Then her eyes fluttered and her mouth moved against his wrist, licking at the torn flesh. A faint hint of color returned to her face. He tore his eyes away from her face long enough to look down at her side. The wound was closing. His body swayed with relief, but he continued to kneel over her, letting his blood drip into her side and into her mouth until she looked up at him, eyes wide, awake, alive.
Chapter Nineteen
Something salty and metallic dripped into Cherry’s mouth and she swallowed automatically, her lips dry, her throat burning. Fire radiated from her right side in a wave of heat. The last thing she remembered was Wyatt’s face bent over hers. Had he called her… wife?
When she forced her eyes open, he was still crouched over her, his face taut with strain. She automatically reached up to touch his face, then winced as more heat swamped her.
“Lie still,” he ordered. “Don’t try and move yet.”
“What—” His arm was over her mouth and she pushed it aside so she could speak. “What happened?”
“He shot you.” His eyes closed in anguish. “I didn’t think I was going to be able to save you.”
“I’m so hot. It feels like the wound is burning.”
“It’s the nanites. The healing process generates heat.”
“Nanites?” It took a moment for her to realize what he was saying. “You gave me a transfusion?”
“Nothing so refined. I dripped my blood into the wound and into your mouth.”
She ran her tongue over her lips, the salty taste remaining.
“I drank your blood?” she asked, horrified.
“I’m sorry. I was desperate, Cherry—I mean, Rebecca.”
“Rebecca?” Her heart started to pound, even though she could feel… something trying to slow it back down. She ignored the odd sensation, too focused on his words.
“It’s your name, isn’t it? And you’re my wife.”
“You remember?’ she whispered.
“Yes, darlin’, I remember.”
She examined his face anxiously, but his eyes were clear and alert and he wasn’t reaching for his head.
“It doesn’t hurt?”
“Not anymore,” he said briefly. “But why didn’t you tell me?”
“At first, I was too hurt. It felt like you had just decided to forget about everything that had happened between us. So I avoided you. By the time I realized I was being a coward, I also realized that something had happened to your memories—more than just your memories of us—and that it hurt you every time you tried to remember.” She lifted her hand to his face again, barely noticing that the movement didn’t hurt this time. “That’s when I decided that what mattered was that we were together again.”
“Not for long!” a voice roared, and she watched in horrified slow motion as Tony lurched to his feet. Thick white fluid dripped from his head instead of blood, but his face was still locked in the same fixed mask.
They both reacted simultaneously, Wyatt reaching for his discarded gun and her own hand grabbing at the Derringer still tucked in her waistband. Everything still seemed to be moving three times slower, and Tony had only made one step towards them when she and Wyatt fired simultaneously. She could actually see the bullets traveling through the air, see Tony start to twist to one side. Sick horror filled her at the knowledge that he would evade the bullets, and then there was a blur of motion and Tony was shoved back into the line of fire, his head exploding in a fountain of white. A big metal hoof came down on his skull as he fell to the ground and she realized that Maverick had intervened.
“Did you see that?” she whispered, still dazed by the speed of events.
Wyatt looked almost as dazed. “Maverick forced him back into the line of the bullets.”
The horse stomped again, then pranced over to them, looking very proud of himself. He dropped his head to Cherry’s and snuffled at her hair. She automatically reached for his head and this time, it didn’t hurt. The heat in her side had subsided to a not uncomfortable warmth. She started to push herself up off her elbows.
“Take it easy, Ch—Rebecca. You don’t need to move just yet.”
“I really think I’m fine.” She sat up. “And we need to talk.”
“I agree. We’ve handled one problem, but our mission hasn’t changed. There could be more of them out there. We need to let the other cyborgs know.” He covered her hand with his. “And I would feel a lot better if Addie checked you out.”
“I’m not going to argue. I feel… not bad, but strange. Is that what it was like for you?”
His face turned to stone. “No.”
“Wyatt?”
“I remember everything. I’m very grateful that I remember our time together, but the other parts…” Despite the stoic mask, she could see the anguish in his eyes.
“Do you want to tell me?”
“Not yet. I need to sort through everything first.”
He helped her to her feet, treating her as though she was made of the finest china, but she felt surprisingly strong. At least until she glanced down and saw the ripped shirt, stained with blood. Her knees started to shake and once again she felt a strange sensation, almost like bubbles in her bloodstream, before her legs firmed.
“That feels so odd,” she murmured.
Wyatt’s face tensed. “What does? Are you sure you’re feeling all right, Ch—Rebecca?”
“I’m fine,” she said firmly. “It’s nothing bad, just… different.” She bit her lip, debating with herself. “Do you mind just calling me Cherry?”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. I’m not the same person any longer. Neither are you. I meant what I said earlier—what matters is that we’re together now.”
“Even though I know about our history now, this time seems more important,” he admitted as he lifted her onto Maverick’s back.
She let him assist her, but she had a sneaking suspicion that she could have climbed up without any help from him.
“Except for one thing,” he added as he leapt into the saddle and put his arms around her.
“What’s that?”
“You’re my wife.” Deep satisfaction filled his voice. “That means you’re truly mine now, darlin’, no matter what name I call you.”
“I always have been, Wyatt,” she said softly.
Wyatt’s chest ached as he tightened his arms around Cherry and signaled to Maverick to move. The horse leapt eagerly into motion. He briefly considered the wisdom of leaving the hybrid’s body lying in the desert, but he was not about to subject Cherry to the presence of a dead body. He was sure that Sam could arrange to have it retrieved.
His returning memories kept flickering through his mind like little bolts of lightning. Even though they no longer caused him pain, the succession of images disoriented him. He did his best to push them aside and concentrate on the important things: the woman in his arms and their mission to prevent whatever devious plan GenCon had devised. The reminder of the stakes involved brought back his feeling of urgency.
“Would you be okay if we went a little faster?”
“Of course. I promise I’ll tell you if anything feels wrong.” She was already leaning forward as she spoke.
“That’s my girl.” He bent over her and urged Maverick into a gallop.
A moment later, they were flying across the desert once more. He watched Cherry anxiously, but she was moving easily with the rhythm of the horse, her lips curved in a joyous smile. She looked as if nothing had ever happened, and relief overwhelmed him. His desperate gamble had paid off. Did that mean the other cyborgs would be able to share the protection of the nanites with their wives?
“Where did the horses come from?” Cherry asked suddenly, interrupting his thoughts.
“The original prototypes were developed on Earth and sent here to be assembled. After the initial shipment proved to be a success, they provided the schematics so they could be built here instead.”
“So new ones are still being produced?”
“Not really. No new cyborgs are being sent to Mars—not counting those GenCon abominations, of course. Why?”
“I was thinking it would be nice to have a horse.”
“You don’t enjoy riding with me?” He deliberately rubbed his cock against her ass.
She laughed. “It certainly has its advantages, but I also like the idea of being able to ride on my own.”
“I don’t think there’s any reason why you wouldn’t be able to get your own horse,” he said thoughtfully, even as Maverick tossed his head. “Or perhaps I should be the one to get a new horse.”
“I’m surprised none of the settlers have been interested.”
“I believe there were a few early experiments, but the horses didn’t respond well.”
“I’ll bet they just didn’t know how to treat them.” She stroked Maverick’s neck.
“No, I don’t imagine any of the settlers petted them.”
They had reached the turn off into the mountains leading to Sam’s home, and Maverick flew up the path until it ended at a large, flat plateau. Another horse appeared in front of them, blocking the way. He recognized the big black horse belonging to Sam.
“We’re here to see Sam and Addie, Blackie,” he said, then realized he was addressing a horse.
Blackie seemed to study them and then moved aside just as Sam came to join them.
“Hello, Wyatt.”
A big man with a hard face, Sam had been the first judge in this territory and a hard act to follow. He had given up his position when he had been reunited with a woman from his past. His gaze flickered over the two of them, sharpening when he saw the blood staining Cherry’s shirt. “Are you injured, Cherry?”
“I was, but I think I’m fine.”
“We were hoping Addie could take a look at her,” he added.
“I’m sure she will, but she’s not really that kind of doctor.”
“She’s the kind of doctor we need.”
He saw the speculation in Sam’s eyes, but the other man didn’t ask any more questions as he led the way back to their habitat. A small dark-haired girl came running out to meet them and Sam swung her up on his shoulder, his face relaxing into a warm smile.
“Kami, do you remember Mr. Wyatt and Miss Cherry?”
“Uh-huh. He’s the judge now, and she has pretty clothes.” Kami frowned at them. “But those aren’t very pretty.”
“No, they’re not,” Cherry said ruefully. “I’ll be very happy to change out of them.”
“Are you hurt?” The girl was still frowning.
“No, sweetie. I’m just fine.”
“Good. What’s your horse’s name? Is he going to play with Blackie?”
Cherry laughed. “His name is Maverick. Do you think they’d like to spend some time together?”
“Oh, yes. I can always tell.” Kami nodded importantly.
As they reached the habitat, he dismounted and turned to help Cherry down, but she had already slipped lightly to the ground. He caught Sam staring at her, but before the other man could say anything, Kami’s eyes widened as she saw the full extent of the damage to Cherry’s shirt.
“Are you sure you’re not hurt?”
“I’m sure.” Cherry hesitated for a fraction of a second. “It’s someone else’s blood.”
“Okay. Put me down, Daddy. I want to show Maverick all of Blackie’s favorite places.”
Sam obediently placed her back on the ground in front of the horses. She looked so tiny next to the big animals that he frowned at Sam.
“Maverick isn’t used to children,” he said quietly.
“I’m sure he’ll be fine. And in any case, Blackie would never let anything happen to her.”
“Of course. Maverick wouldn’t hurt her,” Cherry said indignantly as the horses trotted off behind Kami.
He saw the thoughtful look on Sam’s face as Cherry joined them. They had both kept their voices low enough to only reach cyborg ears, but she obviously heard the exchange.
“I think I understand why you chose to come to Addie,” Sam murmured as he led the way into the house.
Cherry stripped off her breathing mask and he wondered if she even needed it any longer before he forced his mind back to more immediate problems.
“Yes, but that’s not the only reason we’re here. There’s more trouble with GenCon.”
Sam flashed him a concerned glance just as his wife, a pretty blonde, came hurrying up to greet them.
“Wyatt, Cherry. This is a pleasant—” Her face paled as she took in Cherry’s appearance. “Oh my God, Cherry, what happened?”
“I’m fine,” Cherry said soothingly. “But the sooner I get out of these clothes, the better.” She held up her bag and he realized she had retrieved it without him noticing. “Do you mind if I change?”
“After she examines you,” he insisted.
“Examine her? Why?” Addie frowned at him. “She said she was fine.”
“She is now, but I had to give her a transfusion.”
Addie’s eyes lit up with a mixture of concern and excitement as she turned to Cherry. “And you haven’t suffered any ill effects?”
“I don’t think so.” Cherry shrugged. “But I feel a little odd.”
“That’s why I wanted you to see her,” he explained.
“Of course. Come on back to the lab. Are you coming, Wyatt?”
He hesitated, torn between the need to know for sure that the transfusion hadn’t harmed Cherry and the urgency of his other mission. “I need to talk to Sam first. Is that all right, Cherry?”
“It’s fine.” She reached up and gave him a quick kiss, and he saw the other couple exchange a look.
“This way.” Addie whisked Cherry away and he heard her start to question his wife before they even left the room.
“What happened?” Sam asked quietly. “I know you were there when we decided the transfusions were too risky, but by the look of things, you didn’t have a choice.”
“I didn’t. She was dying.” He shuddered, the horror of that moment still fresh in his mind.
“Who hurt her?”
“One of GenCon’s new breed of cyborgs,” he said grimly.
Sam’s face hardened. “I think you’d better tell me all about it.”
Chapter Twenty
“Tell me what happened,” Addie said as she guided Cherry into her lab.
Cherry took a look around and tried not to flinch at the intimidating array of equipment. Addie guided her to one of the metal exam tables in the middle of the room, and she reluctantly climbed up.
“I’m not sure exactly. But I know I was shot and I’m pretty sure I was going to die.”
Addie gently pushed aside the remnants of her bloodstained shirt. The doctor’s gasp indicated the extent of the damage. Cherry was almost afraid to look, but she forced her gaze downward.
The sensation she was coming to recognize as her nanites springing into action occurred as dizziness threatened to overwhelm her. The right side of her formerly smooth stomach was a mass of jagged red flesh. She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself. Why didn’t it hurt any more than it did? All she felt was a constant heat emanating from the area, not the kind of pain the wound would indicate.
“I can’t believe how quickly you’re healing,” Addie said as she studied the inflamed tissue.
“It’s still healing?”
“Yes, of course. Look at it,” the other woman urged, and Cherry fought back a wave of nausea and obeyed.
Now that she was looking more closely, she could actually see the ragged red lines beginning to pull together, the skin melding seamlessly back into place. She remembered the way that Wyatt’s face had healed itself after his exposure to the sandstorm. The full impact of his action finally hit her.
“Does this mean that I’m a cyborg now?”
“It means that you have nanites in your bloodstream.” Addie shrugged. “I’m not sure that the terminology matters.”
“Except that
cyborgs don’t have the same legal rights,” she pointed out.
“Not on Earth, anyway.” Addie tapped her chin thoughtfully. “GenCon has argued that if you don’t contain any artificial body parts, then you can’t be classified as a cyborg. That’s why they’ve been supporting my research—to find a way to introduce nanites that provide the same benefits the cyborgs have without changing the subject’s legal status as human.”
She knew that the legal ramifications of being a cyborg was one of the factors that had driven the Rangers to consider forming an independent Martian government.
“I suppose since we’re not on Earth, it doesn’t really matter.” She sighed. “And it’s not like anyone would know unless I told them. How close are you to finishing your research?”
Addie bit her lip. “Closer than I’ve let GenCon realize. The next step is to test with live subjects, but I’m afraid of what they’ll do if they find that out.”
“But you need to test, right?”
“I do. Sam and I have been talking about looking for volunteers, but this is so far outside the normal protocols that I don’t think I’m comfortable with proceeding yet. And the timing is a little… unfortunate.” Her hand dropped to her stomach.
Cherry gave her a questioning look, but Addie didn’t say anything else and she decided not to press her. She changed the subject back to her own transformation.
“If I have these nanites, and they work the same way they do for Wyatt, does that mean I’ll no longer need a breathing mask?”
“That would be my assumption. But please don’t try it without a mask close at hand and someone to watch over you.” Addie grinned. “I suspect that won’t be a problem. You and Wyatt seem very… chummy.”
The other woman’s gaze was expectant but she didn’t ask any questions. A sudden impulse overrode Cherry’s usual discretion.
“I love him.”
Soft arms wrapped her in a quick hug. “That’s wonderful. And I’m not even going to ask if he loves you back. It’s very obvious.”
“He ought to—he’s my husband.”
Addie’s eyes widened. “That was fast.”
The Magnificent Cyborg Page 13