by S. E. Smith
“You dare to lay your filthy hands on my Amelia? I will personally see to it that you NEVER hack another computer system. Every computer you EVER touch will become encrypted, you miserable little excuse for a programmer. I will lock your ATM and you’ll have to spend the rest of your life writing checks! I’m talking paper, you sniveling piece of corrupted code! Which I will make bounce so you have additional fees!” RITA snarled.
“Uh, RITA…,” Runt said, trying to interject again.
“If you think you’ll ever qualify for a loan, forget it! I’ll sink your credit score to the deepest recesses of the financial world. You’ll be living on the streets, unable to access a single email. Your phones will die and I’ll… I’ll… I’ll delete your music library!” RITA vowed. Faint red emergency lights flickered on in straight lines along the walls.
“Uh, RITA… I think… you might… be pulling a little too much juice,” Runt cautioned when she saw flames rising from the bank of computers across the hall.
“FRED! RITA has overloaded the system,” Derik’s deep voice called out.
“I’m working on it.” FRED’s voice could be heard before he appeared next to RITA. “Easy, love,” he soothed. “Don’t let that insignificant piece of virus get to you.”
“He threatened Amelia,” RITA replied, her voice still quivering with outrage.
“I know, love. I know,” FRED responded.
“I’m just so mad,” RITA sniffed as she began to fade.
“We may have to adjust the adaptive range of our new emotional program. Can’t have us ‘blowing a gasket’,” FRED chortled.
Runt winced when the piercing sound of the fire alarm filled the air. A second later, the sprinklers came on.
She jumped when she felt a hand on her arm. Turning her head, she came face to face with Derik. His silver eyes glowed with the same intensity that RITA’s had a moment ago. A shiver ran through her when the cold water raining down on them slid under the collar of her jacket.
“We’ve got to get out of here,” Bert muttered.
Runt looked across the hall where Howard had been pressed against the wall. He was gone. She looked up at Bert in confusion before her eyes scanned the rest of the hallway.
“Where’s DiMaggio?” she asked.
“Slimy bastard took me by surprise when the lights began to blow. He tossed me behind his desk and disappeared. You could have stuck me with a fork. I had no idea that someone that big could move so fast.” He rubbed his shoulder. “The fire department and police will be here any second. Robert moved the car a block over. We can take the back exit to the alley,” Bert added.
“Sounds good. I got what I wanted,” she responded.
Derik’s strong fingers cupped her elbow, helping her to rise to her feet. Runt blinked in surprise when he held up her backpack with his other hand. His fingers tightened on her arm when she started to turn and follow Bert.
“How badly did he hurt you?” he quietly asked.
“I’m good,” she responded.
He narrowed his eyes, his gaze piercing, and suddenly bent his head, pressing a light, but possessive kiss to her lips. She sharply inhaled in surprise and her lips trembled from a sudden burst of heat. She shot him a startled, confused look.
“We must go now. I can hear movement downstairs,” Derik murmured.
She nodded in agreement, her brow creasing as she worried that Derik would know what she was thinking—and feeling. Determined to hide her troubled thoughts, she pushed them behind a mental wall, pulled away from his strong hands, and hurried after Bert.
Chapter Nine
The three of them descended the back staircase, and reached the basement level door just as several firemen opened the door on the first floor. Bert held the door open and motioned for Runt to go ahead.
“There’s a service door at the other end that leads into the alley. Take a left and head to the second alley. Robert said he would meet us there,” Bert urgently said.
“What about you?” she asked.
“I’ll be right behind you. I don’t want to use the flashlight on our phones in case the cops or firemen see the light under the door. They might have a few questions that we don’t want to answer—especially about Derik and all the bodies lying around. Once I shut this door, you won’t be able to see a thing,” Bert promised.
“Shut the door, Bert. I can see well enough to get us to the exit. I will guide Amel… Runt while you hold onto my coat,” Derik instructed.
Runt looked up when she felt Derik’s hand against the small of her back. It smelled musty down here. She shivered from a combination of being wet and the cold. The building was old and obviously had not been brought up to date with the current fire code.
With the power out, there was no emergency lighting in this area. Thankfully, there weren’t any sprinklers down here either. Unfortunately, Bert was right. Once he closed the door, the faint red light of the emergency strips disappeared, casting them in total darkness.
“Stand in front of me, and I will guide you around the boxes,” Derik murmured near her ear.
“Okay,” she replied.
Runt was grateful for the warmth of Derik’s hands and his comforting touch through her damp clothing. She could feel the familiar suffocating sense of claustrophobia threatening to swallow her. She tried to breathe through her nose to keep from panting. This was one part of tonight’s adventure that she could have done without.
I am here for you, Derik promised.
I… hate cluttered, dark places, she replied.
Then I will light your way, he said.
She covered his hands when they spanned each side of her waist. They moved forward in small steps. He guided her around the boxes that she could not see with her own eyes, until slowly, she began to see what he did. She moved to the left to avoid a bucket. Behind them, she could hear Bert’s barely audible curse when his foot caught the plastic pail.
How can you see in the dark? she asked.
According to what I was taught, our ability to see in almost absolute darkness was a necessity for survival when dealing with other species, he explained.
So there are other aliens out there—besides you? she asked.
Yes—there are many others, he murmured.
Oh, that’s pretty cool.
That was the only thing she could think to say. His hands on her waist felt—good. Uneasiness washed through her at her reaction. She could feel the mark on her palm tingling. It took all of her self-control not to rub her hand against the back of his to relieve the feeling.
It’s only because I’m not used to this, that’s all. It isn’t like I’ve been touched by a lot of people in my life—especially guys, she thought—making sure that the wall was a foot thick around her thoughts so that Derik couldn’t sense her pleasure at his touch—and her unease.
She breathed a sigh of relief when they reached the door, and she grabbed the handle, unlocked it, and checked for a deadbolt.
Someone is coming, Derik warned.
“You might want to get a move on, Runt. I think I hear footsteps,” Bert said at the same time as Derik’s warning.
“I know,” she grumbled.
Yanking on the deadbolt, she pulled it free. With a twist of the handle, she opened the door and peeked out. She could see the flashing lights of emergency vehicles and hear the shouts of first responders as they communicated with each other.
Pulling the door open further, she stooped and climbed the short set of concrete steps. She made sure the alley was clear before she straightened and took off to the left. Behind her, she could hear Bert’s heavy breathing as he followed her. She started to look over her shoulder to make sure Derik was there when she felt the faint brush of amusement in her mind.
Prime warriors don’t make much noise when they walk, he said.
I’ll have to remember that, she said.
Picking up speed, she turned the corner just as she heard a shout from behind them ordering them to stop. She
grimaced and kept going, then grinned with relief when she saw Robert standing by the SUV. He pulled open the back passenger door the second he recognized them.
“Thanks, Robert,” she murmured before she climbed onto the seat.
“My pleasure, Miss Thomas. I see that RITA didn’t remain contained?” Robert dryly observed.
“A man attacked Amelia. RITA was not pleased,” Derik replied.
“Ah… that would explain it,” Robert said with a nod.
Robert shut the door after Derik slid in, and hurried around to the driver’s side. Bert had already climbed into the front passenger seat. Robert shifted the running vehicle into gear and pulled out onto the street. He made a U-turn, heading away from DiMaggio’s building and the police officer who was rounding the corner on foot as they sped away.
“Damn,” Bert remarked.
Runt stared at the dark streets around them too. It looked like RITA really had ‘blown a gasket’. She wondered how much of the city was down.
Robert chuckled. “I’ve been instructed to take you to the safe house,” he said, glancing at Derik in the rearview mirror.
“That would be good,” Derik replied.
The first lights didn’t appear for almost six blocks. Runt gently ran her fingers over the micro-computer on her wrist. Her mind swirled with anticipation; her thoughts completely focused on the encrypted file she had downloaded—until she felt warm fingers threading through hers. She turned and looked at Derik. He was talking quietly with Bert and Robert. He wasn’t looking at her, but his fingers tightened when she tried to pull away. After a few seconds, she leaned back against the seat and left her hand in his. What did it really matter? They were just holding hands—it’s not like they were making out.
What is making out? he silently inquired.
Runt could feel her cheeks heat. Nothing, she mentally mumbled.
She turned her attention back to the window. Some clouds had rolled in and a light drizzle of rain had begun to fall. She looked up at the elegant townhouse as it came into view. It was one of CRI’s safe houses. She had stayed here before, thanks to RITA.
The SUV pulled to the curb. Robert shifted into park and exited the vehicle. A moment later, he opened the back door for her.
“If you need anything, give me a call,” Robert instructed.
“Thanks, Robert,” Runt quietly said as she slid out of the car. She turned and looked at Bert. “See you around, Bert.”
Bert chuckled. “Good luck, Runt.”
Runt turned in surprise when Derik followed her. She frowned at him before turning her gaze back to Robert. Robert had already returned to the driver’s seat and shut the door. A wave of uncertainty filled her when the SUV pulled away and disappeared down the road.
“I hope you don’t…,” she started to say, turning her attention back to Derik when she saw him sway.
Under the dim glow of the streetlight, she saw that his hand was pressed to his side. There was a dark stain around his fingers. Her lips parted in dismay and she quickly looked at his face.
“You’re hurt!” she exclaimed.
“It is a minor injury,” he replied with a grimace.
“Yeah, right,” she muttered.
She wrapped her arm around his waist and guided him to the steps. They slowly made their way up the stairs to the front door, the aftermath of so much adrenaline now dragging them both down. She stood in front of the door and waited as the facial recognition scanner did its magic. RITA had programmed her face into it the first time she’d come here.
“Let’s go,” she said.
She pushed the door open when the lock clicked. They stepped inside, and she used her foot to shut the door behind them. She paused in the foyer, unsure of where to go at first.
“I’m monitoring his vitals as best I can, Amelia. I suggest taking him to the medical room located down the hall and to the left, so I can perform a more thorough scan,” RITA suggested.
“Right,” she muttered under her breath.
Derik chuckled. “And I thought humans would think we were the strange ones,” he commented.
“Shut up, I’m mad at you,” Runt scolded.
She guided him down the hallway and turned to the left. Only Cosmos—well, and maybe Avery—would have a hospital room in one of their homes. Derik turned around and sat down on the edge of the bed. She took her backpack from him, placed it on the floor, and began to pull off his coat. He stood so she could pull it out from under him.
She twisted and threw the coat onto a nearby chair, then with an impatient brush of her hand, she pushed his fingers away from the buttons of his shirt and quickly undid them. As soon as she had the last one unfastened, she pushed off his shirt.
“You have no idea how long or how many times I’ve dreamed of you doing this,” he confessed.
“You’re delusional. Now, shut up and lay down,” she ordered, refusing to be distracted. “RITA, can you tell how bad it is?”
“Scanning,” RITA replied. “Hold still, please.”
Runt wiggled her nose and peered at the torn flesh of his shoulder. It looked like a flesh wound, but she was no doctor. Her gaze moved down to a large bruise on his ribcage before she forced herself to look at the wound that was the most troublesome. Her stomach churned when she saw the obvious bullet wound in his lower right side. Swallowing down the bile that rose into her throat, she looked into his eyes.
“It isn’t as bad as it looks,” Derik insisted. “Cosmos and Terra gave me one of their new medical kits. I need to remove the metal first. Once that is done, I can use the medical device to heal my body,” he said.
“You can’t remove the bullet,” Runt exclaimed. “How do you know it didn’t hit something vital? If you pull it out, you could bleed to death,” she said, her voice breaking on the last word.
“I can remove the bullet,” RITA said. “Cosmos set up the medical unit so it could be operated remotely. There were times when it was necessary.”
Runt blinked when RITA and FRED appeared across from the bed. Derik squeezed her hand. Gazing into his eyes, she could feel the strange burn of tears in the back of her eyes.
“You aren’t going to cause another power outage, are you?” she asked FRED and RITA.
FRED shook his head. “Cosmos installed a special generator in the basement. For a short period, we can do what’s necessary,” the Prime AI system reassured her.
“Okay, what do you need me to do?” she asked.
“Stay linked to him, sweetheart. It will help him with the pain,” RITA instructed.
Runt nodded and looked down. Derik had closed his eyes. His lips were pressed together, and she could see the lines of pain around his mouth. Impulsively, she raised her hand and smoothed one of the lines. He turned his head toward her hand and pressed a kiss to her palm, right on the mark that was now clearly visible.
“FRED will create a neurological block that will act as a sedative. The block will relax Derik but not place him completely under. I’ll numb the area around his wound so I can remove the bullet. The numbing agent will contain some of the nanobots that Cosmos and Terra developed. Avery upgraded each of the CRI facilities after she and Core returned, just in case something like this happened. I’ll have to inform her that it was another excellent decision,” RITA replied.
Runt nodded, distractedly listening to what RITA was saying. She followed FRED with her gaze when the Prime AI hologram moved to the head of the table, and placed his suddenly solid hands on Derik’s temples.
The lights flickered as the two AI systems maxed out the power grid. Runt parted her lips in awe when she saw the thin streams of light emanating from FRED’s fingers. Derek’s body arched for a moment before he relaxed.
She looked down at their entwined fingers, licked her lips, and took in a long, deep breath. Reaching out, she connected her mind to his.
Chapter Ten
I will be fine. I have suffered worse injuries than this while training, he reassured her in a tire
d voice.
“You must be pretty bad at fighting, then, if you think this is okay,” she teased.
Only when there are more than a dozen men attacking me, he quipped.
“Only a dozen?” she commented with a roll of her eyes.
She keenly watched as RITA worked on Derik with a surgical skill that could have rivaled the best surgeons in the world. The sound of metal on metal made her wince. She turned her attention back to Derik when he weakly squeezed her hand.
I cannot feel anything, but thank you for caring, he faintly murmured in her mind.
Who said anything about caring? If you’re stupid enough to get shot, that’s your problem. I was just trying to figure out how I was going to report a dead body without being accused of shooting you, she silently retorted.
“I love you, too, Amelia,” he softly groused out loud.
Runt released an inelegant snort. “Silly alien,” she replied.
A strange feeling of loneliness swept through her when he slid deeper into sleep. She lifted her hand to her cheek, and looked down at her fingers in surprise when she realized that they were damp. Looking up at RITA, she didn’t bother to hide the concern in her voice.
“Will he be okay?” she asked.
“Yes. I’ve removed the bullet. It did not hit any major organs, but it was close. The nanobots are already healing the damage. After a couple of hours, you won’t even know that he was in a fight,” RITA reassured her.
Runt nodded and returned her gaze to Derik’s relaxed face. Releasing his hand, she turned around and reached for the blanket at the end of the bed. She shook it out before she covered him with it.
As she tucked it around his shoulders, she noticed he was wearing a silver chain. She gently pulled on the delicate links, and frowned when she noticed that there was something attached to it.
Sliding her fingers along the chain, she discovered a small oval pendant made of silver. She pulled it closer so she could take a better look at it, and her breath caught in her throat when she turned it over in her hand.
I know this, she thought