3rd World Products, Book 17 (23 page)

As she again crossed the hall, I asked, “Need some help?”

Marie raised her voice to say, “No, I’ve got it,” and crossed the hall again a few moments later. This time she zipped into the bathroom and I heard the shower start.

I got up and went to stand by the door to say, “We have over two hours, Marie. What’s the rush?”

She yelled back, “Just a minute!”

Leaning on the door frame, I sipped coffee and waited as instructed. Suddenly the door opened and Marie stood magnificently naked by the bathroom sink.

When I started to speak, she held up her right hand and shook her head. “No,” she said firmly, “Don’t say anything, just get ready for a shower.”

Her right hand seemed steady as a rock, but I saw the fingers of her left tremble as she reached to rest her hand on the sink counter.

I didn’t know why she’d be nervous and said nothing but, “Be right back,” before I headed for my pack in the kitchen. Setting my coffee on the table, I grabbed my pack and had my toothbrush out of its side pocket before I got back to the bathroom.

Someone else might ask why I did that. Not Marie. Her pack was already in the bathroom; she’d had the same training about never letting your luggage out of your sight. Retrieving my pack made her smile. I set it by hers and started stripping.

Marie checked the water again, adjusted it a bit, and stepped into the shower. I followed moments later and she handed me a bottle of shampoo. What followed was warm, wet, and fairly wonderful. She no longer trembled, likely because her impromptu escapade was actually underway.

Had she really had any doubt I’d cooperate? As I washed her hair, I let my enthusiasm nudge her now and then. She chuckled softly and reached for it, apparently examining it thoroughly by touch as she chuckled again.

I didn’t wonder why she’d chosen this particular ‘here’ and ‘now’. The apartment was turf over which she had a measure of control. She’d just been presented with yet another shiny new option in her life by someone who’d turned out to be a friend. There was undoubtedly more to it, but that really didn’t matter to me at that moment.

Even as I thought that, Marie parted her wet hair away from her face and looked up at me, then said, “This is going to… Well, let’s just say it’s going to put some of my concerns to rest.”

“Figured it was something like that.”

Her left eyebrow arched. “You did, did you?”

“Yup. Sure did. Something was bugging you and you’re doing something about it, just like you always have. I’m just real glad this is the way you decided to do it.”

Glancing down, she grinned. “I can see that.” Meeting my gaze, she asked, “So you don’t need an explanation right this minute?”

Shaking my head, I replied, “No, ma’am. Take your time.”

Marie laughed and handed me the soap, then turned around and said, “Do my back while I think about what to tell you.” Craning a bit to look back at me, she added, “And what not to tell you.”

Hm. Okay. That, too. I soaped her back pretty thoroughly and turned her around to do her front. Marie’s eyes met mine in one of those direct, studious gazes that mean the brain behind them is trying to figure something out.

“Yes’m? A question?”

She watched my hands for a moment, then shook her head. “No. I think I know the answer.”

“You could ask and maybe find out for sure.”

“Maybe later.”

I shrugged and knelt to wash her lovely thighs. When my fingers tickled her bush, she startled slightly, though their course had been pretty obvious. With a nervous giggle, Marie moved her feet slightly apart to allow my hands to roam.

A giggle? Marie? I couldn’t remember ever having heard her make that noise before. Not even once. Subjective memory? Maybe I just didn’t want to ‘cuz it would blow my image of her.

She said, “I bought something on the way home last night. Hope you like cherries.”

Looking up, I asked, “Oil?”

She nodded. “I thought we might need it.” With a little moue-shrug, she amended, “I thought I might need it.”

Trying to look as innocent as possible, I asked, “So this wasn’t altogether spontaneous?”

With a big grin, she laughed, “Ha! You know so much better. Actually, I wasn’t sure this would happen, but I wanted to be prepared. Just in case.”

“Ah. Better to have than to need. Sharp as ever, huh?”

After a short pause came, “That I’m still not sure about. I haven’t said anything to Tanya, but there are some small gaps in my memory. Just little bits and pieces of things. There were other missing pieces, but they came back. Somehow. Maybe these will, too.”

“Anything really important? Stuff you can’t live without?”

She shook her head again. “I don’t think so. Just odd spots. Blank spots where there ought to be something.”

Standing up, I handed her the soap and asked, “Do you remember when we made love on the train to Bremerhaven?”

Rolling her eyes, Marie rather firmly slapped a handful of lather onto my chest and said, “We never did that. Don’t mess with me.”

“How about the fifty bucks you borrowed for…”

She grabbed my dick and squeezed, her nails digging in a bit.

I quickly said, “Yes’m. Don’t mess with you. Got it.”

“Good.”

Letting go of me, Marie grinningly resumed washing me.

After a time, she stood on tiptoe to kiss me and said, “You’re too tall. Do your own hair and come find me.”

With that, she got out of the shower and started toweling herself. I quickly washed my hair and stepped out, but she was already gone. I heard her in the kitchen. Grabbing my pack, I headed that way with a towel around me.

Marie was also wearing a towel. She sipped coffee and smiled as she sat down at the table. I checked my coffee and topped it up, then sat down next to her.

After another sip, she asked, “Aren’t we quite a pair?”

I didn’t know what she meant, but I allowed, “Apparently so.”

Rolling her eyes again, she glanced down at the tent in my lap and said, “You don’t know what the hell I’m talking about. I mean you and me. Us. Sitting here about to go to bed together after all these years and all that… drama, for lack of a better word.”

Nodding acknowledgment, I replied, “Ah. That. I think we just washed it away.”

Eyeing me for a moment, she nodded slightly. “That’s actually a good metaphor for it.” Snorting a chuckle that interrupted her next sip of coffee, she said, “I wasn’t going to go through with it until I’d had a look at the goods.”

I nodded again. “Very sensible, ma’am. And may I say, your goods look delicious.”

“Thank you. Yours aren’t bad either. Are you wondering why we’re sitting in the kitchen?”

“Nope. You took the lead a while ago. I figured you had some reason for coming in here.”

Marie sipped and nodded, then said, “I did. I needed a break. I’m not used to what we’re doing, Ed. Not at all. It feels good… it feels great, in fact… but I needed to step away for a few minutes.”

I shrugged and sipped my coffee as I waited for more.

She eyed me for a time, then asked, “Do you really not give a damn?”

“I just don’t see any need to hurry. You’ll get there when you’re ready.”

Her gaze narrowed and she lowered her coffee cup. In a flat tone, she asked, “After that shower, you think I’m not ready?”

Looking around, I replied, “You appear to have led us out to the kitchen, ma’am. If you’d been ready, we’d be in the bedroom.”

My implant pinged with Angie’s chime. I sent our ‘not alone’ pings and held up a hand to pause whatever Marie had been about to say. To show her something was happening, I put up a blank screen when I answered, “Yo. Here. Present, Fearless Leader Number Two.”

Angie replied, “I need you in the air fast, Ed. It’s big. Who’s your company?”

“Marie.”

“Not a problem, then. One of Iran’s reactors is on the fritz. They say they have it under control, but we have doubts. They’ve refused offers of help and shut down any further discussion. The AIs say they need Iranian permission to assist.”

She paused, then added, “Ed, I know you don’t give a fat damn about the Middle East, but a Chernobyl-style incident could easily reach Israel.”

“Yeah, I know. Send me what you have.”

“Already done. Look it over on the way.”

“Things are that bad, huh?”

“We think so. The tipster works at Fordow. He’s essentially trapped there, since leaving during a shift wouldn’t look right.”

Marie asked, “Has anyone verified his tip?”

Standing up, I asked, “Doesn’t a commo blackout cover that?”

Angie said, “Given the seriousness of the event, the Iranians were asked directly. They demanded to know our source and vehemently denied any difficulties. Help was offered anyway. That’s when they clammed up. That’s also when Stan Maxwell called me.”

Also standing, Marie asked, “Stan Maxwell?”

Grabbing my pack, I said, “NSA boss.”

Marie stood up fast. “To hell with that! I’m going with you!”

Angie said, “You’re not cleared for things like this, Marie.”

Whipping around to face the empty screen, Marie snapped, “Col. Horn, I was cleared for things like this before you were born and I’m not letting him go to a place like Iran alone.”

Leaving them to hash it out, I went to the bedroom and had my pants and shoes on before Marie came in. She started getting dressed without comment. I glanced into the other room. The silent screen still hung over the kitchen table.

Marie sat on the bed and said, “She’s gone. She warned me Iran was on the proscribed list. I said if you could go, so could I. She suggested I ask you whether I ought to go along.”

Looking up from slipping her shoes on, she said, “But I’m not going to do that because I’m
not
letting you go there alone.”

Standing up, she asked, “Any objections?”

Buttoning my shirt, I asked, “Isn’t that the same as asking whether you can go along?”

She slipped into her blouse as she said, “Don’t be difficult. What kind of clothes will I need?”

“Dress for the desert.”

That stopped her in the midst of opening the closet. “I don’t have anything for that.”

Shrugging, I said, “So take a change of clothes and we’ll get anything else when we need it.”

She yelped, “Get it where?!”

“Don’t sweat the details. What about food?”

“What?”

“We don’t know how long we’ll be there. I’m going to stop on the way and stock the flitter for a week on site. If there’s anything in particular you want, get it.”

Calling up a screen, I pinged Jessie. When she answered, I said, “Hi, Jess. Lunch is off. Angie’s orders and we gotta fly.”

Jessie’s gaze quickly took in the room and her eyebrows went up as she grinningly replied, “
Orders?
Uh… okay. Should I take it you two are getting along fairly well?”

“Yeah, could be worse, I guess.”

“You can’t tell me what’s up?”

“Maybe later, depending on how things go. Ask Angie.”

“Oh. Uh… okay. Well, good luck, then. Anything else?”

“Nope. Just didn’t want you to feel stood up, milady.” I glanced at Marie and said, “Well, she’s finally ready, so we need to get going.”

Marie gave me a fisheye that made Jessie snicker, “Okay, later.”

“Later, Wonder Woman.” I canceled the screen.

As I left the bedroom, Marie asked, “How can Col. Horn and Jessie both be Wonder Woman?”

Setting my pack on the table, I turned off the coffee pot and refilled my mug as I replied, “Until one of them is willing to wear the uniform, it’s a shared title.”

She came out of the bedroom with her pack and a small suitcase. Setting them by the table, she opened a cabinet. Rinsing a travel mug she found, she turned to me for coffee as she asked, “Do I have time to call Tanya?”

Filling her mug, I replied, “If you make it quick. I don’t know how long we’ll be in range.”

Marie made a last check of the doors as I carried our bags out. Galatea met us and we headed for a nearby grocery store.

Marie asked, “Ed, do we really have time for this?”

“It won’t take long. We’ll be on our own, ma’am. If we pack stuff in, we’ll have it. I’d rather not try to forage in Iran.”

At the store, we bought canned goods, apples, tangerines, potato chips, two-liter bottles of tea and Dr. Pepper, a big jar of coffee, and enough stainless silverware for two. Marie bought some bread, lunch meat, and condiments. At the checkout line, she trotted away and returned shortly with some vegetables.

I said, “My cooler isn’t as big as you seem to think, ma’am.”

“So take the beer out for a while.”

The checkout woman said, “We sell coolers,” and pointed at stacked white foam coolers atop the cheese display refrigerators.

Marie said, “Be right back,” and called up her board to fly up and get a cooler. The woman’s eyes got huge, her mouth fell open, and she backed away from us as Marie flew back to the register.

I fed her theta waves as I held up money and said, “Time to ring us out, ma’am.”

Her glazed eyes turned to me and she responded with a rather subdued, “Uh… yes, sir.”

Back aboard the flitter a few minutes later, I got Galatea moving and Marie put food in the new cooler as she asked, “Ed, what did you do to her?”

Transferring a few cans, some tangerines, and two bottles of tea to my pack, I said, “Theta waves. They have a calming effect.”

“There were times that trick would have been pretty useful.”

Taking a seat by the console, I said, “Yup. Pick out some food and ring up Tanya. We won’t be in range much longer.”

Marie gave me an odd glance, then called Tanya as she chose some canned goods, fruit, and a few bottles of tea and added them to her pack.

I heard her say, “Hi, Tanya. Ed and I are going to run off and do something and we might be gone a while. Well, that’s kind of a secret.” She laughed, “No, not that. Yes, I guess we are. Okay. Don’t worry and I’ll call you later. Yeah, me, too. Okay, bye for now.”

Putting her phone away, Marie came forward to sit next to me and said, “She thought we might be eloping.”

“For a minute there, so did I.”

Sipping her coffee, she said, “Ha, ha. Now tell me why we put food in our packs. Won’t it take a few hours to get to Iran?”