Montgomery smiled.
"Don't go cop on me again, Montgomery."
"You need more than speculation, Lil."
She eyed him, then lowered her voice. "Tell me again: how does the angel thing work?"
Montgomery was surprised by the question. He glanced away, then back at her, knowing she'd want to watch his expression closely. "You volunteer and you get an assignment." He swallowed. "You make the transfer, and you do your job."
"And then?"
He held her gaze. "And then you go back."
He saw her lips tighten just before she turned back to the display. He wasn't surprised that she changed the subject. "I'm going to bet that there are images from each of the points where the nuclear bombs were detonated in Gotham in 2069."
"So, the Society's oranges got caught in the crossfire when Gotham was bombed. So what?"
"So, I wonder whether those oranges ticked. I wonder whether that's what Y654892 wanted to tell me."
Montgomery leaned forward. "Lil, you know that the Society of Nuclear Darwinists is a prestigious organization with well-established influence and credibility. Where's your proof?"
Lilia's lips set and Montgomery knew she wasn't going to give it up. "We can get proof."
"I don't think so. There can't be any left after thirty years."
"Not so. Uranium 238 has a half-life of 4.46 billion years, Plutonium 241 a mere 24,110 years. Time is on our side, Montgomery—thirty years here or there barely factors in."
"You are not going into the old city—"
She interrupted him. "If I'm right, the debris from the trucks themselves will be the hottest wreckage—"
"Inconclusive data. It'll never hold."
"You could be more helpful, you know. For the good of humanity and all that."
"It's irrelevant. The players are probably all dead."
"No, no, it's not old news. It's tomorrow's news."
He regarded her with suspicion. "What do you mean?"
"Look at that shade population curve, Montgomery. We're running low, lower even than before." She spoke with quiet certainty. "They're going to do it again."
Montgomery was horrified, but it made perfect sense. "Where? When?"
"Where are they sending the oranges?"
"Didn't they take the program to the Frontier this year?"
"Thousands of miles of turf," Lilia said with a grimace. "We have to do better than that."
Montgomery searched, aware that his scrambler couldn't last much longer. It began to fizzle as the results displayed and both of them leaned close to the display, anxious to read as much as possible.
"They're warehousing them in Estevan," Lilia read.
"What's there?"
Lilia clicked the hotlink. They had time to read that Estevan was a former military base, current population ninety-seven. The scrambler fizzled and Montgomery automatically popped the datachip from the port.
"Obviously not their target of choice," Lilia said with frustration. "We're missing something."
"Let's go back to the beginning," Montgomery suggested. "Who's they?"
"Council of Three, probably," she said and Montgomery's pulse leapt. "They're supposed to be running the show and ensuring the Society's existence would have to be high on their agenda."
"But who are they?"
"That's the tricky part." She leaned against the wall, obviously thinking.
"Fitzgerald?" Montgomery asked.
Lilia didn't dismiss the idea out of hand. "Maybe. But then, why would they kill him?" Montgomery could think of several reasons, but Lilia shook her head. "If Gid was involved at all, then his advisor, Dr. Malachy, would have been the one to bring him into it. He knew Ernest Sinclair and has been a member of the Society virtually from its inception."
"Sounds like a reasonable choice."
Lilia smiled. "But I like him."
"Your gut instincts aren't untrustworthy," Montgomery said.
"And then there's Rhys ibn Ali. He'd be my choice pick for an evildoer. The Society looks the other way when he breaks the rules."
"So, he has influence."
Lilia cast him that mischievous grin. "As much as I hate to admit it, it's easier to believe that Rhys is sleeping with somebody who has influence than that he's part of anything clandestine. The man has zero discretion."
"It could be an act."
She was unconvinced. "Which brings us to Ernestine."
"Society president?"
"Heiress apparent and president. She's been doing Rhys for years. Blake said the presidency was a stepping stone to the Council and she's almost done her term."
"What about older fellows?"
"Doc Mina is being given the nudge out of the Institute, so she can't be on the Council. In fact, she's pretty bitter about their decision to ditch her."
Montgomery thought that could be an act as well, but he didn't want to interrupt Lilia's thoughts. She knew these people, after all, and he was interested in her impressions.
She snapped her fingers. "The guy who'd been booked for the keynote, Paul Cosmopoulos, is a possibility. He's involved in the drug patent program, a big part of the Society's income base."
"Is he here?"
"I don't know." Lilia grimaced. "At the Institute, I skipped all the drug-testing-protocol courses that I could. I don't even know what Dr. Cosmopoulos looks like." She took a deep breath, glancing toward the door. "He could be anybody."
"That's not the most reassuring comment you could have made," Montgomery teased because she looked so concerned. She fell silent and he sighed. "We need to know where to begin."
"Oh, that's easy. We need to retrieve Y654892's palm."
"He was killed in Gotham."
"I'll guess that the wolves didn't eat his hardware."
Montgomery looked away while he thought. He'd be breaking the law by going into the old city, and treating himself to some radiation exposure. It was a long shot, but the only clue that they had.
On the other hand, Lilia's theory, even without proof, neatly explained the angel's insistence that he eliminate the Council of Three. Meeting Lilia could be the reason he'd been assigned to NGPD.
That assignment had run its duration, though. He'd already fired his laze without authorization or explanation a good half dozen times, and his physical exam would terminate his employment at NGPD. Tupperman had as much as said he couldn't help him.
Montgomery had nothing left to lose.
But he had a whole lot to gain. He plucked the tissue regenerator off his shoulder and turned it off, flexing his arm to check its progress. His back was much better and he felt stronger.
"What are you going to do?" she asked quietly and he grinned at her. He saw her eyes widen, saw her catch her breath, and he loved that she was as aware of him as he was of her.
"I'm thinking, Lil, that it's time you showed me your tattoos."
Lilia began to smile. "Do you have enough tokens left to get us a room with no peepholes, Montgomery? I'm a bit shy."
The very idea of Lilia being shy made Montgomery laugh but he wasn't going to argue with her.
He had better things to do.
Montgomery would leave when his mission was done. Lilia didn't want to know the specifics of his assignment, didn't want to know the precise parameters of his time on earth. It wasn't like her to duck the truth, but Montgomery was already someone she'd come to rely on.
She wished he'd stay.
She knew it wasn't for her to ask.
They returned to the whores' bedroom and the massive gilt-edged four-poster bed. Montgomery was more lithe on the stairs, the tissue regenerator having done its business well enough. He was preoccupied already, thinking about their course of action, and Lilia sensed that he'd be gone soon.
She wanted his undivided attention one last time.
Even if she had to show him her tattoos.
He closed the door behind them and she pulled the heavy drapes. She lit the candles on the sideboard, fee
ling Montgomery's gaze follow her. The room was filled with mysterious shadows, the decor decadent and luxurious. It was perfect. Lilia turned down the bed, smoothed the sheets, and plumped the pillows.
She turned to find Montgomery leaning against the door, his arms folded across his chest. That little smile played with his lips, the one that made Lilia's blood pressure rise. His chest was bare, his shirt and jacket having been dispatched for the tissue regenerator, and he wore only his cloak. Without his reevlar codpiece, Lilia had no doubt what was on his mind. He looked like a pirate king, an unpredictable rogue with pleasure on his mind.
She stood in the middle of the room and unfastened her hair. The braid had already come loose but she shook out the heavy weight of her hair, letting all forty-two inches of its dark curtain surround her. Montgomery's eyes gleamed as she unfastened the jacket of the black ly-crester suit. Her corset was as black as the suit and she knew it contrasted with her pale skin. She removed her boots and set them aside, then wriggled out of her trousers. She folded the lycrester carefully, giving Montgomery a good view of her assets as she did so.
She crossed the floor barefoot, pausing before him. He seemed prepared to let her set the pace. She unfastened his cloak and set it aside, then ran her fingertips across the breadth of his chest. She understood why he hadn't let her see him nude before, but now she wanted a good look.
It might be the only chance she got.
She reached up and kissed his earlobe where his monitor had been, letting her fingertips dance over the flesh wound on his temple. It was already closed, as was the shot to his shoulder. She urged him to turn with a caress of her hand and he did so, displaying his back to her.
Lilia ran her hands across his repairing flesh lightly, then traced the length of his scars with a fingertip. It was hard to believe that he had had wings, though not that hard to believe that he had been an angel. His body was beautiful, perfect other than the scars, as well crafted as a piece of fine sculpture. She couldn't imagine how it had felt to lose his wings, but she had seen Raphael's pain.
She bent and touched her lips to the scar tissue. Montgomery caught his breath. He turned and reached for her, his fingers sliding into her hair as he kissed her with sweet urgency. Lilia found herself on her toes, arching against his strength. Her nipples slipped over the top of her corset and she rubbed them against the hair on his chest. His kiss deepened, became more demanding, and she felt his desire press against her belly.
They parted, their breathing heavy, and Lilia smiled at Montgomery as she reached for the fastening of his trousers. He pulled off his boots and cast them aside, his trousers following suit.
He was nude before her. Nude and magnificent, so splendid that Lilia caught her breath. He took her hand in his and kissed her fingertips, his eyes gleaming with promise. Then he spun her around, eased her hair aside, and pulled her laces free.
The corset fell to the carpet and Montgomery bracketed Lilia's waist with his hands. He bent and kissed the tattoo at the base of her spine, then slid his thumbs across it.
"What do they mean?"
"Each degree is commemorated by a tattoo on the appropriate chakra," she said.
"Chakra?"
"Chakras are power points in the body, according to old mysticism. They govern facets of our life and mark developmental milestones. We tattoo them in order." She glanced over her shoulder at him. "That's the first chakra, at the base of the spine. It symbolizes an awareness of self and our physical bodies, as well as self-preservation."
"Your tattoo is an apple." His expression turned quizzical.
Lilia smiled. "I've been called a temptress many times."
"I wonder why." Montgomery grinned, then lifted Lilia in his arms. He kissed her as he carried her to the bed, then laid her across the linens. He spread her hair over the sheets and studied her as if she was a marvel.
"Consider me tempted," he whispered, then bent to tease her nipple with his tongue. His hand wandered to her pubis and Lilia knew the moment that he saw the second tattoo.
"The second chakra is in the genitals. It represents earthly desire and physical temptation."
"A snake," Montgomery said and looked at her. "Temptation that can't be trusted, maybe?"
Lilia smiled. "Exactly. Desire, sexual pleasure, maybe at the price of other things. That snake's name is Maximilian."
He met her gaze and she knew he recognized the name. "Delilah's father," he said and Lilia couldn't stop her lips from tightening.
"He called them to harvest her at the hospital. Right away. It's a lesson I don't intend to forget."
He slid his hand across her smooth skin, as if he was trying to ease away her pain. "But not all desire and temptation is bad, is it?"
Lilia slid her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. "Definitely not," she whispered, daring to hope for her one desire. "It's only bad when it exists alone." She saw the fleeting glimmer of his smile and her heart clenched with the conviction that he agreed with her.
Then he kissed her once again. They savored each other, exploring, sampling and tasting and enjoying. Montgomery caressed Lilia as he had before, his gaze bright as she writhed beneath his touch.
She let him see the fullness of the pleasure he gave her. She felt unveiled in his presence, naked, without secrets. It was liberating and new. Montgomery didn't judge her or find her lacking. He didn't disapprove of her or condemn her.
Was this his gift to her before he left forever?
It wasn't nearly enough.
"There's one more," he said finally, moving his fingertips to her belly. Lilia made a sound of protest and he laughed. He traced the spiral of text there and it tickled Lilia.
"The third chakra is at the navel," she told him, knowing he wouldn't leave it be. "It governs identity and autonomy."
"The mission of your life, maybe?" he said and it wasn't really a question.
After all, he'd read the tattoo.
And he wasn't holding her past against her.
Lilia was fresh out of secrets. She reached for Montgomery and pulled him closer, wanting all of him and wanting it now.
He seemed only too glad to comply.
Hours later, they were still entangled on the bed. Lilia knew that the sun was rising, because the draperies were becoming lighter around the edges, but she was in no rush to leave their slice of heaven.
Montgomery ran a fingertip around her navel, tracing the spiraled course of her daughter's name. "Delilah Louise Desjardins," he whispered, then bent and kissed her flesh. His eyes were very green when he looked up at her. "Your daughter."
Lilia nodded, her throat tight.
Montgomery ran his fingertips across her skin, making her shiver. "I'm glad Fitzgerald found her for you."
Lilia took a shaking breath, needing to tell him the whole story. "He found out why I'd really come to the Society. I told him one night when I got too drunk. But Gid looked for her. He didn't tell me until he'd found her. She was working in a mill. They use children to do repairs in the small spaces under the equipment, even though some of them get killed."
"Why was she made a shade?"
"She had a third eye, just like Micheline. At the mill, they noticed that she knew things would happen before they did. Gid had tracked her number and located her, then found out she was being transferred to the Institute for a new study." She took an unsteady breath. "He accessed the protocol..." she began and couldn't continue.
Montgomery caught her closer, sensing her dismay. "Let me guess: she wouldn't have survived the test."
Lilia shook her head. "She was only nine. Just a little girl. I begged Gid to help her. I promised him anything, everything." Her tears were running freely. "He stole her from the Society and faked her death. He hid her in New Seattle in a traveling commune." She heaved a sigh. "It was against everything he believed."
Montgomery spoke quietly. "But he did it for you."
"I didn't even believe him, for the longest time, but I knew Gid couldn'
t lie to save his life." Lilia swallowed. "He lied, though, to save Delilah's."
"Did you see her again?"
Lilia shook her head and her tears fell, scattering across her cheeks. "Not since they took her. Gid said it would be too dangerous and I knew he was right. But still." She caught her breath. "I held her for just a minute when she was born and then she was gone. Forever. My mother didn't even get to see her."
Lilia wept then, wept as she never had since Delilah had been harvested. Montgomery caught her close and rocked her. The heat of his skin, the tenderness of his embrace, was comforting to her. Lilia let loose and cried from the depths of her soul.
"What about Maximilian?"
Lilia laughed shortly. "He was the one who pinged the Nuclear Darwinist on duty in the hospital." She knew her words were bitter but she didn't care. "Max took one look and that was all he needed to deny his own child. I didn't expect much sympathy from him myself. He'd made it clear that he didn't need a pregnant consort or a dependant." She caught her breath and buried her face in Montgomery's chest. "I was the one who called him to the hospital. I'd thought that seeing the baby would change his mind."
"You couldn't have known."
"I should have known. There is no compassion in Max. I was young and stupid and trusting."
"Innocent?" Montgomery asked and Lilia glanced up at him.
"Innocent," she agreed. "But I got over it."
He laced his fingers with hers and his voice dropped low. "Is that a permanent change, Lil?"
Her breath caught. "I'd thought so, for the longest time." She tightened the grip of her fingers on his and her words became thick. "But lately, Montgomery, I've been feeling like a bit of an amateur."
He smiled and kissed her temple. "Me too," he whispered and her heart skipped. He closed his arms around her and held her tightly and Lilia was content—for the moment—to hear his heart beat under her cheek.
"You should have had another child," he said eventually and she heard the anger in his voice. "You would have been a good mother."
Lilia would have laughed if it hadn't been so sad. "Don't you know, Montgomery?"
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