by Dale Mayer
“Pull your tongue back into your mouth.” Charmin stalked over the huge bed and hopped up. He sank into the middle and turned around several times before lying down. He yawned. “This will do nicely.”
“Ha. Who said that’s for you?”
“Losers weepers,” he replied, using an old phrase from back in her time.
She stared at him. “How is it you can adapt so quickly? Why are you not bothered about how different things are here in this time?”
He lifted his head. “What’s different? Bad guys. Good guys. Kidnappings. Murders. They are the same in both times. The technology is more advanced – and so it should be. But honestly, it doesn’t look like humanity improved much. Besides, I only need food, love, warmth, and a cozy bed to keep my world balanced.” He closed his eyes, then opened one back up. “It’s the same for you.”
Was it? She wondered. “I need to be safe.”
“And you will be. Soon.”
*
Milo clicked away on the comp in his hand, essentially ignoring Johan and the rest of the conversation. Levi studied him for a brief second. Then returned his gaze to Johan. Who looked to be fading. “Do you want to go retrieve your property and come back? The pod will be waiting for you.”
He didn’t know why he made the offer, but it seemed the right thing to do. He sensed an odd stillness come over Milo before the clicking started in earnest. He was up to something.
Then again, so was Levi.
Johan struggled to stand, his face wreathed in smiles. “Thank you. I surely appreciate that. I’ll be back in just a few minutes.” He staggered down the corridor to the front entrance.
Levi walked behind him. At the door, he asked, “Do you want company?”
Johan paused to look at him, considered the suggestion, then shook his head. “I’ll be fine and it will be better if you aren’t seen with me. It will just get you into more trouble. Stay here and stay safe. I’ll be back before you know it.” And he entered the tube and disappeared. Levi stepped back inside and reset the security.
“How long do we have?” Milo asked from behind him.
“Maybe ten minutes.” Levi turned to face him.
Milo had followed them down to the hallway. “Then we’d better get moving.”
“Moving where? What are you up to?”
“Setting up video in the pod room,” Milo said.
Levi stared at his brother as he raced into the room where Dani lay sleeping. “Why? Wait. Don’t scare her.”
“She’s in your bedroom. Charmin told me they’d moved so Johan could use the pod. Dani felt guilty.”
Throwing his hands up in the air, Levi ran to catch up. Since when had Dani moved? “How did they even know about Johan being hurt?”
“Charmin turned on the audio in the pod room. They heard the whole conversation.”
“Sweet.” He entered the room to find Milo tinkering with the comp on the wall. “How long do you need?”
“More than 10 minutes,” he muttered, tapping the console quickly. “I’d really like to know why he wants to use the pod. Oh, he’s hurt all right. But while he’s in here, is he going to retrieve information on us? Will he send messages from our location? Is he really badly hurt? Or did he pay someone to rough him up to add some weight to his story and get him into the pod?”
“He looks hurt. I’m sure the pod would help heal him.” There were any number of pods available, but not as many unregistered. If he used a registered pod, then his name would be sent to the databanks. He could expect a convoy of ComBots and police to be at his side within minutes. Here, he could stay undetected.
“Do you believe his story?” Milo asked.
“No. I don’t.” Levi added, “But it is quite possible that he is looking to retrieve something he missed from his place.”
Milo shrugged. “I don’t trust him.”
Levi said, “Neither do I.”
Chapter 4
Dani curled up in Levi’s bed. It felt wonderful. And yet so right. Special. Illicit. Which, considering she was married to the man, was just plain stupid. She sank a little deeper into the covers, enjoying the feel of Charmin kneading her belly. They’d had lots of mornings in the past where it was just the two of them. Time together to enjoy a lie in. Time to spoil each other and gain the comfort each offered so freely. Times had changed. In more ways than one. “It’s been tough, hasn’t it, Charmin?”
The kneading paused. “In some ways.”
She smiled. “It’s nice that we can really talk now.”
“Yep.”
“Do you think…” she had to stop. What she was going to say sounded stupid.
“What.”
“Nah, it doesn’t matter.”
“Except if it’s bugging you, it does matter.”
She gave a small laugh, startled at the wisdom coming out of his mouth. “I shouldn’t let it bother me.”
“And again, that has nothing to do with it. Just because we shouldn’t think about something doesn’t mean we don’t. And if it’s in your mind, then far better to share it.”
True. She said in a thoughtful voice, “I just wondered if any of the enhancements Milo added to our transport came to me. Or if you got all of it.”
“Them.”
“Them?” She twisted slightly to look at him. “You mean you received more than one enhancement?”
“I don’t know that. I do know he added more than one. It’s Milo – how could he resist?”
“Yeah.” She sank back into the pillows thinking about it. “He’d think it would all work out perfectly as he planned anyway.”
“Of course, and for the most part, it did.”
“Does it bother you that you are communicating at the level you are now?”
“Yes. It’s just much harder to get my beauty sleep,” he grumbled from somewhere in the center of the curled-up ball of fur he’d become. “Everyone wants to talk.”
She smirked. “Sorry, I’ll be quiet again.”
“Yeah, but not for long.”
Reaching out a hand, she gently stroked along the curve of his back. “Maybe not, but I do love you, and I’m so glad we’re together.”
His purr hit diesel engine level in seconds.
Content, she lay there and dozed, wondering what other enhancements Milo had added to the two of them – or just Charmin. And had they worked? Supposedly there was a high incidence of failures with enhancements. Apparently Mother Nature still ruled.
The door opened. Levi walked in and looked around.
“Hey, how are you feeling?” he asked after spying her in his bed.
She realized he had to be worried, considering she could barely be seen under the mound of covers. “I’m fine. Just tired.” On cue, she yawned. “Is Johan in the pod?”
“No, he’s gone to his place to retrieve something. He’ll be back in a few minutes.”
“Okay, at least it’s ready for him.”
“Thanks for that. We did use his pod when we needed it, so…”
“Understood. It’s the right thing to do.” She shuffled back up against the headboard so it was easier to see him. She was surprised to see him standing in the middle of the room. “Uhm, I hope it was okay to move in here? I know I didn’t ask, but I wasn’t sure what else to do.”
“Of course it is,” he rushed to reassure her.
She stared at him, loving the warmth that filled his huge eyes. “Good, then why are you standing in the middle of the room like that?”
The heat in his eyes flared, “Because I don’t dare get any closer.” His legs brought him a step closer regardless. He clenched his fists.
She raised an eyebrow. Her toes curled.
He dropped his gaze slowly down her face and neck to rest on her breasts, plumped up from the bedding she’d tucked around herself to keep warm. “Because joining you in there is exactly where I want to be, but Johan is going to be back in a few minutes. And Milo is working on something that might need my help.”
/> That made sense, and it reassured her. “You could hurry back.”
He swallowed hard. “Working on it.”
But he stayed frozen in place. Then with a low groan he said, “I’m leaving. I’ll be back soon.”
She raised the second eyebrow. He threw up both arms, turned on his heel, and raced out. She grinned. “Nice to know he’s just as affected as I am.”
“You’re both idiots,” Charmin murmured. “Now do you think I could get some sleep?”
*
Levi tore out of that room before he jumped into that bed and made love to Dani. He’d dreamed of her in his bed, lying beside him. Lying under him. On top of him. Any position would work as long as it involved Dani.
“Whoa, Levi. What’s going on?” Milo stood in the hallway studying him. “Is everything all right?”
He winced. Definitely time to control his unruly thoughts and wayward body. “I’m fine. Just realized you might need some help.” Yeah, as lame excuses went, that one topped the cake.
And if the look on Milo’s face was anything to go by, he agreed. “Right.” He walked toward the kitchen. “Maybe coffee? Or a cold shower?” he murmured as he slipped past his brother.
“Ha. Coffee will be fine.”
“I’m not so sure. You don’t need more stimulants,” Milo said, a grin on his face.
Levi glared at his brother. “No, I don’t. But the coffee would be good regardless. I’m sure Dani would love some after all the attempts to get her a cup keep getting interrupted. And maybe we have time for a cup before Johan gets back.”
He walked over and pushed the button, choosing an espresso blend. He might not need the stimulant, but he could use the shock to his system. Dani was a powerful drug all on her own.
“Speaking of which, I’d have expected him to be back already.”
Levi turned around to face Milo. He frowned as he looked down at his own comp. “How long has it been?”
“Fifteen going on sixteen minutes.”
Levi made the mental calculations in his head. “He could have trouble finding what he needs to find. If it’s even still there. He’s hardly late yet.”
He walked over the counter and the big 3D screen. “Did you track his movements?”
“There are no tracks to show how he got here. Unfortunately. Then again, he’s spent a lifetime living this way. As for where he went, he did take the tube to the top floor. From there – I don’t know.”
“Can you hack into the system? See if there are any working computer eyes in his place we can access?” Levi thought about what Johan had said before. “Johan said he had eyes on most of the building. Said he recognized the guy that came to give Dani the tags.”
“Did he now? That you did not mention before.” Milo got busy. “Would have been good if you had.”
“It never occurred to me. We do the same.”
“Yes, but he didn’t come in today through the normal channels. He’s keeping track of all of us but not letting anyone see his tracks. And that’s not allowed.”
Levi grinned. Milo had a huge competitive streak. He also lived on the airways and knew how to traverse the electronic world better than anyone he knew of. His ability to dig himself in until he found what he was looking for spoke to his stubborn nature. He had a lot of bulldog in him.
A good trait when it came to hunting. Levi left Milo to it and took a moment to check the huge backlog of emails and business issues. He’d been slacking these last several days, and there were some things he couldn’t ignore any longer. He buckled down to try and deal with the easiest and fastest of them. It took twenty minutes to take the cream off the top, delegate a huge portion of the other issues to his staff, and skim over the rest. Feeling better now that he knew what was backed up, he turned to the coffee he’d forgotten about. Pouring two cups, he carried one into the bedroom for Dani.
And found her sound asleep.
He stared down at the sleeping beauty curled so innocently in his bed. All he wanted to do was slide under there and curl around her.
She rolled over and opened her eyes.
He smiled gently. “Hey, did you enjoy your nap?”
She smiled sleepily. “Did you come to join me?”
“I wish.” He lifted the cup in his hand slightly higher so she could see it. “I did bring you coffee.”
Her eyes lit up. “That’s a wonderful second place prize.” She shifted back and up, and he realized she was fully dressed, not exactly the image his mind had been busy creating. And reminded him of another oversight. “I need to get you new clothes.”
She winced. “I’d appreciate it. I’ve been washing my underwear in the sink and leaving it to dry overnight. But one outfit does not last forever.”
“Do you like the style? I can give you others, but that style looks lovely on you. And it’s easy to grab you a half dozen of the same.”
Her gaze widened. “Yes, please.”
“Your wish is my command.” He turned and walked toward the side wall of his bedroom, where he brought up the clothing program. He quickly repeated his clothing instructions but switched up the colors. As an afterthought, he multiplied the outfit by seven. That should work for the moment.
As he was stacking up the goods on the bed, he got a transmission over the home security system. The robotic voice said, “A request for help has been received.”
He straightened. “What? From who?”
“Johan Strand.”
“Damn. Is he hurt?”
“I have no further information from the sender.”
“But he’s alive?”
“At the time of transmission.”
“Well, that’s something.” He hated that the first thing through his mind was that Johan was dying. There’d been too much death lately. He raced out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. “Milo? I have to go check on Johan. He’s sent out an alert for help.”
“I’m coming with you.”
“No, you need to stay here with Dani.”
“Dani is going to be locked in here. You need backup.”
That his kid brother saw himself as Levi’s backup was touching and funny as hell, but he’d proven that he could be helpful in many situations. Given the choices, Milo was correct. As long as Dani stayed inside, she’d be safe. He could set the security system to alert him if anyone approached. And that was a hell of an idea. “Thanks, Milo.”
He ran to the front door, set up the alarm, and stepped out, Milo at his back. The two stepped into the tube and took off for Johan’s suite.
The tube disappeared as they arrived at their destination. Johan’s door was locked down tight. He motioned at Milo to follow him to the small rooftop garden. They couldn’t hear any sounds from the place. That in itself was unusual after hearing Johan’s endless parties. He stepped over the small divider and carefully worked his way around to Johan’s big rooftop patio. The place was dark and silent. The big double doors stood wide open, also unusual, but good for him and his brother. He wanted to race inside and call out for Johan, but instinct stilled his tongue. There was an eerie sense that they weren’t alone.
He knew the layout pretty well. He slipped inside and slid along the wall to the left. Johan’s bedroom should be down the same side of the apartment. He couldn’t hear anything, but neither could he see anything. The darkness was absolute.
Milo motioned toward a large black bar set near the middle of the room. Nodding, Levi crouched down and made his way over to it.
That was when they heard someone rustling around in the room next to them.
But was it friend or foe?
Chapter 5
Dani sat up, threw the covers off, and slid her legs over the edge of the bed. Beside her was a large stack of clothing. Different colors and designs, all appearing to be pieces of the same outfit he’d given her last time. Levi had dumped them beside her before racing out of the room. He had called back as he left, “These are more the same. Later, we can sit down and pick you out diffe
rent clothes.”
Now she wondered at his words. Sit down and pick out some clothes? Did they have stores anymore? Or only online stores? Did he design something himself? Or did he use a design program? Input her coloring and measurements, and voila, a whole new set of clothes. Hit the print button and there they were?
She paused at the idea. That almost sounded possible.
Spreading the clothing out, she smiled at the bright colors. They were the same design as the one she currently wore, but with a fresh look. She loved them. A deep bronze top and milk chocolate pants were her first choice. The array of matching sexy underwear made her cry out in delight. She dressed quickly. She folded the dirty clothes and laid them off to the side, then restacked the remaining outfits. She looked around and realized that of course there were no dressers or visible drawers that she could see. Everything would be sunk into the walls. Or compressed in such a way as to open upon command. Multitasking space, he’d called it. Cool idea.
And it made for a nice clean line in the room. There was little clutter, just open warm space.
Leaving the clothes stacked on the bed and feeling like every other woman with new clothes, she walked out with a skip to her step.
And found the men missing.
She wandered through the kitchen and large sitting room, and there was no sign of Levi or Milo. She frowned. If they were with Johan, she preferred to stay out of sight. After a moment of indecision, she refilled her coffee cup and returned to find Charmin. In the center of the bed, Charmin opened one eye and stretched out a paw. In a lithe move, he rolled over onto his back.
“Charmin, I can’t find Milo and Levi. Can you tell me where they are? Without alerting anyone else in the place.”
He rolled over again slowly and sat up. “Audio on.”
Silence.
She kicked herself for not having tried the same thing. None of this was instinctive yet. “If they’re in the pod room, with stealth on, will you be able to hear them?”
“I don’t know.” He tilted his head and said, “Audio on in pod room.”
More silence.