by J. Judkins
Angel drew herself up haughtily. “We have a private room. Kim’s condominium is more than--“
“Angel,” Kim hissed.
Edward waved them off. “Be here Monday. You set your own hours and give us results. We’ll hammer out the details. Now, am I hiring both of you, or just one?”
“Both,” answered Angel. She gave Kim’s hand a squeeze.
“I’ll have security escort you out.”
“That…might be a problem,” Angel said slowly.
The doctor gave her an exasperated look. Angel looked up at the ceiling.
Edward fished out a remote from his coat pocket and aimed it at the giant-sized monitor that doubled as a wall. Image after image of corridors and rooms flashed by, one after the other.
Kim could only stare. At least twenty security guards worked here, she realized. And none of them were conscious.
“All of them?” Edward asked, incredulous.
“All the ones I could find,” said Angel. She took a moment to buff her fingernails, looking pleased with herself.
More images flashed by. “Did you go out of your way to find them?”
“At first, they came to me. Then I had to search. I wanted to be thorough. The non-combatants were quick to scatter and flee the building.”
“Oh, really? You didn’t go after them, too?”
“I don’t see how they’d be worth the experience.” Angel shrugged. “They were running,”
Kim rubbed her forehead against the beginnings of a headache. “Angel, did you rob any of them?”
“No.”
“Are you sure about that? I’m looking at them, right now. Half of them look like their pockets have been turned out.”
“It's not robbing if they’re unconscious, Kim,” Angel scoffed. “Everyone knows that. The term you’re looking for is looting. I looted them.”
“Looting...”
“Yes. Looting,” Angel said. “Look it up. It’s a standard procedure and the fate of all defeated enemies. As a gamer, I’m surprised you didn’t know.”
“Did you kill anyone?” demanded Edward.
“Merciful God, you sound like Kim,” complained Angel. “Of course I didn’t.”
The doctor continued to stare at the screen. “You took them all out. Every single one,” he said, incredulous. With obvious great reluctance, he pressed a button and the monitor went dark. “Did you destroy our computers?”
Angel shifted uncomfortably. “If by destroy you mean, ‘smashed with a nearby blunt instrument and left in pieces on the floor, then...yes.”
Edward looked to be in physical pain. “And our research data?”
“I took it for myself before erasing everything in your possession,” she said, then frowned. “Are you my boss, now?”
“I suppose I am,” he sighed.
“Are you docking my pay for this?”
“Can restore what you’ve erased?”
“Once you buy new computers.”
Edward winced again. “Give us back our research data and return the money you looted from our employees, and we’ll write it all off as a business expense. I won’t dock your pay. Or rather, I’ll pay Ms. Rowland double the amount and you can collect half of it. You’re still not a legal citizen, Angel.”
“Thank you,” Angel murmured.
The doctor tossed the remote to the table with a clatter, shaking his head in bemusement. “All of them. I can’t believe it. This should horrify me. But honestly? I’m so proud of you I can barely speak.”
“You didn’t create me,” Angel insisted again, almost angrily. “I’m a former alien scout who renounced her mission to--”
Edward collapsed into the closest chair. “Save it. Merciful God, you’re making me feel like a parent, again. My mother always wanted grandchildren. I told her she’ll never get one out of me unless I built one in my lab. I wish she could have seen you. You would have liked her, I think.”
“You didn’t design me,” Angel said again.
Edward snorted. “Regardless of how you see it, I’m the closest thing to a parent you’ll ever have. I want you to know I’ll support whatever background you choose to keep. From now on, you make your own decisions. If you want to devote your life to being a former alien scout, so be it. I won’t stand in your way.”
Apparently satisfied, Angel turned to Kim. “Are you ready to go home?”
“Definitely.”
“Good. We need to save the world, if it’s possible.”
Kim followed Angel into the corridor. “Wait, was that a Kim Possible joke?”
Angel stopped so suddenly Kim ran into her. “Was my obscure reference amusing?” she asked.
“Kinda.” Kim smiled. “I liked it.”
“Then yes. It was intended as a joke.”
Angel flitted to the next intersection with but a whisper of sound to mark her passing. She took a moment to peer around the corner, then made a quick hand gesture that likely would have meant something if Kim were a navy seal.
“We’re employees, now,” Kim called loudly from where she stood. “Why are you sneaking?”
Angel stopped sneaking. She turned and glowered at Kim.
“What? Just saying.”
“Do you think security is fully aware we’re new employees?” Angel called back to her.
Kim winced at that. “Okay. Point taken. Probably not.”
“Then we should exercise caution. You should trust me. I know what I’m doing, Kim. I’m a professional scout.”
“Yeah, a professional scout who can’t remember the details.”
“I remember enough.” Angel huffed. She made another incomprehensible hand gesture that probably meant shut up, please, and disappeared into the hallway on her left.
Kim followed after, not nearly so silently but doing her best. “Angel, if your memory’s back, what’s the secret for travelling faster than light?”
“I have no idea. I was only a scout.”
Thank you for reading my book. If you enjoyed it, won’t you please take a moment to leave me a review at your favorite retailer?
Thanks!
J. Judkins