by Darrell Bain
Maria was still naked. She smiled at him. “It's all right Gary. I don't mind you looking at me. You don't treat me like most men do."
“I wasn't staring, I was admiring,” Gary admitted. “You're beautiful."
“Like cats,” Booger Bear said.
Maria laughed. “Thank you both. I'm glad you like me."
Gary thought she blushed but it was hard to tell with her face covered by the light down, almost the same color as her skin. The down grew heavier over the rest of her body, becoming more than hair but less than a pelt. It was short and a light brown color, giving her a sleek, shiny appearance. It grew heavier at the junction of her thighs, turning into the same kind of pelt as her hair, but forming short, curly locks of a much darker shade, even darker than her hair.
When she was finished washing, she wrapped the cream colored coverlet around her and tucked it in so that it left the upper slopes of her ample breasts showing. It made her look small and vulnerable and in need of protection, but she had kept her gun within easy reach all the time she was cleaning up. She intended to protect herself—and Gary if he needed it. Again she sat down beside him and bent to kiss him a second time, hardly noticing as the coverlet came undone and dropped away from her. The kiss went on longer and they were still locked in the embrace when Lea returned.
* * *
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“It looks to me like our patient is recovering nicely,” Lea said, standing in the door. She laughed and closed it behind her as Gary and Maria broke their embrace. “That's more than I can say for those two passengers. They're royally pissed off."
“Why?” Gary asked. “Hell, we saved their lives. They should be grateful."
“They should be, but they're not. And they're scared of something; I don't know what, but Jake said he was ferrying the bunch of them from Government House in Philadelphia and they've been talking nothing but finances and the economy the whole time—except when they thought he or his copilot were paying attention."
“Where's the copilot—oh. I guess he was one of the ones that the wolves got."
“Yes. Jake isn't happy about that either. He said his friend died trying to save their sorry asses, and that's a quote. Hey listen kids, excuse me, but I've got to get out of these clothes and get at least half way clean. I can't stand myself any longer."
Lea proceeded to undress and wash as if no one else was present. Gary didn't deliberately try to look but he couldn't help but notice that Lea had nothing to be ashamed of in the body department. Mostly though, he kept his eyes on Maria. He couldn't get over how beautiful she looked without clothes, with the sleek, soft down-like pelt covering her body like a second skin where the wrap still left her exposed to the waist. With her back to Lea, she took his hand and pressed it to her breast and closed her eyes, smiling softly at the touch.
* * * *
By mid-afternoon, Gary was feeling much like his old self and Jake let the two remaining passengers reclaim the lounge and bedroom. As they were going toward the front of the craft, Gary looked back and saw the larger of the two eyeing Maria in a way he didn't care for. He didn't like it, but Jake took his arm and urged him along.
“Just leave them alone,” He advised. “They can cause me a lot of problems, and you too. We can live up front for a day or two. And tomorrow you all can stand guard while I see if I can fix the fuel cell. In the meantime, how about something to eat?"
At the mention of food, Gary was suddenly ravenous. His body was demanding energy to replace that used in healing his body, and to make up for what had been missed the last two or three days.
As they were eating, Gary remembered that Jake had said his passengers often were discussing finances. He asked the pilot about it.
“Oh yeah. Seems like the government has run out of money and can't borrow any more. That's all that's been on the news the last day or so. Hell, I don't even know if I'll have a paycheck coming when this gig is over. For that matter, I'm not even sure if I can get the old girl here serviced in Dallas like I usually do."
While Gary and the others finished their meal he thought about Jake's words. He was almost afraid to ask but finally decided that honesty with the pilot would probably be best. And it would be better to know, one way or another. “Did you see anything on the news about Maria and I?"
Jake stared at him. “Be damned! Now why didn't I recognize you? I saw your face all over the place a couple of days ago. Sure, you're the arch criminals wanted for murder and mayhem. And I didn't see Maria's pretty face, but she was mentioned along with you."
“You don't seem to be very worried about harboring criminals,” Gary said carefully.
Jake gave them all a cynical grin. “I got the real story through the pilot's web. We're a bunch of gossips. Up until the economy started taking up all the news spots, there was lots of back and forth about you. First you were just plain murderers and altered humans on the run, then I started hearing the other side."
“I'm probably responsible for that,” Lea confessed. She turned to look at Gary and Maria from where she was sitting. “Guess I forgot to mention; while you guys were sleeping, I passed the real story on to a bunch of groups I'm tied in to. I guess some of them sympathized. Though not all of them, by any means. There's still a lot of resentment against altered humans. And enhanced animals like Booger Bear are being shot on sight some places if they don't have a human nearby to claim them."
“Shot?” Booger Bear asked, looking up from a bit of Gary's food bar he had been sampling, not very enthusiastically.
“Don't worry Booger. I'll take care of you.” He didn't mention that he didn't know exactly how.
“It may be a mute point by now, what with the economy, though I doubt altered humans and the smart pets will have an easy time of it for the foreseeable future, especially with that Bradshaw bigot getting into office.” Jake mused a moment then said, “Guess what? Today is election day.” He wiped his mouth. “Well, if you folks are finished here and if you don't mind, let's go take a look at old Betsy and see if I can find out what's wrong with her while we still have some daylight. No use waiting until morning."
* * * *
Gary stayed close to Maria, even as he watched their surroundings very carefully. It was the first chance he had gotten to view them leisurely. Jake had done a good job of setting the floater down on an area of the highway not obstructed by overhanging trees or covered with obstructions washed up during past heavy rains. He didn't like how close one outcrop of woods was to them; it was obviously what the wolves had used to get close to the humans. He was amazed that Jake and his dead copilot had managed to fend them off at all. Lea was posted on the other side, which had a much larger area free of obstructions that could block the view.
While they waited to see what Jake could do with the bad fuel cell, Gary wondered again, for what seemed like the hundredth time in the last few days, what to do next. He seriously doubted that Amelia's father was going to call off his dogs, and even if he did, there were still the new laws that had been passed. Wherever they went, Maria would be subject to arrest and confinement to a camp with probably worse to happen afterwards. And Booger Bear wasn't even considered close to being human. With the law to back them up, cities would start purging their environs of enhanced pets, not bothering to distinguish them from the feral enhanced animals, the ones doing all the damage to crops and humans living outside the cities. When people were in trouble they always looked for scapegoats, and in this case he knew they didn't have far to look. From now on, wherever they went, it would be dangerous.
“You're being so quiet. What are you thinking about?” Maria said.
He looked fondly at her and put his arm around her waist. “I'm wondering where we're going to find a home sweetheart. Those men back inside the floater are probably going to be the norm from now on, as if things weren't already bad enough for people like you and Booger."
“Will they report us, do you think? That is, if we get to Dallas?"
&
nbsp; “You can bet on it."
“I could try disguising myself maybe,” Maria offered.
“No. I want us to be able to live like a normal couple.” He bent down and kissed her upturned lips briefly before going back to keeping tabs on their surroundings.
While Gary was looking in another direction, Maria touched the fingers of one hand to her lips, trying to recapture the sensation of Gary lips on hers. Every time he did it now, it sent a thrill though her like nothing she had ever felt before. Was this how normal women, those who had led a life embodied in a family reacted? She hoped so. It felt so good, and yet there was a hurt to go with it, that of still being uncertain of his exact intentions. What had he said? I want us to be able to live like a normal couple. Did this mean what she hoped it did?
Her thoughts were interrupted by Jake backing out of the panel that concealed the fuel cell. He stood up and shook his head, wiping his hands with a rag. Seeing Gary's questioning look, he said “It's worse than I thought. One of the superconducting coils failed and it shorted out a bunch of other connections. Damn it, how do they expect me to fly when they replace worn out parts with crap?” he began refastening the panel.
It was a rhetorical question. Gary had run across the same phenomena in his laboratory work. Replacements for older equipment had become increasingly hard to come by and some of the parts and devices he did receive were of shoddy workmanship. So much of America's industry had been shipped overseas in the last 50 or 75 years that trying to get the new factories being built here up to specs was a point of contention with both political parties. Gary doubted that things would get much better so long as enhanced animals continued to cause disruptions to the economy and to global trade. He had been against the barriers going up in great circles around major cities the last few years at first, but now he was beginning to believe that they might be the only long term solution to a stable society and economy. Build the barricades and make the cites as self sufficient as possible. He though agricultural genetics could manage enough food sources if the rats and mice and rabbits and birds could be kept out of the cities. After that, more manufacturing could be started.
“Are we going to be able to leave?” Maria asked.
Jake gave his usual cynical grin. “If we expect to get to Dallas, we have to.” His grin grew wider. “At least we won't have so many politicians weighing us down. Give me a couple days of sunshine and if I can get the old girl off the ground at all, I think we can make it that far. In the meantime, I want to try something."
“What's that?” Gary asked.
“Just before we went down, I spotted the Trinity river just ahead. It looked to be pretty shallow and I saw where it curved around and left a real nice place to soak up more sunlight than here. It's not nearly as shadowed. I could get her charged up a day or two quicker soon's the sun comes out. What's more, the curve skirts a limestone beach of sorts. That's a perfect spot to get a real bath and camp until we can take off."
“How are you going to get there?"
“If I put everyone off and let them walk, I think I can just make it. It's only a mile or so, and you three all have good weapons. I doubt you'll be attacked so long as you watch close."
The hand bath had gotten the worst of the dirt from Gary's body, but not all of it by any means. A real bath sounded great, even if it was in a river. And sleeping in the floater might be okay but it was very stuffy without any air circulation. Being able to stay outside during the day would be welcome, too. “Sounds good to me,” he said.
“Great. Let me finish closing this panel and I'll break the news to our esteemed guests that they're going to have to walk a ways."
* * *
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The two remaining government officials were reluctant to even leave the craft at first, but Jake finally convinced them that it would be much better to move away from the bodies.
“Aren't we even going to bury them?” The big man, obviously the superior of the other one, asked.
“With what? Our bare hands? You people should have stayed inside like I asked you to. Now come on—we've been lucky so far. The scavengers have pretty much left them alone so far, but that won't last and should a big enough bear come along, I can't guarantee it couldn't rip the door off the floater."
The man blanched. “Don't you have any more guns for us?"
“No I don't, but don't worry. These three people can guard you well enough. Just hurry along and don't stop to sightsee.” Jake did have more weapons in his gun locker but he didn't intend to trust his passengers with them. Nor would he loan them his own weapon. “Come on now, you'll be fine."
Reluctantly, the two men left the floater, eyes avoiding contact with the scattered, mangled bodies, now being picked at by crows and rats. Remembering how the officials had been eyeing Maria, Gary decided to lead the way and let Lea and Maria bring up the rear. He avoided the stomach-turning picture of crows plucking at eyes and entrails. Some sights were best left alone when possible. Before they started off, he remembered that they had never even been introduced. Just in case he had to give orders to one or the other, he asked, “What are your names? I'm Gary, and the taller lady is Lea. The shorter one is Maria."
“I'm Marvin Hedgeworth, financial advisor to President Bradshaw. My partner here is Devin Copeland, Bradshaw's minister of genetics in the new seat of government."
“New seat?"
“Never mind. That's none of your business. Let's get this over with."
Gary shrugged and led off, skirting the encroaching growth of new forest as widely as possible. They walked a couple of hundred yards, then following Jake's instructions, moved off the road to where there was an open spot. All of them turned back to look, including Booger Bear, who had been traveling almost under foot and well away from the two strange men. Like Gary, he didn't trust them.
The floater made little noise as it started up, relying almost entirely on its magnetic coils to get it into the air, and using what was left of its solar powered batteries to help them attain greater power. It rose, hovered, then moved forward only a few feet above the ground. It passed them and continued on, disappearing around the curve of the secondary road.
When no crash sounded, Gary assumed Jake had landed safely at the spot he had picked out. “Okay, let's move on. I think he made it."
A few minutes later the floater came into sight. It had been set down lightly just where Jake had intended, right at the edge of the river, adjoining a limestone beach that reached several yards out before meeting the water. Gary hurried his group along, wanting to get settled and his charges out of his hair. He would much rather leave them to Jake to deal with.
As they came into sight, Jake stepped out the door of the floater, his perennial grin displayed for all to see. “Close, but we did it.” He patted the composite skin of the floater like an old cowboy would have done to his horse.
“Now what do we do? Just sit here?” Hedgeworth said, disdain in his voice, as if no one else could possibly run things as well as he. That he now had to depend on a lowly floater pilot and a gang of refugees was obviously rankling him.
“Just make yourself comfortable and don't stray. If you want to bathe, I'll set some guards."
“We'll wait,” Hedgeworth said, edging toward the open door of the floater.
“Well, I'm not. And I'd suggest that you stay right inside while the rest of us get cleaned up.” He turned his back on them and motioned the others to follow.
Gary and Maria bathed first, with Jake and Lea standing guard. The river was moving slowly at this time of year and the water was clear only to a depth of a couple of feet, about as good as it ever got in this part of Texas. Jake had furnished them with soap from his own kit and light blankets from stores. Maria was completely unembarrassed about being nude in the water with Gary, who tried to conceal his own modesty. It didn't work too well, especially when he was washing her back and accidentally bumped her with the unavoidable result of the sexual interest she was
inducing in him.
“Sorry,” he apologized.
Maria turned around. She moved so close to him that he had to put his hands on her waist to avoid losing his balance and falling backward—and that caused him to bump her in front. She laughed. “You act as if it's something to be ashamed of. Please Gary, I don't mind, honestly.” To prove her point she moved closer, pressing her generous breasts against him and bringing his erection against her belly.
“I'm not ashamed Maria. It's just that I don't want you to think of me like other men. I care for you."
Those were the words she wanted to hear. She reached up and pulled his head down for another of the kisses she enjoyed so much. It was she who broke it, very reluctantly, a moment later. “I think we should wait a bit to carry this any further, but ... when we have some privacy, I want to. And believe me, you're not like other men. I care for you too. Okay?"
“Okay. Absolutely. Now how about washing my back for a minute so I don't have to look at you naked until then?"
She laughed and complied.
A little later they came happily out of the water.
“You guys took your time. Get dressed, then it's our turn,” Lea said.
When the other two had undressed and entered the water, Maria suddenly said “Oh patuta. I forgot my hairbrush."
“Go ahead, I'll stand watch. Booger Bear will warn me if anything dangerous is near. Unless he wants to bathe too?"
The cat looked at Gary as if he had suddenly gone around the bend, then caught on that he was kidding. Human humor sometimes escaped him. “Water wet,” he said.
“That's the idea Booger, but if you don't want to, just help me look out for bad animals."
“Okay."