by Lara Nance
It was a bumpy ride, and they had no cushy seats in this military vessel. She and Linc sat on the floor behind the pilots’ seats. Fortunately, it was fast. After an hour, they landed on the South’s side of the Gate fortress. A number of small carts filled with people rushed out of the entrance to meet them. She and Linc were ushered from the copter into a cart and hurried inside.
A man with red hair in a tan suit sped them through the hangar space and outside to the middle courtyard. “Dr. Butler, Miss Moralez, I apologize for the haste, but both governments want you two in Omaha as soon as possible. A DOA transport is waiting on the other side.”
Wiped out, she felt like a feather moving on a wave as people pushed, pulled and prodded her from the cart, through security to the North side onto another cart, and out the gate on the other side. A large four-blade copter waited, kicking up dust with its nearly silent rotors. A gangplank lowered, and one of their escorts herded them into the belly of the big craft.
“This way, Miss Moralez,” an asian-featured woman said as the door closed behind them. “I’m Chyna. Dr. Manson sent me to make sure you and Dr. Bulter make it to Omaha safely. We heard what happened with the crash.”
“Thank you,” Ria said, nearly falling as her legs buckled when the hover-craft lifted. Exhilaration at being safe tangled with fatigue, and fatigue won, leaving her limp.
Linc and Chyna each took one of her arms and lowered her to a seat.
“We need something to eat and some warm beverages,” Linc said, eyeing her solicitously as she started to shiver. “Do you have a blanket or anything warm she can wear?”
Ria rubbed her arms and groaned at the protest of strained muscles. Her insides churned with emptiness and hunger.
“Of course.” Chyna hurried from the main salon of the ship and returned with several blankets and two pillows. “The seats recline if you’d like to rest after you eat.”
They received hot soup packs and Vita-bars for quick replenishment of nutrients then downed bottles of vitamin water. Their stewardess tucked blankets around them, and Ria drifted off to sleep until a chime sounded, notifying them of their arrival in Omaha.
Ria yawned and stretched. “Damn it. I was so tired I forgot to contact my mother once we were in the North.”
She pressed a button on her comm-unit.
“Mom? It’s Ria.”
“What happened? We couldn’t get any information after you left. Are you okay? Where are you?” Her mother’s voice had that high-pitched panic sound.
“I’m a little worse for wear, but fine. I’m on my way back to the lab at the university. I have samples from the victims in the South. Is Conner all right?”
“Yes, but we’ve been worried about you. Do you want to talk to him?”
“Not now. I have too much to do in a small amount of time. I’ll try to call you later.”
“Ria, is this thing spreading?” Her mother’s voice lowered.
She glanced at Linc. It wouldn’t do to say too much at this point, even to her mother. “We’re not sure. For now it seems contained to the outbreak areas. They have them closed off.”
“Please call me later so I know you’re okay.”
“I will. Tell Dad and Conner hello for me.”
She ended the call as the ship landed. Once again, people rushed them from point to point so fast she barely had time to register Linc’s impression of the North’s capital city. From airport to the university, they sped through the streets in a special air-car, then into the university.
“Finally,” Louis roared when the door to the lab slid open and they entered. He frowned when his gaze traveled over her. “What the hell happened to you?”
“A lion tried to kill me,” she said, placing her sample bag on one of the metal tables.
“A lion? In Louisiana?” He shifted his gaze to Linc.
“A cougar, or mountain lion if you prefer. It tried to attack her, but she escaped.”
“But you have the samples?” He stared anxiously at the pack.
“Yes, yes. Thank you for your concern.” She opened the flap and retrieved the slides and the Life-pack with the live samples.
He grabbed the Life-pack and hurried to the contained section of the lab, closing the door to the clear walled room behind him. He donned a safety suit and worked to isolate some of the parasites under a micro-viewer. When he raised a fist in the air and shouted, she knew the little bastards must have also survived the hazardous trip. Hearty little buggers.
“Now what?” Linc asked. His haggard, scratched face and two-day-old beard made it appear he had fought the big cat instead of chasing it away. His battered look endeared him to her knowing he’d fought to keep her safe.
“Now he gets to do what he does best, and we get to take a much needed break.” She called one of the other parasitology PhD students and asked him to come assist Dr. Manson so she and Linc could get cleaned up and regroup. “We can go to my apartment to bathe and eat. I’ll need to find you some clothes, too. We can stop at a store on the way home for whatever you need. I’m going to buy some boots.”
“Boots? All right. Sounds like a plan.” He followed her to the monorail landing, then she remembered he didn’t have a pass.
They had to take a hired car, but that actually turned out well since it allowed him to have better views of the city, and they could stop to purchase what they needed. She pointed when they passed the still-partitioned area of the Plaza where the explosion had occurred. A charred scent still laced the air, and she could make out blackened remains of shops and burned down trees.
“That’s where my sister died. She was shopping for clothes because she’d had a job offer at the university. Things were looking up for her.” A tear ran down her face as an aching yearning to see Lola attacked her. How she longed to put her arms around her sister and tell her how much she missed her, how much she regretted not saying more on that morning before she died. There would be no future for them now, no time to rekindle the sisterhood from their youth. “I never got to say good-bye.”
He shook his head. “I can’t understand why people do things like that. Crazy.”
She turned to face him in the backseat of the car. “That group you talked about, The Wrath of Freedom? You really think they’re trying to use the parasite as a biological weapon?”
“If they could figure out a way to do it, yeah. I’m hoping they don’t have the scientific knowhow to develop anything of that nature, though. They’re more about muscle than brainpower.”
“They could hire someone,” she said, fear scattering along her frayed nerves like electrical current.
His brows came together, and he scratched his chin. “For enough money, you’re probably right.”
Chapter Thirteen
“Aunt Ria!” Conner slammed into her, nearly knocking her down as she entered her apartment. His arms circled her thighs, and he pressed his head against her abdomen, sending a breathless joy bursting within her.
“Conner, what are you doing here?” She hugged him back, filled with delight to see him. His presence warmed her as nothing else could. She smoothed his hair and cupped his face between her hands, searching his dear face to assure herself of his wellbeing. She had suffered times in the past few days when she thought she’d never see him again.
Her mother and father stood by the sofa. Her mother clamped a hand over her mouth, her eyes showing alarm. Ria glanced down at her ragged, stained tunic and ran a hand down her front. She and Linc looked a total mess.
“Honey, we, uh, decided to come here and wait,” her dad said. “Your mom made some food and brought it over, too.”
Once Conner released her, she hugged her parents. The realness of them gave her more hope than she’d felt in a long time. “You guys have no idea how glad I am to be home and see you.”
“We were really worried, Ria,” her mom said, her voice breaking. “Your dad called everyone who might have news, but no one would tell us anything. I’m so glad you’re home safe.
”
“Oh, wait, I forgot. This is Dr. Lincoln Butler, a marine biologist from the South. He was with me when the transport crashed. He saved my life.” She broke from her mother’s embrace, and went to bring Linc forward with a hand on his back. “Linc, this is Conner, and my mom and dad, Ginger and Juan Moralez.”
He shook their hands, and her mother exclaimed, “You look horrible, both of you. Juan, take Dr. Butler to Lola’s room so he can shower and change. Ria can go to her room. I’m going to get the food ready. You two need a good meal and some rest. What is that Dr. Manson thinking? I’m going to give him a piece of my mind.”
Ria grinned and waved to Linc as her father escorted him to her sister’s room. Her mother continued a string of mutters about what exactly she would say to Ria’s boss the next time she saw him.
“Conner, are you all right?” Ria stood in front of him. His hazel eyes glistened with restrained sadness, despite his verbal protestations of happiness at seeing her.
“I haven’t been to school, so I’ve been kind of lonely,” he said, taking hold of her hand.
“You’ve been so brave.” She kissed the top of his head. “This tragedy is more than any child should have to live through. I wish I could have been here to help you.”
“Are you going to stay home now?” He looked up at her so hopefully it nearly broke her heart.
“I don’t know for sure, sweetie. We have a crisis and it involves parasites. You know I told you that’s what I study, right?”
He hung his head. “I remember. I just wish I could stay here. This place is home to me.”
She knelt on his level and met his gaze directly. “You can come here anytime with Gramma, even if I’m gone. And when this mess is over, you can stay here for as long as you want. Okay? You understand this problem I’m working on is important, don’t you?”
He nodded. “Grampa told me. He said people are dying.”
“That’s right. So I have to help stop the problem from spreading.”
He leaned closer and glanced toward the kitchen where her mother arranged food on platters. “If you can’t stay, can you help me talk Gramma into letting me have a puppy?”
She bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing. Her mother would hate that. “Hey, a puppy. That’s a wonderful idea. I will definitely give my support.”
“Okay, thanks. I promise to take good care of it.” His expression brightened a little. “It can play with Puffer, too.”
She came to her feet and groaned as her overused muscles stiffened and cramped. “I have to take a shower now. Help Gramma and we’ll talk more later.”
He ran to the kitchen, and she headed for her bedroom, rubbing her right hip. It must have bruised when she tumbled from that ledge while running from that damned lion. No doubt the trauma from the crash played a role in her achy limbs, too. The fact that Linc could deal with the wild outdoors impressed her. Maybe it was a primeval response, but it also made him more attractive. Dear Lord, if her mother got a whiff of any connection between them, Ria would have hell to pay. The grandchild pressure would increase beyond measure.
A hot shower and clean clothes did a lot to revive her, but she’d be sore for days. She stared in the mirror over the sink, appalled at the number of scratches mingled with blue bruises on her face. She touched her cheek and winced.
“I really look like I had a fight with a lion,” she murmured, turning her head from side to side to view the damage. “Great.”
***
Linc stared at the numerous knobs and buttons inside the shower, rubbing his sore shoulder. Ria’s father had handed him towels and left. Apparently he didn’t know that the South had no such accessories and that Linc might need some instruction. Although he’d heard some of the fancy hotels in Atlanta had more advanced facilities such as this, he’d never had enough money to indulge in a stay at one of them. They were playgrounds for CEO’s of large corporations and banks.
He leaned over and peered at the labels. Looked like one provided different scents, another different water patterns, and another added deodorant or oils to the water. A sliding lever changed colors of lighting in the glass-enclosed stall. He discovered he could also listen to different sounds of nature. Hmm, the ocean would be nice. He punched a button and became incased in soft rolling waves and seagull calls. A heat lamp came on above him, radiating warmth.
A groan escaped his lips as four showerheads set to massage pounded into his back and shoulders, kneading tortured muscles. The hot water eased the pain gripping his muscles, although it stung in areas with open skin. He stretched his arms, letting the warmth soak in and soothe. After the water stopped, puffs of warm air dried most of the moisture on his skin. The final drops he quickly removed with soft, thick towels
Once out of the high-tech shower, he tried on the clothes he’d bought - a pair of black trousers and a light blue soft knit shirt. He combed his damp hair and gave a wry grin at his reflection showing scratches on his face. He and Ria definitely looked the worse for wear. But they were alive.
He joined her and her family as they filled plates from the food her mother had brought and set upon platters on the kitchen counter. He didn’t recognize the dishes, some sort of fusion, with green leaves stuffed with meat and rice, crispy shells containing a cheesy mix, a salad of vegetables, nuts and lettuce. Everything smelled and tasted wonderful.
They settled on different chairs and the sofa. Conner sat cross-legged on the floor with his plate on the coffee table.
“You two look a lot better,” Ria’s mother said, handing her husband another roll from the basket on the table. Her daughter resembled her with her curvy body and curly black hair.
She gave Linc a look from under her thick lashes. “So, Dr. Butler, are you married?”
“Mom!” Red crawled up Ria’s neck, staining her cheeks. “Please!”
“What?” her mother exclaimed, throwing up a hand. “I’m just making conversation.”
“What’s next on your agenda?” Juan Moralez asked Linc, giving his wife a smile.
“Dr. Manson is studying the samples we brought,” Ria said with a censuring look at her mother. “We have a lot of work to do.”
“Dr. Butler, please take another roll,” Ginger said, pushing the basket across the table in his direction. She offered a gentle smile. “And there’s plenty of food left, so help yourself. You must be starved.”
“The food is awesome. Thank you, but please call me Linc,” he said, enjoying Ria’s embarrassment. Mothers were the same in the North and South it seemed. “You’re all very kind to take me in and make me feel at home. This was such an unexpected trip, and I know you’ve had a tragedy to deal with recently.”
Ginger sniffed. Her father patted his wife’s hand and coughed. “So, uh, will you guys have to go anywhere else?”
Linc gave Ria an apologetic look. He shouldn’t have brought up the reminder of her sister’s death.
She shot him a reassuring smile. “Dad, it depends on what happens. If there’s another outbreak, we’ll have to go wherever it is.”
Her mother pressed a hand to her chest. “What if it starts spreading and comes to the North? Are we in danger?”
“Mom, let’s not speculate. It is nowhere near here at present, and we’re working to find a way to stop it.”
“Grampa said we’re safe because we don’t live next to the ocean,” Conner said, stuffing an entire roll into his mouth.
“Linc, you look pretty fit. Do you have anything like the Great Obstacle Race in the South?” her dad asked.
“No. We’re still playing football, basketball and that sort of thing,” Linc said, turning to her father and leaning forward.
The stories he’d heard of the North’s pinnacle of athleticism fascinated him. People trained for years just for a chance to apply to compete. It was a national obsession involving no limits to age or gender. “But I’ve heard of your Race. Sort of a triathlon, right?”
“It’s a lot more than that,” Juan
said, leaning forward and gesturing with his hands. “There are clues for the route, so contestants have to use their brains as well as their bodies. Specialized skills are required, like mountain climbing, skiing, swimming and running, to complete the course. It takes place from Atlantic to Pacific Ocean, so there are a broad range of terrains involved.”
“Sounds fascinating,” Linc said.
“It is. I competed a few times but never won.”
“Seriously? It sounds tough. You must be in top shape.”
Her father puffed out his chest and beamed. “I was at one time. I’m retired now, so I can’t stay at that level. I had hoped one of my children might take it up, but—”
“Let’s talk about something else,” Ria interrupted with a wink to her mother.
Her father gave her a disappointed glare.
“That shower was pretty complicated,” Linc said, coming to her rescue. “It has a lot of gadgets I’m not used to.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Juan said. “I didn’t think that you wouldn’t be familiar with the controls. I should have given you some idea of the options.”
“It’s okay. I figured out most of it.” He grinned and sniffed at his arm. “Although I might smell like a girl for a while. What about that, Conner?”
The boy laughed. “Let me smell.” He crawled to Linc’s chair and pressed his nose to the sleeve of Linc’s shirt. “It’s not too bad. Kind of like powder.”
“Good. No one will make fun of you then,” Ria joked.
Conner studied Linc from beneath hooded eyelids. “How is the South different from here?”
His grandmother dropped her fork to her plate, and Juan pointed a warning finger at the child.
Linc smiled. “It’s okay. I don’t mind talking about my home. Truly, it’s not a lot different. I think most people just want to be happy and have a good life for themselves and their children.”
“Dessert anyone?” Her mother asked brightly, rising and brushing her hands down her long skirt. “I made Juan’s favorite, Tres Leche cake.”