“What if he takes off?”
“Then he takes off. I trust Manu and hopefully Fetu will play out too.” He started down the street. “But we don’t have many options, and we’re doing the best with what we have. Nothing else we can do at this point.”
“You’re right.” Ari leaned into him, grateful for him at her side. “By the way, that ring… way too big for me.”
“Really?” he glanced down at her. “Niomi said something about three months’ salary, and they paid me well on the island.”
“In retrospect, I’m glad you did since it was the best way to get money off the island. But for the future, I’ll take an old washer if it means I get to be with you forever.”
He chuckled. “I’ll remember that. Scratch ring, find old tech for a ring.”
He wrapped an arm around her as they walked and squeezed. “Let’s go find somewhere to rest.”
She wrapped an arm around his waist. “With luck we may actually have a bed tonight.”
Before he could answer, something sharp poked through her jacket, a breath away from cutting her. A rough voice spoke behind them. “Want to pay me for your girlfriend’s kidney before or after I remove it?”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Reed started to turn around and something slammed into the base of his skull. As he fell, Ari started to tumble with him. Without thinking, the countless hours of training with Niomi kicked in.
Grasping for the hand behind her, she spun out of its reach while twisting the man’s grip. He pulled back and, instead of fighting against him, she let go, using the momentum to strike out at his throat. Obscenities flew through the night, obviously these two young attackers were not expecting someone to fight back.
Ari tried to focus on the man in front of her, ignoring the struggle with Reed nearby. The faster she eliminated this threat, the faster she could help Reed. She wished for a staff or, hell, even a stick or pipe would help. Instead, this guy, probably not much older than her, with dark greasy hair, held a knife while she had nothing. Well not nothing, she did have a bag.
He stepped towards her, and in a flash, she tossed the bag at him, rushing in right after it. While he fumbled with the bag, she struck repeatedly at his face with her palm and elbow. A sharp crack told her she did some damage.
Pushing back, her attacker held his nose, which now gushed with blood. With a final curse, he turned and ran. Reed and the other guy were locked together in an awkward embrace while they each struggled to get hits in.
Searching the ground, Ari found a piece of twisted metal. Hard to grip, but not impossible. It cut into her hand, but she ignored the bite of the metal and slammed it into the back of the other thug’s head. He crumpled into a heap and almost took Reed down as well. She caught Reed’s arm and helped him regain his balance.
Reed glanced her way; his battered eye was quickly swelling. “Thanks.”
“Anytime.” She looked down the empty alleyway. Guess his friend didn’t stick around for backup. “We better get out of here before the authorities come.”
“If there are authorities here.” He wiped at some blood at the corner of his mouth. “Damn, that guy could hit.”
“Sorry. You okay?”
He shrugged then winced. “I’ll survive, but I have a feeling neither one of us will be fine unless we get off this garbage pit of an island.”
Next to their hotel, they found a store with food and supplies.
“Why don’t you go to the room to rest while I get something to clean you up,” Ari offered.
“No. I’m not leaving you alone anywhere on this island. I’ll be fine.” His eye looked horrible, but at least it wasn’t swollen shut.
“If you say so.”
They walked in to the store, which smelled heavily of bleach. Tall metal rows of supplies and food filled the store. They roamed up and down the aisles which resembled more a pawn shop with scattered items than proper store. They found a first-aid kit, then continued down the row.
“What do you think of that?” Reed pointed to an old computer. “They can’t be asking much for it and if I can get it to work, we can connect with Tessa.”
They left in such a hurry that they hadn’t had time to grab any of their electronics, though Ari wouldn’t have trusted VisionTech’s stuff anyway.
“Check it out. It may be worth it. I’ll try to find something edible.” Ari headed to the next row, while Reed dusted off the computer.
It was slim pickings for healthy recognizable food, but she grabbed a couple of items. Her hand stung from where the broken pipe cut her. She’d need to glue that up so she didn’t catch some crazy disease on this island.
On the shelf over, some hair dye caught her eye. She had always loved her long brown hair, especially when her mother would play with it and braid it for her. But she’d be willing to part with it, if it meant she could see her mother again. She grabbed the box and some scissors and went back to Reed.
Reed had the computer in his hands. “Let’s see if we can afford it now.”
The man sat behind a clear barrier and spoke through a microphone. “That’ll be 100 cryptos.”
“You have to be kidding me,” Reed said. “You couldn’t do anything with this old junk.”
“Then why do you want it?”
“I said you couldn’t, not that I couldn’t. I’ll give you 50 for everything.”
“90,” he countered.
“75. We’re doing you a favor.”
“Deal.” During this whole encounter, the man behind the desk appeared completely bored, not even a reaction to Reed’s swollen eye. Reed paid the man in island coins. A nearby computer converted Reed’s coins to the correct currency, and they left for the hotel.
The word hotel was a bit of a stretch. The room held a simple single bed and bathroom, and everything else looked like leftovers from a street sale. The plus side was it had a lock and gave them both a moment to breathe. They had to wait until the following day before they could get their IDs, and it would be a few hours after that before they could catch a ride out of here.
Sitting on the bed, Ari cleaned and sealed the cut on her hand, and counted how much money they had left. They would have to stretch things a bit. They had been lucky Reed had as much as he did. Growing up in the slums, he tended to keep a backup. Ari had grown up in the same neighborhood and would have done the same, but never saw cash on the island. VisionTech never had her wanting for anything. She trusted that sense of luxury like a pig fattening up for the butcher.
Reed exited the bathroom and somehow his face looked worse. His eye had doubled in size and turned to a dark bluish color. He had put his pants back on but left his shirt off. Normally she would have taken a moment to fully enjoy shirtless Reed, except for the colors blossoming on his torso.
“I have a cut on my back I need you to glue.” He turned showing a large gash that started on his side and continued around his back.
“My God, Reed.” She bit back the urge to cry. Reaching out, she stopped short not wanting to touch him. “When you picked up the first-aid glue, I didn’t think we’d use the whole bottle.”
He smiled. “Please don’t make me laugh. It hurts.”
“Deal.” Tears swam in her eyes as she reached for the small first- aid kit. She cleaned and sealed the wound on his back, then turned to sit in front of him. She worked on the small cut on his temple. “I’m so sorry, Reed.” Her voice hitched as she dabbed ointment on the wound.
He reached for her hand, waiting until she met his gaze. “Don’t. They did this, not you. We’re in this together, right? From your first day at the academy, I knew if given the chance I’d never leave your side. I don’t regret a day of it.”
“Really?”
“Really.” He tried to grin, but it soon turned into a grimace. “Ouch.”
Emotions and warmth flooded her body, and she knew if she didn’t do something, she’d end up crying or trying to kiss him. Which would hurt him, with his lip cut up like that
.
“You up to contacting Tessa?” Ari turned to the used computer on the table. It was an older computer, older than the stuff they got at home, with a large screen and basic keyboard. An actual keyboard with keys. “If that thing can contact Tessa.”
“Hey, don’t doubt my skills. We may not be playing elves in her game, but I should be able to send her a message.” He stood and picked up his shirt. Moving slowly, he put it on.
“You didn’t have to put it on for my benefit,” Ari said.
“I wanted to make sure my virtue remained intact.”
She laughed. “I’d hate to ruin your virtue.”
“Truthfully, I don’t think I could ruin it right now if I tried. It hurts at a mere touch. Will you hand me the pain relievers?”
“Sure.”
After he dissolved a couple of tabs, he moved to the computer. He had to fiddle with the hardware, but soon his hands flew over the keys. At first, she could follow his actions as he hacked a nearby server to get access off the island. Then soon she couldn’t keep up. Eventually she hit the bathroom and washed up. By the time she returned, he’d set up an anonymous account to contact their loved ones.
“What should we say?” He turned to Ari. “I don’t even know where to begin with my mom.” Leaning back, he rubbed his hands over his head and stared at the screen.
“Why don’t we start with Tessa? We’ll need to be careful in case they are watching her.”
“Her system should be secure but since she’s still in the country, who knows.” He sat up, and they pieced together a message telling Tessa they were on the run. They couldn’t afford to tell her any specifics. They did mention in a few cryptic suggestions to check on Reed’s mom.
Ari placed a hand on Reed’s arm. “When we’re set, we’ll work on getting your mom out.”
“I’m not sure she would want to go, to be honest. She never was much for change.”
“You’re her only son. She’ll come.”
Once the message was sent, there wasn’t much they could do. They couldn’t risk setting up an account to receive messages. VisionTech was probably watching Tessa.
“Ready for the fun part?” Ari asked Reed, thinking to the other supplies they bought.
“Which is?”
“Haven’t you always wanted to try dating a blonde?” She picked up the dye and scissors off the end table.
He stood and ran a hand through her hair. “Tried once. It didn’t take.”
“Good thing I bought red.”
They headed into the bathroom where Reed proceeded to cut Ari’s long brown hair into a short bob that curved around her chin.
“Sometimes I worry I really don’t know what the hell I’m doing,” he said, staring at her hair.
“Don’t worry, it’ll grow back.”
“I’m not worried about the hair.” His lips pursed together, and a frown crinkled his forehead.
Nerves pricked along her back, and she focused on what they could do. “You’re a hacker, a job everyone needs. And I can program by hand if needed. We’ll find work and a place to stay. We’ll get there. We just need to make sure no one from VisionTech stops us in the meantime.”
He picked up the red dye next, and she stood to lean over the sink. Grabbing her hand, he pulled her back and into his arms.
“I don’t want to hurt you.” She gently laid her palms against his chest, a tingling sensation traveling up her arms and settling into her stomach.
“Doesn’t matter.” He pulled her close, and she melted into his skin, his touch, and his smell. The kiss was gentle but held an electricity that could have powered the whole island. Separating a couple of inches, their breath echoed throughout the room.
She stared at those dark eyes that saw her for more than she was. “I couldn’t do this without you. You know?”
“I was thinking the same thing.” Leaning forward, he kissed her softly one more time.
And she decided she could live a happy life as long as there was always one more kiss.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
The next morning Ari opened her eyes to find Reed watching her. Through the night, Ari had ended up next to him, hands entwined. His intense gaze made her self-conscious.
“Do I have some horrible bed head or what?” She covered her mouth with one hand, to spare him from her morning breath.
“No. Just getting used to you as a redhead. It took a bit, but I still see the beautiful Ari in there.”
She ran a hand through her short hair, it felt off when her hair came up short. “You sure you don’t want to dye your hair too? Who knows, red may be your color.”
“Maybe. I’m sure it’d match my face.” He touched the side of his mouth.
She cringed as she examined him, the bruises were deepening to an ugly purple. “Let’s just go with a hat instead. Are you in a lot of pain?”
He shrugged and got up. “I’ll feel better when we get out of here.”
“Me too.”
Glancing at the clock embedded in the wall, she got up as well. “Let me hit the bathroom, and we can head off. The IDs should be ready soon.”
“I’ll warm up some of the food from last night.”
“Deal.” Stopping him at the door, she kissed his cheek, one of the few uninjured spots on his face.
After realizing she had no idea how to style short hair, she just combed through it and left it straight down, hoping to cover her face as much as possible. Reed came back with food, and they packed up. All that they had to their name fit in a small backpack which Ari wore on her back.
Instead of the drama from yesterday, they found Fetu at his desk smoking an unusually long pipe. “Come in, come in,” he said, waving them inside. He looked recently showered and shaved, displaying the scar on his chin more.
“I like what you’ve done to your hair.” He motioned for Ari to sit. “You know, there would be work for someone like you here on the island.”
A cold chill ran up her spine. Did he know who she really was? Maybe he just knew they worked at VisionTech. Either way, it made her uncomfortable. If people on this island really knew how much she was worth, she’d never get away.
Before Ari could reply, Reed stepped in. “No thanks. We just want the IDs.”
“I’ll just need a photo of both of you. To update your files.” Fetu pulled out a small camera. The process took mere minutes.
Yet Ari couldn’t stop fidgeting or stop the uneasy feeling that they were being chased and they needed to hurry.
Along with their documents, Fetu handed them new fingerprints. They both had to scrub their fingers as much as they could with a pumice stone, then placed the new silicone fingerprints over theirs.
“How do you know they won’t notice these?” Reed asked as he finished putting on the last one.
“Because we use them all the time. Officials know what goes on here, and we pay them to look the other way. They work at the bigger ports too. You can’t tell even if you shake someone’s hand. Enough hand washing and they will come off, though, so take them off if you expect them to last more than a couple days.”
“Okay.” The silicone went on smoothly. As Ari rubbed her fingers together, she could barely notice them either. She slung her bag over her shoulder. “Thanks, Fetu.”
“I got you on the first ship out of here this morning, the Jackal. Don’t be late.” He picked his pipe back up and waved goodbye. “Safe travels.”
Once back on the street, she turned to Reed, who looked just as agitated.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Nothing. Or at least nothing I can put a name to.” He tugged on his cap. “I didn’t like him offering us jobs.”
“Me either.”
After a moment, he continued, “I just don’t feel comfortable here. After the attack last night, I feel like I can’t protect you or keep you safe, and that bothers me.”
“I get it.” She reached for his hand. “But it’s not your responsibility to keep me safe.”
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“That doesn’t make me feel a whole lot better.” He leaned down and kissed the top of her hair. “Let’s just get out of here.”
“Deal.”
The smell of the port hit them before they saw it. Instead of the fresh seafood Ari regularly ate at VisionTech, it smelled like rotting fish. It didn’t look a whole lot better either. Too bad they couldn’t afford a plane to get off here.
At least the storm had passed, and clear skies greeted them on their voyage today. A cool breeze brushed against them as they strolled down the port. Keeping to the shops, they aimed for the crowds whenever they could. Ari couldn’t help looking back to make sure they weren’t being followed. It felt like people were watching them, more than when they first arrived. Maybe it was Reed’s bad eye.
At last they found the ship called the Jackal, sitting low in the water. Its green paint highlighted the rust on the large tin can. Smaller than their last ship, it sat a couple stories high. Hopefully the important parts of the ships weren’t rusty. No use regretting their decision now.
Ari squeezed Reed’s hand. “Ready to get back on board?”
“Yeah. I won’t be looking back on this place for sure.”
There was a line of people lined up on the ramp. Men and woman of all shapes, sizes, and colors. Reed and Ari placed their translators in and stepped in line.
“What’s taking so long?” the man in front of them asked the fellow next to him.
“Probably doing a head count for supplies or something. Don’t worry.”
Ari shivered and shoved her hands into her pockets.
Reed pulled her into a hug. After a moment he stiffened, then spoke in a low voice. “Don’t turn around, but I think I recognize someone from before.”
She tensed in his arms. They couldn’t have come this far only to be caught now. “Who are they? Guards from the island? They won’t attack us in public like this. Will they?”
“They looked like they are from here. Thugs really. If they were going to attack us out in the open, they would have done it by now. We need to keep an eye on them.” He pulled back, smiling and rubbed her arm like nothing was wrong. “They are the two tall guys, wearing black tees and ball caps.”
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