Red Angel (4 page)

"Give me the krait, and I'll leave," he said,
grinning. I could feel his growing excitement. I ducked under his arm and
lunged toward the door, but he managed to grab my arm. Laughing, he pulled me
to him and punched me in the face over and over again. I collapsed to my knees.
He hung on, laughing hysterically. He yanked me back to my feet, and I managed
to drive my head into his face. He let go as his hand went to his nose, and I
fell back onto my bed. He growled under his breath as he reached for me. I scooted
backward and fell off the other side.

My head still spinning, I crawled as fast as I could,
not knowing where I was going but frantic to get away. Seconds later, my head
rammed into his legs. When I looked up, he was staring down at me, grinning
with his eyes wide like a crazy man. Despair tore at me as he reached for me. I
lunged at his hand with my mouth and managed to latch onto a finger. I bit down
as hard as I could. He screamed and punched me in the face
—
once, twice, and a
third time. My mouth filled with blood and skin as I lay at his feet fighting
to stay conscious. He knelt next to me and ripped my shirt open to expose Red.
When he found him, he grabbed the red tail, which was the same color as the
head. As he lifted him away from me, Red struck his neck and hung on. The man
stood smiling, and I could feel the ecstasy radiating from him.

"That's it, my lovely krait. Fill me with your
wonderful elixir."

After a long while, he walked out of the room singing
loudly. I lay there in despair, my face and body throbbing from all the blows,
but that didn’t matter. I was going to die.

When Red had discovered me all those years ago, I
would have welcomed dying so I could join my parents in Heaven. Today I was
content to wait. I would die eventually like everyone else and then I would
find my parents or not. Compared to the clock in Heaven, my time on Oxax was
but a fraction of a second. I already missed Red. He not only kept me alive, but
he had become a part of me—a companion who listened to my fears and
shared my joys. I loved him. Tears streaked down my face as I cried. The physical
pain was nothing compared to the pain of losing Red. I lay still wanting to die
but knew it would take days of suffering before peace came at last. I couldn't
help moaning softly as the pain intensified. I welcomed it, as it took my mind
away from Red, if only temporarily.

Sirens wailed and lights flashed through the windows.
The police had arrived—too late, I mused now, beyond emotion. I had died
inside.

"Are you all right?" Carola's voice came
from outside my window.

"Stay away, Carola, please. The man was
contagious. This house will be contagious. Tell the police to contact the
hospital. They will need protective suits," I croaked out just above a
whisper that I hoped was coherent. I think my jaw was broken.

"Lady, step back. Someone may still be in there.
What does she mean ... contagious?" the man's voice faded as they walked
away. As I lay on the floor losing consciousness, I dreamed I felt Red slide
onto my chest, wrap himself around my neck, and his tongue brush my cheek—a
wonderful dream.

* * *

I awoke in the hospital where it had all begun years
ago
—
with
machines beeping, an IV in one arm, and a blood pressure wrap on the other. As
I tentatively explored my body, I came to the conclusion I was a mess. My jaw
was in some kind of a brace, I had a soft cast on my arm, my chest was
bandaged, there was a patch over one eye, and I think my one leg felt heavy
like it had a cast. I laughed. It seemed futile to fix me up so I could die in
a day or two. Then I felt Red in my hair and his head on my forehead. My head
was probably the only place without bandages. I cried with joy—the
happiest day of my life.

"I see you’re awake, Anna," Doctor Renata
said. "You didn't have to go to all this trouble to see me. You could just
have called." Her smile was warm. "How do you feel?"

"Wonderful," I blurted in a strange sounding
voice, which caused her mouth to drop open.

"I doubt that. How is your level of pain?"

"I'm comfortable. But what happened?"

"You don't remember?"

"Oh, I remember the fight, if you can call it a
fight. It was a bit one-sided. No, afterward. He ran off with Red ... and Red's
back." I looked up to where his head rested.

"I don't know all the details, but I know they
found the man who attacked you dead in the living room. It appears Red gives
you enough poison to keep the virus under control. He injected the man with
enough to kill twenty, which is strange. None of us thought the krait would
care who he latched onto so long as he or she had the virus, but he apparently
does." She stood staring down at Red. "Thank you for warning the
police the man was contagious. He could have caused another epidemic if you
hadn't. Oh, I have two very anxious people waiting to see you. They’ve been sitting
outside your door for more than forty-eight hours." Renata left, and
shortly afterward Joshua and Carola entered.

"How are you feeling, Anna?" Carola asked,
tears in her eyes.

"Lying here I feel fine, but I doubt I'd enjoy
getting out of bed." I gave a small laugh, which confirmed what I thought
as pain shot through my chest and face.

"We are looking forward to you coming home
..." Joshua said, and I felt their conflicting emotions. They loved me but
were afraid.

"No, Joshua, Carola. You wouldn't be comfortable
with me in your home now. And I love you too much to put that burden on you.
That man was the first, but he won't be the last. The Coaca Virus will drive
men to do what they wouldn't otherwise. And this time we were lucky he didn't
get anywhere near you."

"We weren't lucky. You risked your life to keep
him away. We can't abandon you after that. Besides, we've come to love you over
the years." I felt the truth of that and saw it in Carola's misty eyes.

"Thank you, but no. I feel fortunate to have had
four wonderful years with you. Let's not destroy that."

They stayed for several hours and then left sad but
relieved. I was a dangerous person to have around, which led to the question I
didn't want to think about—where could they put me? I don't know how my
attacker found me, but he had upped my notoriety.

I stayed in
the hospital for two weeks while I healed and Adela tried to figure out what to
do with me. She had stopped in every other day, and we spent hours talking
about my stay with the Bordans, the school I attended, and life in general. I
liked her. What you saw was what she was, based on my growing awareness of
people's emotions. She wanted to help but couldn't figure out a solution. I
would pose the same risk to any family as I did to the Bordans, and she agreed
with me that it wasn't a good idea to go back to them—for their sake and
mine.

Adela called
the day Doctor Renata cleared me for release and told me to be ready to go the
next day. I was confused, since I knew she hadn't come up with a place for me
to go.

"Ready?"
she asked. "I have your clothes in my skimmer. The Bordans packed
everything of yours and had it delivered to me. You live a very Spartan life,
considering I know the Bordans would have bought you anything you wanted. They
really do love you."

"I know.
I didn't need anything. I had everything I wanted. Things don't interest me,
maybe books."

"Aren't
you interested in where I'm taking you?" she asked as we entered the
skimmer. I guess I was afraid to ask for fear I wouldn't like it, although all
I was doing was prolonging the inevitable.

"Would
it change anything?" I asked and immediately regretted it. "Sorry.
I'm feeling sorry for myself. I love the Bordans and was happy there. They
treated me like I was their daughter."

"I
understand. They feel the same way. Magistrate Bellona has asked to see you.
She has taken an interest in you, and I understand you write her
regularly."

"Once a
month. We've had some interesting discussions. I like her." The first time
I wrote her, I hadn’t expected a reply. I had written because she asked me to.
But she had answered promptly, and over the years I had begun to think of her
as a friend who I could ask for advice.

"Well,
she likes you. Let's hope she’s smarter than we are, because I admit to being
stumped as to where to place you." She shrugged and gave me a lopsided grin.

I laughed. "Maybe
I could go to the planet Surus and become a monk and wander the land
begging."

"Let's
hope the solution is a bit closer to home." The remainder of the flight
was made in silence. I thought the monk idea wasn't too bad. I had become a
loner out of necessity and had adjusted to where I was comfortable. Red helped,
a lot.

When we
reached Magistrate Bellona's office, she was waiting and waved us in.

"You've
grown, Anna. I'd love to give you a hug, but it probably isn't a good idea. Red
might not understand." She smiled and put out her hand, which I took in
both of mine.

"I'm not
sure. He's lazy and doesn't seem to mind people, but I wouldn't want to take
the chance. The antivenin would save your life, but you would be sick for
several days."

"Consider
yourself hugged," she said. "It’s not your fault, but you present a
problem. Actually, to be precise, your red-headed friend presents a problem.
You seem to have him under excellent control, but we do have periodic outbreaks
of the Coaca Virus. When we do, some people like that man who attacked you are
going to consider Red their savior. And I envision thieves will soon be
involved. The medical researchers have only found four other red-headed kraits
to date, so supply is miniscule and the demand great. Consequently, they are
worth tens of thousands of credits to the right person. That threatens you and
those around you. By the way, everyone was impressed by the way you handled
that incident. Warning the police saved lives and perhaps a larger outbreak.
And risking your life to save the Bordans was very brave." She sipped at
her water, looking pensive. "We've exchanged a lot of letters over the
years, and I think I understand you. Red keeps you isolated. Your love of
learning and Red's companionship have compensated for your lack of a social
life and friends. Come live with me. I have security and will double it. And it
won't be for long. I'm working on getting you into an advanced school as soon
as you pass your fourth quarter."

I didn’t know
what to say and sat with my mouth open. I liked Bellona and would love staying
with her, but my presence would put her at risk. The thought of continuing my
education was exciting, but that would put me with much older ... young adults.
I wasn't sure how that would work out. Would I live with them at school? It
seemed to me the older kids got, the crueler they could be. Eventually, I
closed my mouth and took a deep breath. I stroked Red, which tended to relax
me.

"I’d
love to stay with you, Your Honor—"

"Alexa,
please."

"Alexa.
But that would put you in danger, and I would hate myself if I caused you to be
hurt."

"I was
in the navy for thirty years, Anna. I'm used to risk. Some things are worth
taking a risk for. I think you are. My security is good, which will preclude
men from breaking into the house, and you and I will use reasonable caution."

I could
feel
she meant what she said. "I'd
like that ... Alexa." My eyes stung with tears as relief washed over me. I
had tried to ignore the problem of what Adela was going to do with me, but all
the terrible alternatives, like being confined to a ward and treated like a lab
rat or locked away someplace out of the way had run through my mind as I lay
awake at night.

"I'm as
relieved as Anna, Bellona. I have gotten some unpleasant suggestions from
people I thought better of," Adela said, confirming my worst fears.

"Then it’s
settled." Bellona smiled. "I'm looking forward to having company. I
too tend to be a bit of a recluse."

After Adela
left, I met Alexa's driver, Jason, and we were taken in a ground vehicle to her
home, a grey two-story stone mansion set off by itself on several acres of
wooded land.

"Let's
start by giving you a tour of your new home." She took me into a large
living room. The room looked comfortable with its two lounge chairs, an
oversized couch, tables, and an entertainment suite. A large bank of windows
looked out in front of the house. Several landscape paintings gave the
cream-colored walls a splash of color. Off the living room was a formal dining
room was a mahogany table with eight upholstered chairs. Down the hallway a
bathroom, office, kitchen with a large island and two chairs and equipped with
modern appliances, and a bedroom with its own bathroom. Stairs in the hallway
as we entered the house led to the second floor. There, Alexa showed me to her
study, which intrigued me with its shelves of books and computer equipment. On
the walls were pictures of military cruisers and groups of individuals in naval
uniforms. From there we passed two empty rooms which were probably intended to
be bedrooms and then entered Alexa's bedroom, which had a bathroom attached.
She smiled as she opened the door to the last bedroom.

"And
this is your room. You are welcome to change it to suit your taste," she
said with obvious pleasure. I wandered around in shock—it had its own
bathroom.

"It's
..." I stuttered, choked with colliding emotions of gratitude and relief. "The
room is lovely ... Thank you for saving me." When I looked at her, her
eyes were misty.

"You're very
welcome."

*
* *

The next day,
Alexa drove me to a private school about a half hour drive from her house. When
we arrived, we were ushered into a small conference room where a man and a
woman waited. They rose when we entered.

"Alexa,
it's good to see you, it's been a long time," the man said, smiling and giving
her a hug. He was tall and athletic looking, a full head of short curly brown
hair and a pleasant smile. The woman joined them and also gave Alexa a hug. She
was nearly as tall as the man and looked to be about the same age. Her midnight
black hair just covered her ears and had streaks of grey. Her angular face
wasn't smiling, but it was relaxed and friendly.

"I'm
afraid I tend to stay in far too much, but after listening to people argue all
day long, the peace and quiet is welcome." She laughed. "Santos,
Selina, I'd like you to meet Anna. Anna, this is Mr. Hahn, the headmaster at
the Waldron School, and Mrs. Cain is the technology director."

"I'm
pleased to meet you, Mr. Hahn, Mrs. Cain," I said.

"It's
nice to meet you," Hahn said. Cain just nodded, appearing to study me.

"She's
very ... young, Alexa, and the class you want to enter her in is in the last
half of the fourth quarter curriculum," Hahn said after some hesitation.
"I don't mind making an exception for you, but I'm concerned. That's
asking an awful lot of the child, even if she is exceptional."

"I
understand, Santos. Give her any kind of test you want, written or verbal.
Afterward, I'll abide by whatever you suggest."

"That's
fair," Cain said, nodding her approval. "What about the snake?"

"Anna
has the krait under complete control. The only people it's bitten were beating
her half to death."

"Anna?"
Cain looked at me. Not sure what she wanted, I reached into my blouse and
pulled Red out. He wound himself around my arm with his head pointing in her
direction.

"Red
never leaves me. Never. He’s never aggressive, and I'm careful not to touch
anyone. You might think of him as an organic medicine dispenser to keep me in
balance." I shrugged, not sure what she expected.

She laughed. "Him,
not it?"

"He’s
been with me twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week for more than five
years. He even stays with me in the bath."

"Yes,
that would elevate its status from inanimate to animate." Cain smiled.
"Santos, I'm fine with testing her and deciding afterward."

They left me
in a small room with a wooden table and several padded chairs. Two large windows
looked out onto a manicured sports field with a track around its perimeter.

Sometime
later, Cain returned with several tablets and a couple of books. She sat
opposite me at the oblong table and slid a tablet across to me.

"This is
one of our standard tests for admittance to Waldron. It's not a timed test, so
there is no need to rush." She sat back and picked up another tablet and
began tapping on it.

I tapped on
Start
and began answering the questions.
It didn't take long to go through the one hundred questions, as they were
standard third-quarter material.

"I'm
done."

She frowned
and tapped on her tablet. Her frown deepened.

"You got
them all correct. Have you seen this test before?" she asked.

"No,
ma'am, but it's all standard third-quarter material."

"Yes, it
is." She tapped on her tablet again. "I've put the next test on your
tablet. Would you or your friend like something to eat or drink before you
start?"

"I'm his
food dispenser," I quipped. I regretted it immediately when her mouth
dropped open. Then she smiled.

"Symbiotic.
You both benefit from the arrangement. Would you like something?"

"Water
or juice. I'm a little thirsty."

"You can
begin the test," she said while tapping on her tablet. A few minutes later,
a young boy entered with two glasses. He set one by me and one by Cain and left
without a word. This test was a little harder, as some of the material was new,
and I had to spend more time on several of the questions. When I looked up,
Cain sat staring at me.

"Does
... he always look at what you are reading?"

"Most of
the time. I would imagine life as a snake is boring." I gave a tentative
grin.

"Yes, I
would imagine it would be." She chuckled, then looked at her tablet.
"I see you're done with the test," she said, looking at her tablet,
which was obviously linked to mine. "You missed six. That’s impressive,
considering it's fourth quarter material. It's the final test for fourth
quarter students. Seventy-five percent is passing, so you passed. At this rate
you are going to graduate college before your age group is struggling with
fourth quarter material." She shook her head and gave a short laugh.
"Well, let's go tell Alexa she has a prodigy on her hands."

*
* *

At my
suggestion, the instructors didn't call on me or single me out, and the five
months went by quickly. I enjoyed the classes and the time with Alexa. She was
an interesting person. She had been in the Oxax Navy for thirty years, had been
promoted to captain, fought in several border wars, and had been injured in a
space battle that had required a career change to the judicial branch, which
was the reason why she became a magistrate when she retired.

Many nights
we sat on her oversized couch talking or just reading like we were
tonight—quiet companionship. My concentration was broken when I realized Alexa's
cold feet were resting on mine. Somehow the contact was comforting, and I
closed my eyes and sighed with contentment. I opened them when I felt her foot
change position and found her staring at me and looking concerned.