Vail, “You, however, should have come to see me sooner.” The physician patted the exam table. “Take your shirt off and sit down.”

  Gertie turned questioning eyes to Vail. He gave a brief shake of his head. “No time, right now, Doc. Atkins wants to see us.”

  The doctor crossed her arms over her chest and stuck out her chin. “I don’t care what Atkins wants. You need medical attention and I am a doctor, so you will sit down on this table, and I will give it to you.” Gertie couldn’t help but notice the glance he threw in her direction. The doctor noticed too. “I don’t care if she’s here,” she snapped.

  The doctor’s harsh tone urged Gertie into action. “It’s fine, I’ll just wait in the hall. If she wants to examine you, you should let her.”

  Vail caught her hand as she turned to go. She looked down at their joined hands and then up into his grey eyes. He let go and murmured, “don’t go far.”

  “I won’t. I’ll be just outside the door.” He nodded and walked toward the exam table, his fingers catching the hem of his shirt. She caught sight of the muscles of his lower back before she turned and exited the room.

  The door closed automatically behind her, and she leaned against the wall, tilting her head back and closing her eyes. What was wrong with Vail? He had been fine when they went to see the Doctor before. Did it have something to do with the punishment that Dicie had mentioned? She’d assumed he would just get yelled at, suspended, maybe a slap on the wrist, but perhaps they took their punishment from more medieval methods.

  Was it her imagination or had the skin she’d glimpsed under his shirt seemed red and irritated? Like he’d been scratching at it?

  The door slid open and Vail stepped out. Gertie pushed away from the wall, “see? I’m still here.”

  He gave her a wan smile. “Come on.” He turned, but she touched his arm to stop him.

  “Vail…” She didn’t know what to say as he turned to face her. She wanted to ask him about what had happened, what his punishment had been. She refrained, as she remembered Dicie saying that Vail would tell her if he wanted her to know. “I yelled at you before and I know I seemed ungrateful, probably, but I want you to know that I am very grateful to you. And I know you got in trouble for helping me with Mr. Lott and the,” She faltered as the image of bloody bodies flashed through her mind. “The apartment. I can only guess that is what all that,” she motioned to the infirmary room door. “Was about. And I just… I’m sorry.”

  A smile crept over Vail’s face.
“Ah, Freckles, you should never apologize to me. After all, I did basically stalk you for three weeks.”

  She couldn’t help returning his smile. “True.” She started down the hall, and he followed. “I guess this makes us even?”

  He snorted out a laugh. “Hardly.” They made their way to Atkin’s office, passing Dicie’s empty desk. Gertie hoped she was getting some sleep. From the sound of it they made her work long hours with little rest.

  Vail ushered her into Atkins’ office and took the chair next to her. The older man tapped at his keyboard, then turned his attention to Gertie. “Tell me, Miss Penn. What do you do at your job?”

  This was not what Gertie had expected. She furrowed her brow. “Data entry.”

  “Yes, but what is the procedure?”

  “In the morning we are given a stack of handwritten pages and we type the numbers from the pages into spreadsheets on the computer. When we’re done we print up the spreadsheets to give to our boss, Mr. Lott, and submit them electronically.”

  “These hand written pages, are they all in one color of ink?”

  Gertie frowned. She hadn’t really thought of that before. “No, I guess that they aren’t, every so often a number is in red or blue.”

  “When you type in those numbers do you change the color of the font?”

  She nodded.

  Vail leaned forward in his chair. “Are you thinking it’s a code?”

  “Possibly.” He turned to Gertie. “We want to get a sample of those papers.”

  Gertie felt the color drain from her face. She was shaking her head before the word “No” escaped her lips. “They track everything I do on my computer, I can’t send you copies.”

  “What about saving the file to a disk?”

  She laughed harshly. “What about ‘they track everything I do on my computer’ do you not understand?”

  “Gertie.” Vail’s tone was warning. She glared at him. Did he not recognize the risk she would be taking if she tried? He raised his eyebrows at her and gave her a small nod. She needed to calm down. At the very least this man had punished Vail for helping her, if not tortured him. Who knew what he would do to her.