The Gadgeteer Box Set

by Gin Hollan

  "I've missed our friendship."

  His sudden honesty surprised her. Tilting her head forward, she remembered the sense of isolation her marriage caused, the pain of friendships lost. "I missed you, too," she whispered.

  "Are your keepers going to notice you're off tracking?" She changed the topic.

  He laughed, but it wasn't a kind laugh. "I'm going to start renting this room, just to sleep in peace. The electrical hum is spreading everywhere."

  "They're thinking of making signal 'null zones' like this one illegal, aren't they?"

  "The government says they interfere with other transmissions, and it's getting worse as they expand the use of radio waves."

  "I really don't understand wave length and frequency variation," she said.

  "That's why we have experts. You can't know everything," Hicks replied.

  She rolled her eyes. That was obvious. He kept stating the obvious. Did he mean for her to read between the lines? If so, which lines?

  He was staring, and it bothered her. "What?"

  "How are you doing? It was a shock to see Vic, I know, and the cloak-and-dagger elements creeping into your life must be disconcerting."

  Asking and answering in the same sentence … he was definitely trying to understand her. She shook her head. "My life hasn't been this interesting in years. I like it." Arabeth stood up. "We should get back to the real world."

  Hicks stood too, and she noticed his face flush red. "One thing first." He walked close to her. "If you do reconsider getting married, think of me first."

  She frowned. What did he mean by that? Did he mean he wanted to be considered as a potential spouse, or for her to not get married at all so they could stay friends?

  "What if I fell in love?" she whispered.

  His face hardened, then a wild look flashed through his eyes. "I'm serious. Maybe I have no right to ask that, but consider me."

  Her heart was pounding in her chest; she was not sure what to think. Men and women didn't talk about this. Now was her chance to get an answer that had been burning a hole in the back of her head for years now.

  She was suddenly curious. "I've been wondering why you never married. Why you kept women at a distance, and refused to date. Are you a monk?"

  "I'm interested, but...." Now only an inch apart, he raised a hand and caressed her hair. "I have a very specific taste in women, it seems."

  "You need to change your mind." She turned away, deciding now was the one and only time she would share her darkest secret. She wanted to be angry instead, to blame someone else ... him, even. He'd realize he needed to move on once she did. "You will probably be shocked to hear that I've never.... I mean, I was married five years, and he never touched me." She was embarrassed to say it. "Matthew had lovers, but I wasn't one of them."

  "Is ... are ... um - "

  "There's nothing wrong with me, if that's what you're asking. I have the same drives and desires as any woman. And yes, I like men."

  They both stood a moment, silent. "I'm sorry," he whispered, resting his hands on her shoulders. Her heart jumped but she didn't move.

  Hicks slowly wrapped his arms around her from behind and he drew her close.

  "The air is getting thin in here, isn't it?" She felt breathless but didn't move, frozen in place, not sure what to do or think.

  "I'm sorry, Abby," he whispered in her ear, his breath causing her to shiver.

  He hadn't called her that since the day she’d been engaged to Michael. She wiggled out of his arms but didn't look at him. She'd never felt this vulnerable. It was uncomfortable. Again he closed the distance between them, but this time he put his hands on one of her arms and turned her around.

  She didn't look up. Her entire body felt like she was standing on an energy grid; every part of her tingled. It was nearly overwhelming. He pulled her into a hug and rubbed her back. Slowly her nerves settled. Still, she pushed him away.

  "I'm not getting married. I will never give another person that much control over my life," she said. "You may change your mind once you've thought this over in daylight."

  Hicks chuckled and reached out to hold her hand. "I doubt I'll stop being interested overnight. Not when I've wanted you forever. I was a coward and we both suffered."

  "Once you have me, that'll fade. That's the way of love. It's only there to perpetuate the species," Arabeth replied.

  "Now who's being the coward?" he said lightly, teasing.

  Her pessimistic side asked if he was using physical touch to cloud her judgement, to control her. "I don't know you very well anymore. That's what I keep thinking, and this confirms it."

  "Trust me. You can do that, right?"

  "I don't trust anyone, Hicks." She laughed.

  "Call me Sam, please." He raised his hand and rubbed his thumb on her cheek. "My contract with the military still has two years on it, but I'll pay the penalty and get out of it after this project if that type of secret bothers you."

  "You see? This is what I don't want. I don't want to be the reason you make choices, decisions. I don't want to have to make choices based on legalities. Why would you quit when it's important work and you find value in it?"

  "They can use anyone to do my part. I just test what they build."

  She stepped back. "You're the one causing the madness?"

  "No, no. That's not part of our work. We need it to stop as badly as you do. Officially, that's the pretext I'm here on. We'd like your help finding the person behind it, and the military pays well."

  "Not the same kind of contract you have."

  "This would be a one-time deal, based on the progress you've already made. You won't need a private detective license for it. You'll have military authority."

  Even better, she thought. "And my gadgeteering will be safe from legal interference, including this room?"

  "We'll have to ask about that. If you succeed, you can probably ask for anything you want. I'll come by tomorrow with the paperwork. You should have a lawyer check it over before you sign."

  "Why can't any of my relationships be simple?" She sighed. "Are we friends or lovers, in your future?"

  His face and neck went red again, and she instantly regretted her bluntness.

  "Sorry. It's getting late and I'm sure you're as tired as I am,” she apologized.

  He fidgeted a bit, one of the traits she found endearing, but rarely saw as he grew older and more confident.

  “I'm not sure when we'll have a chance to talk about this again. I'm not saying this to rush you into a decision, but I’d be a fool if I didn’t state my interest. Would you consider me, if you ever do decide you’d like to remarry?" His voice was soft and low, causing her to shiver slightly.

  Was that really on the fore of his mind right now? Her and Sam getting married? Of course she would choose him, but she wasn’t going to remarry. She nodded her answer, not sure what words to use. Knowing how he felt, she hated herself for not checking when they were younger.

  “Did you feel this way back… you know, back when Matthew showed up?”

  He shrugged. “I didn’t know I did. Not until it was too late.”

  She started peeling the barrier off the door as he did the same to the window. This was a lot to process. Would she even be able to sleep tonight? Military contracts, subversive entities, and marriage proposals aside, she still had to deal with her mother.

  And now this confession from Hicks - from Sam, she corrected - there would be no end of trouble. She'd have to make sure that never happened. She blew out the candles as they left, and as she did, she said a short prayer for guidance. She was starting to feel lost.

  She didn't want Melanie to see how shaken she really was but Marble was lying across the guest room threshold, nearly tripping her. Sam caught her arm, keeping her from falling completely. His attentiveness afterwards gave it away. After he left, Melanie nearly burst into laughter.

  "So what happened in there?" she said.

  "There's a reason we used a null room, y
ou know."

  "Do you need to get married to protect your honour now?" She winked.

  "Nothing like that happened."

  "Say what you will - the Hicks that went into that room and the one that came out were two different men."

  Arabeth chuckled. "No comment." If they were being listened to, it was better that the listeners believed Sam was there for.... Well, for her.

  // Chapter 15 //

  SLEEP WAS A FITFUL quest, and Arabeth woke groggy and momentarily confused, wondering if she had imagined Sam’s visit. Rest hadn't helped, and today was going to be busy. She knew she'd better contact her lawyer and arrange a time to meet. Bernie's runners should be back this morning, meaning she had to stay in the house until at least lunchtime. That suited her. She really didn't want to face the world just yet.

  She would stay in her sleeping clothes, she decided. And drink hot tea with her toast. And read the newspaper. It had been weeks since she'd done that. Suddenly she started laughing. It all sounded so normal, and her life couldn't even sort of be described as normal right now. As she walked around, she noticed Marble was missing. That wasn't unusual - there was a small creek about four blocks east that Marble liked to clean up in early in the day. An unusual habit for a fox, but they were normally fairly smelly animals.

  Melanie gave her a strange look across the breakfast table.

  "I haven't slept that well in weeks. Thank you."

  "You're welcome, anytime. If you start to feel yourself unravelling, you need to hang on to something metal, something that's grounded at least ten feet into the ground. The hat only blocks a narrow range of frequencies, so it's not a ready-fix."

  Melanie nodded and pulled the hat down tighter. "It may be a placebo, but I don't care."

  Arabeth pulled out her cast iron skillet and started making her usual breakfast of two fried eggs and a slice of toast with orange juice.

  "Don't cook for me. I'm headed over to Donny's Grill to catch up on all the latest talk," Melanie said.

  Arabeth turned. "You're all right to go out?"

  Melanie patted the pilot's hat. "I'm sure I'll be fine. I'm not a stay-at-home kind of person. I remember your directions on how to find a grounded object. But I'll be back - I want to know what really happened last night. You two were in that room for a while."

  "If anything interesting was going to happen, it would have happened years ago."

  "No chance. He was too shy back then. He's a much different man now that he's been doing police work."

  And his military work, Arabeth figured.

  "If you ask me, he's never been more eligible, and yet so completely taken," Melanie sighed.

  "You're overinflating the irony, I think." Arabeth blinked a few times, trying to accept Melanie’s words, but still feeling unsure.

  "I’m pointing out the obvious. You haven't been available for quite a few years. He may be thinking this is a second chance."

  "I'm worried things will get awkward."

  "Awkward? He asked and you said no?"

  Arabeth shrugged. “Not exactly.”

  "Are you crazy? What if he changes his mind? He’s devoted to you, but even Sam has his limits."

  "I don't mean to hurt him; it’s hard to think about marriage again, though. Who wants the kind of love that goes away?"

  Melanie bit her lip, head tilted as though she was considering it. "He's waited at least five years while you were married, and longer before that when you were friends, then two more years while you were 'in mourning'. This is not infatuation. Your marriage hit him pretty hard."

  "It hit me hard too….” Arabeth's heart slammed in her chest suddenly, unexpectedly. “Wait, what do you mean?”

  Melanie fiddled with her hair a moment before talking. "At the station we call it his 'dark time' and none of us talk about it. I won't go into details. God forgive me, but your husband’s death is the best thing that’s happened to either of you."

  "I’m not ready."

  "I think you're emotionally deaf. You could be happy now, instead of in some imaginary future. Instead of keeping a good man at a distance, a man I know you used to have deep feelings for. For both your sakes, try to thaw out."

  "But I am happy." Arabeth knew it sounded empty as she said it. "I'm close enough to happy." That was better. "I'm not lonely when he leaves." She lied.

  "We'll talk again later. You're clearly in denial." Melanie headed towards the exit, making a tsking sound as she put her shoes on.

  Arabeth didn't want to think about Sam right now. There was enough going on as it was. She pulled out a small stack of notes from her satchel, the results of the queries she'd sent out. With Bernie and Melanie both out on errands, looking for leads, she knew that if she could nail down who was building the automatons, it would be a big step forward.

  Those two would make an interesting couple, Arabeth decided. Maybe she'd suggest it, if only to keep Melanie from trying to live vicariously through her and Sam. How could she explain to Melanie and to Sam that she just didn't have romantic feelings for him? She didn't want to offend him.

  She used to get a serious heart flutter when she saw him, but when she tried flirting or any of the things her friends said should get his attention, nothing worked. Now, years later, it was unlikely she could rekindle those feelings. She thought she had loved her husband, but he turned out to be a fake, a stranger. Once they were married and the reality of that life came clear, her heart shut down. Self-preservation, she told herself. She’d had to.

  It wasn't until Marble had shown up at the funeral - small, lost, and alone - that she felt something again. That compassion grew into a fondness for the little fox, and she was grateful for that. But could she feel actual, romantic affection? She wasn't going to make Sam wait while she figured it out. Hadn't he already been waiting, though? Arabeth slammed her hand down on the kitchen table. Why did she have to think about this right now? She sat down and started filtering through the papers again.

  All of her questions led to dead ends.

  First note:

  'Who owns the hospital now? – It's a numbered company, 10348523.'

  'Is it being rented or leased to anyone? – Leased by another numbered company.' After Arabeth’s talk with Sam, she knew it was probably a secret division of the military.

  Second note:

  'Who is handling the recent violent crime cases? – Everyone.'

  'Have they found the cause? – These were unrelated, random acts of violence – no direct cause.'

  Third note:

  'How many radio stations are broadcasting on the extremes of human hearing, especially over 22,000Hz? – That's propriety information and they’re not sharing.'

  Arabeth leaned back in her chair, sipping tea and extrapolating. That meant her informants knew less than she did, or for anything related to the police, Harbertrope had effectively locked her out. She would have to go talk to that man. How could she get the information she needed when she'd put a burr under his saddle, metaphorically speaking? Bernie may not be the best choice of business partner if this was the outcome.

  Melanie needed to get back to her job. She had a talent for gaining people's trust, for getting information, and that information was sorely needed. More importantly, if she didn't go to them soon, they may think she's not up to the task anymore. As a twenty-four-year-old, single woman, with no family to take her in during difficult times of transition, that could land her in a bad situation. Yes, she had Arabeth, but Mel was proud. Everyone needed to get back on track.

  Sam said Vic was the man at the hospital. Vic, her former brother-in-law. Fate wove certain people together for a reason - what was the reason for this one? He was nothing like his brother, so it couldn't be as a reminder, a warning, to her. Vic was creating devices that impacted the brain, that controlled how people felt and what they thought, but his work was done out, away from people and interfered with the city violence. Unless he was lying. Like his brother.

  The baser instincts
were supposed to be hardwired in, so they were a more reliable trigger. But to what end? To make the enemy turn on itself? That would end a war fast, and this war had been going on for nearly ten years. It was one of the reasons this city was growing, and the cities near the war were not. Did that end justify these tests?

  Graham was becoming more important by the minute, to the point where butterflies filled Arabeth’s stomach when she thought about going to see him. About asking him for a favour. She would have to appeal to his humanity, to some intimate - perhaps even base - instinct for preservation of species, for preservation of self. The violence spreading daily. He would not be immune; his home may even be breached at some point. He was an intelligent man, forty-one years old, and well educated. He might already be working on a solution.

  That thought compounded her butterfly situation. Standing, she went and put her teacup in the sink.

  Who else was she waiting for here at home? The runners had all come, and it seemed like Bernie and Melanie were on a flexible schedule, having never agreed to arrive by a certain time. Melanie had a key. Bernie knew how to leave a note.

  That settled, Arabeth put her glass down and went to load her satchel. She was about to put a tiny injection device in her bag when it struck her just how much the city had changed in the last week. She hadn't wanted to acknowledge it, but there was literally fighting in the streets. She pulled three extras out of the box and loaded them with a fast-acting tranquilizer, dropping them in her satchel as well.

  Marble walked into the room and sat watching Arabeth prepare. Glancing over, Arabeth smiled, noting the little fox was indeed damp around the edges, and licking her lips after finishing breakfast.

  There was a prototype of the transmitter and receiver set that she wanted Graham to retry building. She had the design drawn out, but her tools were too large, too crude for the work. This was to be a more sophisticated version of Marble's collar transmitter. Maybe she should bring that too. It took a minute to find it, at the back of her 'Fail – Retry' box. She needed a more sensitive oscillator as well. A specialist like him might even have one sitting around.