And there it was. The million dollar question. She was trying not to scarf down the sandwich as though she hadn't eaten in days, but she truly hadn't really eaten in days. Her stomach cramped painfully as she forced herself to go slow, swallowed and took a sip of his brew. She had never been much of a drinker and the beer was bitter on her tongue. Pulling a face, she set it aside, thinking that this had to be the best sandwich ever made in human history, when logically she knew it wasn't.
"I am a scientist or was..." She began and picked up her food, setting the plate aside and getting up. Walking to her shoes, she crouched down, making her to bend at the knees so she wasn't flashing him an eyeful of pale bottom anything else he might enjoy.
Carefully she dug the disk she'd set on the inside of her shoe while his back had been turned and returned. Feeling as though they were in it together now, she tossed it to him, watching the shiny piece of technology plop down in front of him as she took another bite and sighed happily. Her cheeks bulged slightly as she chewed and swallowed, climbing onto the bed to face him.
He looked so casual and so good, his lean body relaxed as if he hadn't a care in the world. She was slowly warming up and fatigue was taking its toll, but she knew she owed him some information. At the very least! Drawing in a breath and started. "Ten years ago I was hired on as a scientist for THE most powerful pharmaceutical companies. I was only 24, eager, naive and had grand ideas of saving the world with affordable drugs for all. The perks weren't bad either. I got a warm place to live in, food, a little money in my pocket and a little extra to send home. So I couldn't complain."
Pressing the bottle to her lips, she took another sip of the bitter brew. "I don't want to brag, but, I soon climbed up to one of the lead scientists in one particular venture. Needless to say, I was very excited. This was exactly what I had envisioned it to be. I could taste the success. Can you imagine it? Affordable drugs for everyone? Enough to go around when someone is sick? It would mean healthier children, seniors, hell -- adults!"
His eyes studied her intently and she felt a little self conscious as she said to hell with it and scarfed the rest of her food down with a long draw of beer at the end and moaned. "God, that was good. Thanks." Tucking his oversized shirt over her knees, she tugged it lower her legs as she drew her knees up, leaving her small bare feet sticking out the bottom. Her eyes turned darker as she remembered finding out the real truth behind the project. "We were almost there...on the verge of a breakthrough. I came in one day a little early, eager to get back at it. Only, I ended up walking into a lot more than I bargained for. Someone had leaked some information out...probably a tech who didn't know any better. At first I thought it was bullshit. But as I did some digging, I found it to be all true. The corporation is going to use the information that I copied on that disk there to start and endemic and it won't be pretty. If you think things are bad now, they will be a hundred times worse. They will find the fight for complete control."
Her voice broke off as she drew in a breath, clearing her throat. No tears, she'd promised, no crying. "It's my fault. I should have realized, I should have known! When I learned the truth, I panicked and copied all my data. I only told one person whom I trust implicitly. I knew they were onto me. You can't just copy shit off the system and get away with it. But he managed to get me out before someone caught me. That was three days ago and I've been running since. I can finish the project we started, the cure to this disease that they will spread. If I don't though, all hell will break loose and people will start dropping like flies. I don't know how we'll get this out and who to trust, but we...I...need to find a way."
She drew a shaky breath and blew it out, her shoulders sagging as she propped her chin on her knees. "I really am sorry I got you into this...I was just looking to get warm. I didn't expect to bump into The Hills Poolboy." She added lightly.
****
He sat back and listened to her story. He was amazed she could get her sandwich down so quickly. Obviously she hadn't eaten for a while. By her grimacing, he could tell she didn't like beer.
More for me in case the end of the world happens.
Halfway through her story, she got up off the bed and walked towards her shoes. The impact of her story had not lessened her attractiveness. She was a glorious sight walking in his t shirt. He smirked as she tried to extricate a disk from her shoes without giving him an eyeful. She nearly succeeded, but not quite.
Nice ass.
She turned to him and he returned his face to a serious countenance. She threw the disk on the bed in front of him.
"This is what they want to kill you for?" he asked.
She nodded, chewing on the final part of her sandwich.
She moved herself fully onto the bed and sat next to him. She had the t shirt stretched over her knees and all that was showing were her small feet.
Beautiful little feet.
He so wanted to reach out and stroke them, to make her feel safe.
Take it easy, Hansen. You're getting attached. You remember what happened the last time you got attached? Yeah, that's right.
I really should do something about you voices....
He shook his head slightly. She didn't see him and she continued her story. She looked depressed and tired and slumped so that her chin rested on her knees. Her face was doleful.
We?
Hansen, she said 'we'. Now's the time we say, 'nice to meet you, no worries and bye'.
I can't do that. She's fucked. She won't last a day out there on her own. Plus, we've got the electronic shackles.
Someone will know how to decommission the shackles. She's lasted this long.
Dumb luck. Not that she's dumb. We can't listen to this about an epidemic and not do anything. Sounds like she can do something about it.
Great! Save the children, yada yada yada. I don't want to die.
We've never been scared of dying before. We can really stick it to those fucking monsters and for once it won't be W.I.I.F.M.
Don't pull that 'what's in it for me' shit. Remember the last time you did something because it was the right thing to do? No one is alive.
Carl is.
He's Carl. He's unkillable.
Fuck it, I'm helping her.
It's your problem.
Hansen smiled to himself.
Oh, no it's not. You'll be there too. Thanks bro'.
He brought himself back into the room and looked at her.
"Ha," he said to her, "I'd whip The Hills Pool Boy's ass!"
He got up and went to the bench. He put his jeans and t shirt on. He didn't want her to feel uncomfortable. He pulled another beer from the fridge and took a long drag on it. Then he placed his hands on the bench and looked at her on the bed.
"So these bastards are going to start an epidemic and then keep the cure so that they can regulate who dies and who doesn't?"
She nodded. She looked tired.
"And this disk has everything you need to develop a cure?"
She nodded again. She looked really tired now.
Maybe the time for questions is tomorrow.
He walked over to the bed. He took her hand and lifted her onto her feet. He pulled the covers of the bed back and lay her down on there. When she was laying her head on the pillow, he pulled the covers back over her. He sat on the edge of the bed and stroked her shoulder and head a couple of times.
"Well, Irish, this is your lucky week," he said. "I have a couple of spare days to save the world. We'll work out the fee later, but because you let me stick my hands down your pants, I reckon a discount is in order. Plus, I can't very well spend my fee if I don't save the world. How incentivised."
He looked down at her, smiling for a few moments, then he leant over and kissed her on the forehead.
He got up, sculled the last of his beer and switched the light off in the room. He went to the bed and lay next to her, on top of the covers.
I was just going to have a beer and now I'm saving the world.
You're a dickhead, Hansen.
"Shut up," he said.
Oops.
He felt her flinch.
"Sorry," he said, "I wasn't talking to you."
The voice in his head smiled.
Suicide. That's what this is. Suicide.
****
She was too tired to argue as he tucked her into his bed, even more surprised when he gently caressed her head and shoulder and then dropped a kiss on her head. Big bad Liam was showing a softer side which she was going to quickly get used to if he didn't stop.
There were other issues to tackle of course. Like the fact that they were literally stuck together due to the implanted devices. She tried to focus on the things she needed to talk to him about, but fatigue was quickly taking over and soon was lulled by the warmth of the room and comfort of his bed. She was half asleep when she heard him. His voice rang clear in the silence of the room.
She flinched, jerking back awake and then settled down again. Too tired to wonder who he thought he was talking to, she drifted off with a soft yawn.
Emma slept hard, but sometime in the night stirred, her body stiffening at the feel of Liam's body curled up against her own, one heavy arm over her hip, his hand splayed loosely over her abdomen. The panic that sharply spiked soon dissipated when she realized where she was and who he was. He must have rolled she realized, seeking comfort and warmth himself and it felt good. His warm breath fanned her clean hair, tickling her scalp. Smiling to herself, she let it be, feeling secure and protected and let herself drift back into the blackness.
****
