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Literature Text
She had shared her story with me.
To be honest, I had not expected Keil to. I told my story because I felt she deserved to know what was going on, not because I had wanted to lure her into telling her own painful and dark past. I sat on the bathroom floor, feeling the cold tile slowly warm from my body as my thoughts wandered. I did cry a little. But I mostly thought. If someone today asked me what I had been thinking about so fervently, I wouldn't be able to tell them. I can't remember. Either way, something eventually pulled me out of my thought process. Something under the guise of the smell of pizza.
Man, I was hungry. I had just begun on a particularly cheesy slice when she took me off guard by speaking. And her story was disturbing.
"Don't give up on your brother, Skullcatcher," she sighed, "As much as you might think you have, you haven't lost him yet."
I was shaken by this thought. I had never really thought of my situation in that way before. Yet it made sense. My brother was alive and well. I was alive and, yes, I was well. My brother had said he forgave me. Was he being completely honest? I was staring at my half-eaten slice of pizza for so long, my eyes got red and blurry from lack of blinking. Then the phone rang. I looked at Keil's door. Should I answer the phone? Was that crossing boundaries? After all, this was her apartment; I had no business answering her phone. And yet, it very well could be an important call. Aw, hell. If she was mad at me for answering the phone, at least that would bring things back to normal. So I picked it up.
"Hello?" I answered.
"Uh…" the male voice on the other line was surprised to hear another male voice, "Eh…is Keil there?"
"Who's calling?" I asked, uncharacteristically harsh.
"Harper."
I liked the man, but at the moment I did not want him calling.
"Just a minute," I said a civilly as possible. Then I knocked on Keil's door.
"Harper," I said, handing her the phone. I recognized the feeling. Jealousy. The fact that I was jealous of Harper, and felt like I was competing with him for Keil unnerved me. This wasn't supposed to happen.
Quinn was poking around Hanover. Naturally, I was quite displeased with hearing this news. But I was even more displeased with Keil's so-called 'plan'.
"Tomorrow we go to the government building, look around, and try to see how well it's protected. If we can, we'll warn the government employees against the threat and join their forces in an effort to subdue the inevitable strike by Quinn," she explained.
"Two problems with that. One, Quinn might not strike, but bribe or bargain it out of there. She is insane, but not stupid. Attacking a government research base would send the whole armed forces against her rather than a bunch of bounty hunters. Two, I'm a criminal. I might not have done anything in a year, but I'm probably on some kind of record, and they could arrest me if they wanted," I said.
It was obvious she hadn't thought of this, and I could tell she was a bit flustered. I glanced out the window at the brick of the building next door. Red bricks and white cement in between. Red, white, red, white, red, white…
"…we can disguise you or something."
I snapped back into attention.
"I don't wear disguises," I said automatically. Which was the truth. I never cared for disguises.
And then came a stroke of pure brilliance. I would wear a disguise…for a price.
"I'll make you a deal," I grinned.
Keil was nervous.
"What?"
"I'll put on a disguise if you dress like an actual woman."
Keil was surprised. Then defensive. I was, I am ashamed to admit, glad that she seemed insulted about me slighting her femininity. That made her more like a normal woman in my eyes. She thought about it.
"And make-up," I added suddenly.
Then she was blushing. Actually blushing. I was making her blush. Me. I always made women blush, but this…this was Keil. This was quite a triumph on my part. She was quite lovely with that little rosy glow to her skin. Then she agreed.
"Hit the couch. There's a closet in the bathroom with blankets you can use." She paused. I was standing in the doorway she needed to get through. "Is there something you wanted, Skullcatcher?"
I looked at her. I wanted to thank her. And I wanted to kiss her. I wanted to say something kind, but I was afraid to. So I just smiled gently, and stood aside. She looked at me curiously, then walked past. I went to the couch, but did not sit down or lie. I stood there watching her.
"Good night," she said in a strained tone.
"Good night, Keil," I said, looking away quickly.
When she shut the door, I went and got a blanket from the closet. Then I unbuttoned my shirt, and tossed it on a nearby chair. I also would have normally taken off my pants and slept in my boxers, but I felt that it might make Keil uncomfortable (especially because she was the one who was going to probably wake me up in the morning), so I just left them on, and fell on the couch heavily.
I was getting weaker. If I didn't get my sleep, my problems would escalate. I guess the lack of sleep and not-so-healthy drinking habit was catching up with me, and I was most certainly getting ill from stress and anxiety. If my insomnia ensued, it would become much harder for me to hide this illness from Keil. Already she was worrying about me a little. I was actually starting to worry myself. For awhile I wondered if I had been somehow exposed to the ricin in that packet I took from Quinn, but that was, of course, impossible. It had been in a proper storage bag, and if I had been exposed, I would have been dead long ago. No, it was my own stupid self that was ultimately trying to kill me. Why didn't my body and mind realize that I had no desire of committing suicide?
My mind wandered to the roots of my frustrations. I knew I was also frustrated from lack of-well-it had been a long time since I had been with a woman. Much longer than what I was used to. I was trying to not sleep with anyone for as long as I was working with Keil because I didn't want her to resent me. At the same time, it put me in a bad mood. That sort of rigorous activity usually left me tired and happy. Without it, I was growing tenser. It sounds ridiculous, but after a year of being used to having that option almost always available to me, I had become dependent upon it.
Than my mind wandered, God forbid, to Keil. I tried to imagine her dressed in something-anything-other than her normal dull and shapeless clothes. It started out innocent enough, but…well, not for long. I think this was the reason I dreamed the way I did that night. My dreams made me very, very, glad that Keil had no idea what I was thinking. The dreams were certainly…passionate, I guess you could say. They consisted of Keil and I partaking in very amorous acts. And when I woke up at four in the morning to these dreams, I was drenched in sweat. I immediately jumped to my feet and began pacing the room quickly, hoping to cool myself off and clear my mind.
"No, no, no," I muttered to myself, shaking my head, "Not Keil."
It had been so long since I had dreamt something like this. A dream like this actually scared me. Why? Because it was of Keil. Unattainable Keil. The one woman who made it clear she was out-of-bounds. Besides, she was…Keil. Thinking about having sex with her just felt…strange. Not bad, mind you, but strange.
I paced and paced until my blood cooled and my heart stopped pounding. I wondered vaguely if she kept any booze here. Even if she did, though, it would not be right of me to take some without asking. I collapsed on the chair. Not Keil. I could not be thinking in this way about Keil. I mean, wanting to kiss her was okay enough. I mean, what is a kiss, really? Just playful, just…small. But this dream took things to a whole new level in my mind.
"Things aren't supposed to be going like this," I muttered to myself.
Around five o'clock, I managed to go back to the couch and fall asleep again. This time there were no kinky dreams, nor any nightmares. In fact, I didn't dream at all, which was the best thing that had happened to me in a long, long time.
"Hey, Skullcatcher, wake up," said a loud voice.
Light. Lots of light. I muttered something completely incomprehensible, even to me, and I rolled onto my side, drifting back to sleep.
"Hey!" Keil's voice was louder this time, "Wake up!"
"Okay," I muttered, without making the slightest move.
"SKULLCATCHER!"
"Okay, okay," I muttered again, still disoriented. So disoriented, in fact, that I forgot I was on a narrow couch, and ended up accidentally rolling right over the edge, landing clumsily on the floor, right in between the couch and the coffee table. I heard Keil laughing. I stumbled to my feet, the blanket falling off of me, and I blinked back the bright light coming in through the windows. When my eyes adjusted, I saw Keil standing by the kitchen, laughing at me. I knew my hair was sticking up at an odd angle, and I probably looked completely unresponsive. I shuffled over to the counter near where she was standing and sat down.
"Good morning," she was still laughing.
"Morning," I yawned. I had not been that deep asleep in awhile, and it was hard to wake up.
She handed me coffee, finally getting a grip on herself. Serious Keil was back.
"Are you awake?" she asked.
"No," I took a sip of coffee.
"Well you should be. It's nearly noon."
"Is it really?" I asked, not at all affected by this statement.
"Don't you remember what we have to do today?" she prompted after a moment of silence in which I lazily took a few sips of coffee and rubbed my eyes.
"No-aw, shit," I said, as our plan from last night reentered my mind, "Yeah. When do you want to get going?"
"No later than three," she said.
"Three?" I asked in surprise, "I don't need that long to get ready."
"Well, you need a disguise, and, thanks to you, I need to dress up for the occasion," she snapped.
"Oh, yeah," I smiled.
"So, you have a disguise in mind?" she asked.
"I thought I'd leave that deeply important decision fall upon your shoulders, dear Keil," I took another sip of coffee.
"Of course. I'm honored," she said sarcastically.
I smiled and shook my head.
"I'm thinking that you and I could go as…" she trailed away and closed her eyes in misery.
"What?" I asked, yawning again.
"A couple," she made a face when she said the words.
I choked on my coffee. Than it was my turn to laugh.
"I thought," she said loudly, trying to drown out my laughter, "Of going as friends, but…" she trailed away.
"You don't want to be hit on by other men since you will be dressed up," I grinned.
"Yes," she flushed.
I just smiled, shook my head again, and took a swig of my coffee.
"Anyways, I have some clothes for you to put on," she said quickly, changing the subject, "They're over there, on the chair."
I turned and looked at the folded clothes sitting on the chair where I had hung my bulletproof shirt last night. I turned back to face Keil, but I think she had suddenly realized I did not have a shirt on, for she was staring at my bare upper half. I knew she had seen shirtless men before, of course, but I guess it was the oddness of a shirtless man in her apartment that threw her off. I realized that she was simply looking at me out of curiosity. Her eyes stopped short at the trail of hair below my navel.
"Do you like what you see?" I teased.
"Maybe," she said, turning around.
I choked on my coffee again and was sent into a fit of coughing.
"What?" I croaked as soon as I was able, "Did you just say that-"
"-Hurry up and get ready," she snapped, a triumphant smirk across her face, "You can shower."
I stared at her, open-mouthed, as she walked into her bedroom and shut the door. She had done that on purpose. It looked like she was catching on to the game. And she was manipulating it to her advantage. She had done that to shock me. And she succeeded.
I finished my coffee and went into the bathroom to shower. I looked at myself in the mirror, even though I was mad at myself for doing so. What had she meant by saying maybe? Well, I know she had been trying to shock me, but still. I frowned. I was kind of lanky. I always had been. I had filled out some, though, in my late teenage years. Maybe Keil preferred a more muscular type. No, Phil, don't be ridiculous, I thought to myself, she was just trying to shock you. And even if she liked your build, she would never even think of you more than just a partner.
Why was I even thinking about this?
I showered and went to the clothes on the chair. They were casual clothes, yet still nice; pants, button-down shirt, and…of course. Of course Keil would make me wear a sweater vest. I sniggered when I looked at it. It reminded me of a kid I once beat up in elementary school. I put on the clothes, and sat down on the couch. This morning's paper was sitting on the coffee table, and I picked it up and read it while I waited. Jesus, how long would it take for Keil to get ready? I glanced at my broken watch before remembering it was broken, then I rolled my eyes and continued reading. It was almost three. If she didn't hurry…
Her bedroom door opened and she walked out into the room.
"Well?" she asked, sounding a little shy.
I looked up from my paper, and tried to hide how incredibly shocked I was. But I failed miserably at it. My eyes were practically popping out of their sockets.
She was wearing a simple, navy blue dress with a white belt around her small waist, and white heels. Her hair was styled, and she was, in fact, wearing make-up. I gaped.
"Well, I thought I'd just go full-out, you know, might as well," she said nervously in response to my silence, "I mean, why put these nice clothes to waste?"
I had always thought Keil attractive. But the truth is that dressing nicely and wearing a bit of make-up makes a big difference. She was beautiful. No wonder she worried that the men would be making passes at her. Unfortunately, seeing her like this did not make me feel comfortable after that rather vivid dream I had had. Jesus, was she TRYING to make this hard for me? Sure, I was the one who suggested she dress up and all, but, hell, I didn't know she would end up looking this good.
"Never mind," I said quickly, "I think you should wear a nun's habit."
Keil surprisingly looked like she was fighting a flattered smile. I guess all women like thinking they're pretty. But then she managed a frown.
"So, you don't like it?" she asked. She knew damn well I liked it, and if I hadn't of known Keil better I swear she was trying to get me to say it. Was she playing mind games with me? Lord knows that for all my experience with women, their mind games went completely beyond my comprehension.
"Quite the contrary," I said shaking my head frantically, "I like it very much, and I'm afraid the other gentlemen of Central will like it too."
She shifted uncomfortably, looking awkward again. But pretty too. I could tell she was uncomfortable with the thought of that attention.
"Don't worry," I smiled, "Your young, brave, and handsome boyfriend shall save you from any trouble," I gestured to myself.
She snorted.
"Yeah, sure. Oh, and I almost forgot," she disappeared into the bedroom and came out with a trench coat, which she tossed to me.
"Thanks," I tore my eyes away from her and looked at it. There was something in the pocket. I looked up at her.
"Go on," she lifted an eyebrow.
I reached into the pocket and pulled out a pair of thick-rimmed glasses. I shook my head.
"No," I said.
"Yes," she said with poorly suppressed delight, "You are too recognizable even with the outfit, fedora, and trench coat. The glasses will help. And we need to part your hair," she added as an afterthought.
"Part my…? No!" I frowned. I did not like the direction this was going.
"Skullcatcher, you know when we go inside the laboratory, you will need to take your hat off," she looked at me like I was stupid, "And your hair does not match the look I'm going for."
"Fine," I pouted like a child. I sat down and allowed her to take a comb to my hair. Then she slammed the glasses onto my face.
"Ouch," I snapped, "Please don't take your sexual frustration out on me."
"Oh, please," she gave a bark of laughter, "I think we know who is having the sexual frustration here."
That shut me up.
"There," she said surveying me, "We can go now."
I walked straight to the mirror. She walked up next to me and looked at my reflection too.
"I look like a virginal chess-player who still lives with his parents," I said, horrified.
"Aw, I think you look just fine," Keil said smugly, "Now put your coat on, let's go."
As we stood in the elevator, I kept taking glances at Keil. She looked so lovely. She was wearing a long, black coat, a white scarf, and a white hat. Personally, I think she found getting a little dressed up exciting.
"So, my name is going to be Caitlyn," Keil said, "And yours-"
"-Why Caitlyn?" I asked, wondering if it was her middle name or something.
"I don't know. First name that popped into my head. Don't interrupt. And you name will be-"
"-How about George?" I asked, thinking of the bartender at the pub where Keil and I first met, "Sounds…sophisticated enough."
"Whatever. That's fine," she put on some black gloves.
We walked outside into the bitter cold, and suddenly I wanted to turn straight around and go back to her apartment. A few flakes of snow fell here and there. She linked her arm with mine.
"Quite forward, today, aren't we?" I asked jokingly.
"You wish," she huffed, "Keep in mind we are keeping up a disguise, here."
"Right," I smiled.
As we walked I was glad we were so close; it helped keep us warm. As we reached the heart of Central, things warmed up a bit from all the people around us. Keil was getting quite a few looks from many of the male passerby, and I felt proud to have her on my arm.
We passed the front, grand government buildings, and walked to a more remote part of Central where Hanover Research and Development stood. A tall fence surrounded the grounds of the immense building, complete with barbed wire. We walked over to the entrance, where a security guard sat in a warm-looking booth. He was on the phone, and when he saw us, he gestured that he would be with us in a moment.
"Now," Keil said through her teeth, while smiling sweetly at the security guard, "I want you to say, 'We're here for a tour of the lab, I'm thinking of applying for a job here'."
"Okay," I said.
"And put your arm around me as you say it, for good measure," she added.
"Alrigh-what?"
Before she could answer, the security guard reluctantly opened the window and looked down at us.
"What are you crazy people doing out here in this cold?" he said with a friendly smile.
"Oh, we're here for a tour of the lab," I said easily, "I'm thinking of applying for a job here," then I put my arm around Keil and gave her a small squeeze as if to warm her from the cold.
"Oh, okay, well, go on inside," he said pressing a button opening the gate, "The front office is right as soon as you walk in."
"Thank you," I smiled.
Keil and I walked briskly towards the entrance. As we did so, both of us were eyeing around for security cameras and patrolling security guards. There were no security guards on patrol, but there were tons of cameras lurking around.
Once we were inside, the first thing we noticed was the heat. Ah, sweet warmth. Unfortunately, the ridiculous glasses Keil made me wear fogged up. Keil, having not noticed this, grabbed my arm and led me to a desk where I heard a woman speaking on the phone. I stumbled blindly, nearly knocking over a potted plant. My glasses cleared up just in time for me to see everyone, including Keil, staring at me.
"Sorry," I said hastily, clumsily taking off my hat, "Um, I was thinking about applying for a job here," I smiled charmingly at the woman sitting at the desk.
"And?" she said impatiently. I wasn't used to my charms not working. It was these stupid glasses and this ugly part in my hair that was to blame.
"And," I continued, "I was wondering if there was anyone that could show me around a bit, because, you see, I'm also thinking about applying to Kane Laboratories as well."
"Well, I'm not the desk woman," she snapped, "I'm a scientist here."
I looked at her blankly.
"Don't tell me about it," she stuck her nose in the air.
"Okay then," I said, looking at Keil, who was giving the scientist a dirty look.
"Besides," she continued nastily, "We don't give tours here."
I looked at her nametag: 'Dr. Batavia, biochemist'.
"I see," I said passively. Then I shrugged and turned to Keil, "Kane Laboratories has a pretty good reputation for biochemistry, and I'm sure they'll give us a tour, honey."
I sensed the overwhelming desire to brag radiate from Doctor Batavia.
"Kane is behind us in biochemistry," she said suddenly.
"Really?" I asked, "Fascinating. Well, thank you for your time," Keil and I turned to leave.
"Are you interested in joining the biochemical branch of the laboratory?" she asked.
I stopped and turned to her.
"Yes, yes I am," I answered.
"Well, I suppose I could give you a quick look," she said, pursing her lips.
"Oh, thank you very much," I smiled.
Keil and I followed her down the hallway. The floor was a blindingly white linoleum, and the walls were olive green. We turned down a hall, passed a sign that read, 'BIOCHEMICAL ENGINEERING AND STUDY / BIOTECHNOLOGY' then made our way to one of the many labs. I trusted Keil to look out for security details. I was too busy excitedly looking around at the technology.
"As you know, biochemistry is a really broad range of study," Doctor Batavia said, "This is where we are studying the hydrogen production of algae."
I eagerly looked around the room. As interesting as this was, I knew that this was probably one of the only labs they would show us. They were competing, after all, with other labs such as Kane, and their most secret, and thus important, studies would take place in secret. I suddenly became aware of Doctor Batavia watching me carefully. I smiled at her.
"What area are you specialized in?" she asked.
Keil looked at me worriedly. She seemed to have forgotten I was well-educated in this sort of thing.
"I'm mostly into the biotechnical sort of thing," I answered, "I'm good at pharmaceuticals…good knowledge of genetics and cell biology, you know…and the impact various chemicals have on them," I said carefully, watching Doctor Batavia's reaction.
She surveyed me, squinting.
"Hm. Well, I truly hope you apply here, you are sure to get in," she said, crossing her arms, "We have a shortage of good scientists in your area of study."
I smiled.
"Well, I think I will definitely consider this then."
Doctor Batavia showed us around some more before finally taking us back to the entrance.
"Thank you for your time," I held out my hand.
"No problem," she said as we shook hands.
Keil and I buttoned up our coats, and within a few minutes we were back out into the biting cold.
"That went rather well," Keil muttered.
"Yes, yes it did," I muttered back, waving to the security guard in the booth.
"I was being slightly sarcastic," she said darkly.
"Why?"
"Because we only obtained some security information. I wanted to see if there was any way we could get into the more secretive labs."
"Well, that was illogical of you," I said, "They would never take us even close to those places. The security near those labs are as thick as the Torque Forest. And there are genetic locks. And security guards."
"Well, you forget that I am unlearned in how labs are run," she snapped, "But apparently you seem to have a good idea of what it's supposed to be like. And how, exactly, do you know so much about biochemistry? I know you were involved in bio-weapons, but still."
I frowned.
"Keil, I think we've had enough emotional and personal storytelling to last awhile. I don't feel it necessary to tell you the first time I've ever killed a man," I said darkly.
And there we were again, back to the discomfort. The long walk back to her apartment was very silent. When we finally reached the warmth of her apartment, I was relieved to see she did not change out of her dress or wash off her make-up. I sat down with a glass of water and watched her pace the kitchen.
"We need a different plan. I guess I could warn the government, and leave you out of it…" she said, looking up at me.
I tried hard not to scowl. Leaving me on the sidelines when it involved Quinn? What did she take me for?
"I don't like the sound of that plan," I said flatly.
"Skullcatcher," she sounded softer, "Listen to me. I understand you want to help bring down Quinn, but don't you see this is the only way we can? I warn the government about Quinn, they protect the sarin."
"Meanwhile, I'll just sit here and read the newspaper or watch TV," I snapped, "Sounds like a great plan."
She frowned at me.
"You need to take a look at the bigger picture here," she snapped, losing patience, "Trust me, I understand your anger, I really do, but in order to bring her down, you are going to have to sit this one out…or get arrested. Your choice."
I didn't say anything. She waited. The silence continued.
"Skullcatcher, it's only this once. I promise," she looked down at the counter.
"Fine," I said finally, only because there was nothing else I could say, "But even a disguise wouldn't work?"
"I wouldn't attempt it, no," she said.
"Why?"
"Skullcatcher, I think you know why. Covering your face normally is hard enough, but when we go in the field where we know we will be fighting…" she trailed away.
"Yeah, I guess these glasses would get in the way, huh?" I smiled bitterly, tossing the glasses on the counter.
Keil looked at me with a mixture of irritation and pity.
"Sorry Skullcatcher."
And with that, she walked over to the phone to make some calls. I was incredibly angry, but I was keeping my temper in check. It was hard to, though, and I suddenly felt like doing something reckless. I pulled off that stupid sweater vest, ran my fingers through my hair to get rid of the part, and began putting on the trench coat she had given me, because it was a great deal warmer than my other jacket.
"Where are you going?" she asked suddenly, covering the mouthpiece of the phone with her hand.
"I'm just going to have a drink," I said, buttoning the coat.
"Oh, no you're not," she snapped, then she said to the phone, "Hold on, I'm sorry-Skullcatcher!"
"Yes?" I asked, putting on the fedora and making my way to the door.
"You are not leaving!" she hissed, "You are not going anywhere!"
She walked over to the door, phone still in hand, and blocked it. I grinned. Sometimes she just walked right into it, didn't she?
"Oh, dear, looks like I can't go anywhere because you're standing in front of the door," I said sarcastically.
"How are you going to get a drink without any money?" she spat, then she held up the phone, "I-yes, I'm a mercenary with some information regarding the safety of Hanover Research and Development…"
I walked right up to her, and wrapped my arm around her to get to the doorknob. She jumped, as my hand had brushed dangerously close to her behind, and attempted to slap me, but I caught her hand in midair. I leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "I think you want to let me through."
I could see the goosebumps on her skin.
"I-yes, call me and let know," she said hastily and hung up, "Skullcatcher, get away from me."
"You're the one in my way, Keil," I said easily, not moving back an inch. She was uneasy at how close I was, "You know, you do look very pretty today," I gently brushed aside some of her hair, which was pleasantly soft. She jerked away. I can tell she remembered what nearly happened the last time I was this close to her.
"I don't trust you, Skullcatcher," she said finally, moving aside. I rolled my eyes as I opened the door and walked out.
"Don't worry, I'll be back," I said, turning to her, "I won't leave you."
Those last four words sounded strange in my mouth, and I felt shaken when I said them. I turned quickly, and walked as fast as I could out of that blasted apartment building.
*
Head pounding. My head was throbbing like crazy. I opened my eyes groggily. Where the hell was I? I sat up slowly and looked around the room. I was in a dumpy motel room. I rubbed my eyes, and tried to make them focus. There was a young woman in bed next to me, deep asleep. I could see the rise and fall of her breathing, her red hair fanned out across the pillow. I had evidently drunk boatloads of booze to be this completely confused. I slid out of the bed, and hastily got dressed. I reached into my pockets and was surprised to find a rather large sum of money in there. The woman didn't appear to be a prostitute, but just in case she was, I tossed some money on the bed. What can I say? I was the perfect gentleman.
I walked out of that motel feeling like the world's biggest asshole, and I cursed Keil for making me actually think about my actions. She wasn't even here, but I could just feel her judging me. I had no idea where I was, and I looked around for any familiar landmarks so I could find my way back to her apartment. After wandering around (I was still in Central) I managed to see the spire of one of the government buildings, and made my way to it, mind blank. It wasn't until I was in the elevator going up to Keil's floor that I remembered why I had stormed off yesterday in the first place. I was suddenly mad again, but I was too tired to show it, so I trudged over to her door and knocked. There was silence. I knocked again. I heard movement on the other side and waited patiently until she opened the door.
"Skullcatcher!" she gasped in surprise and relief. I think this time she genuinely thought I had left for good, "Where in HELL have you been?"
"Had a few drinks," I shrugged, "Lost track of time."
"Lost track of time? It's two in the afternoon, you dolt!"
I didn't answer, and instead pushed past her and flopped down on the couch, head still throbbing.
"Talked to your government buddies yet?" I snapped.
Keil frowned.
"I don't know who the hell you think you are, bursting in here, sitting on my couch, and speaking to me like that," she snapped back.
"Fine. I'll leave again," I narrowed my eyes.
She smirked, crossing her arms.
"No you won't. You have a massive hangover, I can tell. You won't leave because that means you would actually have to go out and not sit on your lazy ass nursing your self-inflicted pains," she hissed smoothly and snakelike. She was very mad, I could tell. And probably a little disgusted, too.
"I thought you wanted me to sit on my lazy ass, remember?" I yawned, making it a point to put my feet up on her coffee table, "Or do you not recall?"
Keil's face turned bright red with anger.
"You are impossible to reason with!" she turned on her heel and stormed into her kitchen. I got up and followed her.
"Reason with?!" I spat, "You said yourself yesterday that you wanted me to stay out of this, 'just this once'. You said it!"
"I did say that," she said with a huff, "And it's the truth, but you are acting like a spoiled brat."
"Fine," I lifted my eyebrows and nodded slowly, "Fine," I walked back to the couch and sat down, "I'll pretend to be ecstatic that you get to aid the government in bringing Quinn down while I sit here and do the crossword."
"Fine," she shrugged, "Doesn't bother me."
I was getting very close to blowing my fuse. So I sat down, seething, and watched her gather her equipment.
"Where are you going?" I asked, trying to keep my voice at a civil tone.
"The lab. The government and I are launching our plan tonight," she said breezily, making sure her gun was loaded.
"What's the plan?" I asked curiously.
"The government's putting in some spies to act as fellow scientists to make sure that none of the real scientists are cutting any deals with Quinn. If they are, we'll put an end to it. Also, the spies have spread the rumors that the lab's security systems are undergoing some problems. Hopefully, this will reach Quinn somehow and she'll try something so we can catch her. A force of government agents and I will be waiting in one of the small outside buildings just in case things get violent or if Quinn shows up."
I listened, feeling resentment build up inside of me. This was the type of thing I'd have loved to do. But no. Instead, I'd be stuck in here, worrying that something bad would happen to Keil. Talk about a gender-reversal situation.
"Be careful," I said suddenly, as Keil made it to the door. She paused and looked back at me. There was a softness in her eyes, and I could tell more emotion had accidentally leaked into my voice than what I had intended. A little embarrassed, I quickly looked down at my feet.
"Okay, Skullcatcher," she said, and then I heard her open the door and leave.
The sudden silence descended around me, thick and suffocating. I looked around the room awkwardly. Now what? I picked up the newspaper and skimmed through it, looking for something to catch my eye. And something did. BIOCHEMICAL PROFESSOR GONE MISSING it said in big, black type. Goosebumps covered my entire body as I quickly read through the short article:
Doctor Adrian Marshall, professor at the City University, was recently reported as a missing person. His secretary at the university filed the report, "He hadn't shown up for any of his meetings or for his classes for a few days. Usually he lets me know when he can't make things," she says, "I was starting to get worried." The secretary, Bette Sága, 53, reported to the police after attempting to call Doctor Marshall for the fourth time that day. Upon investigating his house, police were unable to find anything out of place except for a broken lock on his back door.
I would have continued reading further, but the rattling of the doorknob caught my attention. Had Keil forgotten something? I was about to get up and open it when I realized the type of rattling that was happening. Someone was picking the lock. Quietly and quickly, I pulled out my gun and slid into the closet where the blankets were. The door was slated; I could see out, but no one could see in.
The door opened, and a few figures stepped soundlessly into the room. One was a male. The other I recognized as the black-haired woman I had mistaken for Quinn back in Southside. So it was Quinn's lackeys. Why were they breaking in here? Evidently Quinn now knew Keil was hunting her.
"Light's are on," the man muttered, his gun out, walking around, "Woman evidently doesn't care about electricity bills."
"Unless someone is in here," the woman said slowly, eyes narrowed and gun up and ready, as she surveyed every detail of the room. My heart was pounding.
She walked over to the kitchen, her tight leather clothes making the only noise. She poked around a bit, then turned to the man.
"Check the other rooms," she ordered. The man obeyed and left the room. Her dark eyes continued to scan the room. They stopped at the closet door. Shit. Slowly, she began walking over. I held up my gun, getting ready to fire. I would shoot, then run out the door. It would have to be fast, or else I'd end up with the man's bullet in my back. And for once I didn't have my bulletproofed shirt on. Damn. She held her gun up, and placed her hand on the doorknob. I held my breath, but suddenly there was a loud bang from the bedroom. The woman snapped her head in the direction of the noise and immediately ran over. I took this opportunity to run, as quietly as possible, out of the closet. I was at the door before I quickly turned around and grabbed the two pictures from Keil's table. I don't know why I did it; maybe I had subconsciously knew something would happen. Either way, I then slid out of the front door without being noticed. I had no idea what had happened in the bedroom, but all I knew was that I needed to get out of this building. I ran down the stairs, not feeling comfortable enough to take the elevator. When I reached the bottom, I paused, adjusted my collar and sleeves, and walked outside into the freezing cold with nothing but a light blue button-down shirt to protect me from the cold. I didn't have the trench coat, nor my jacket to store my gun in, so I simply carried it, in full sight.
People stared at me and gave me a wide berth. It was common for people to be armed at this day and age, yet most people didn't have their weapons out and exposed. As I walked my fingers immediately began to go numb. I needed to find a coat, but I needed foremost to warn Keil to not return to her apartment. I didn't own a damn cell phone, and cell phones were pretty much useless nowadays as companies hadn't had a chance to rebuild the towers yet. I hunched and put my free hand in my pants pocket, hoping to get feeling back into my fingertips. Then I paused, and looked back up at Keil's building. I stared at her windows for the longest time, wondering what Quinn's lackeys were doing in there. Suddenly, there was a huge bang, and fire pushed the windows out. People on the street jumped and screamed and pointed. It was chaos. I stood there, mouth agape. They had blown up her apartment.
"Crazy this day and age, huh?" said a voice, I turned to see the man that had been inside Keil's apartment, "Never know what's going to happen."
I looked at him. He was squinting up at the burning building with a smile on his face. In the distance, I could hear the sound of fire trucks and ambulances racing to get here. I knew he didn't know who I was, but still his words chilled me to my core.
"Yeah…" I answered faintly, looking back up at the fire for a few moments. I saw the woman in leather approaching us, and I hastily turned and began walking away. I wasn't sure if she'd recognize me or not, but I was not about to take the risk. As I walked away, I heard the man say, "Tatiana, job well done."
I had no idea what to do. No, I actually did. I bought a newspaper, ripped a small piece out of it, borrowed a pen and scrawled a short message,
Don't go back to apartment. Meet me at diner. Emergency. –S
I walked, no longer feeling the cold, to Hanover. The security guard at the booth was different from the friendly one from yesterday. I was sure he was a secret agent.
"Can I help you?" he asked.
"I need you to give this to someone for me," I said seriously.
"What?" he asked blankly.
"My friend said she would be here, give this to her," I handed the piece of paper to him, "It's incredibly important."
He scowled at me in suspicion. He probably thought I worked for Quinn and the piece of paper I was handing him was covered in ricin or some such poison, because he didn't take it.
"Who is this friend?" he asked.
"Keil Vesca," I said.
Suddenly he pulled out a gun and held it to my face. I, on the way over, had enough sense to wrap my gun the rest of the newspaper and hide it in an alley, so I was completely unarmed. I held my hands up to show so.
"How the hell do you know that name?" he demanded, afraid I was a lackey of Quinn and that I knew their plan.
"SKULLCATCHER!"
I turned. Keil was storming towards me, looking completely insane with fury. I smiled, then turned back to the agent.
"See? She knows me," I grinned, as he lowered his gun.
"What the fuck are you doing here?!" she hissed, "I saw you on the security camera!"
"Keil," I said seriously, "Listen to me carefully, she knows it's you. Don't go back to your apartment. When you're done here, find me at the diner. Now go back to hiding so Quinn doesn't know you're here."
Keil looked at me in surprise and confusion. She opened her mouth to ask questions, no doubt, but I turned and quickly began walking away. I could feel the cold now. I needed to get someplace warm. I walked into the first building I could, a small boutique filled with jewelry and high heels and other such items. I ignored the strange looks I got from the clientele, and stood by the door, trying to rub some feeling into my hands. I stood there for a little while longer, then made the break to the diner.
I sat in a booth in the corner, and ordered myself some coffee. I was going to be here a long time. An hour turned to two, then three, then four. I took multiple toilet breaks as I drank more and more coffee to keep myself awake. I had hidden her two photos in the alley with my gun, and after the second hour, I got up to retrieve them and return. I left my gun there though. I would go back for that later.
I spent the third and the fourth hour studying the pictures over and over again, memorizing every detail. Finally, I set them on the booth next to me.
"Skullcatcher," said a weary voice. It was Keil. Her hair was messy, but other than that she looked unharmed and unruffled. I was curious to know what happened, but my story needed to be told first.
"Keil, sit down," I sighed, dreading the news I would have to share. She did. Then she opened her mouth to speak, but I held up my hand.
"Please," I said gently, "You need to know this."
She looked at me curiously.
"When you left, I noticed an article in the paper," I began, "Doctor Marshall has gone missing."
"What?!" she exclaimed.
"Yes," I nodded, "And then I heard someone picking your apartment lock. Keil, two of Quinn's lackeys came in. Quinn knows you're after her. I don't know how, but she does. I managed to escape, but…" I trailed away.
"What?" Keil said, her face pallid.
"Keil, they set off a bomb," I swallowed, "You're apartment, it's…"
I didn't need to finish. She knew exactly what I meant. Her face fell and I saw tears in her eyes. Yet she didn't let any of them escape her eyelids.
"I'm so sorry," I said genuinely.
"I…I just wish…" she trailed away, "My pictures…"
Suddenly I remembered them. I stood up and handed them to her. Her eyes widened, and this time the tears managed to escape. I didn't blame her. These were the last remnants of the people she had loved. She gently ran her thumb over them.
"I grabbed them before I escaped," I said softly.
"They're still in their frames," she said, trying to wipe her tears away, "I…thank you Phil."
We sat together for a while. Finally, she looked at me.
"So, Doctor Marshall's gone missing?" she asked.
I nodded.
"And Quinn now knows I am trying to stop her," Keil went on.
"Yes."
"I guess we will have to act a bit more low-key from here on out. We don't need her to find out you're helping me," Keil sighed.
I nodded vaguely. There were things to be done. She still needed to explain to me what happened at the lab. Things had changed, both between us and with the Quinn ordeal. But for now, we sat in silence, each deep in thought, and, strangely, at perfect peace.
To be honest, I had not expected Keil to. I told my story because I felt she deserved to know what was going on, not because I had wanted to lure her into telling her own painful and dark past. I sat on the bathroom floor, feeling the cold tile slowly warm from my body as my thoughts wandered. I did cry a little. But I mostly thought. If someone today asked me what I had been thinking about so fervently, I wouldn't be able to tell them. I can't remember. Either way, something eventually pulled me out of my thought process. Something under the guise of the smell of pizza.
Man, I was hungry. I had just begun on a particularly cheesy slice when she took me off guard by speaking. And her story was disturbing.
"Don't give up on your brother, Skullcatcher," she sighed, "As much as you might think you have, you haven't lost him yet."
I was shaken by this thought. I had never really thought of my situation in that way before. Yet it made sense. My brother was alive and well. I was alive and, yes, I was well. My brother had said he forgave me. Was he being completely honest? I was staring at my half-eaten slice of pizza for so long, my eyes got red and blurry from lack of blinking. Then the phone rang. I looked at Keil's door. Should I answer the phone? Was that crossing boundaries? After all, this was her apartment; I had no business answering her phone. And yet, it very well could be an important call. Aw, hell. If she was mad at me for answering the phone, at least that would bring things back to normal. So I picked it up.
"Hello?" I answered.
"Uh…" the male voice on the other line was surprised to hear another male voice, "Eh…is Keil there?"
"Who's calling?" I asked, uncharacteristically harsh.
"Harper."
I liked the man, but at the moment I did not want him calling.
"Just a minute," I said a civilly as possible. Then I knocked on Keil's door.
"Harper," I said, handing her the phone. I recognized the feeling. Jealousy. The fact that I was jealous of Harper, and felt like I was competing with him for Keil unnerved me. This wasn't supposed to happen.
Quinn was poking around Hanover. Naturally, I was quite displeased with hearing this news. But I was even more displeased with Keil's so-called 'plan'.
"Tomorrow we go to the government building, look around, and try to see how well it's protected. If we can, we'll warn the government employees against the threat and join their forces in an effort to subdue the inevitable strike by Quinn," she explained.
"Two problems with that. One, Quinn might not strike, but bribe or bargain it out of there. She is insane, but not stupid. Attacking a government research base would send the whole armed forces against her rather than a bunch of bounty hunters. Two, I'm a criminal. I might not have done anything in a year, but I'm probably on some kind of record, and they could arrest me if they wanted," I said.
It was obvious she hadn't thought of this, and I could tell she was a bit flustered. I glanced out the window at the brick of the building next door. Red bricks and white cement in between. Red, white, red, white, red, white…
"…we can disguise you or something."
I snapped back into attention.
"I don't wear disguises," I said automatically. Which was the truth. I never cared for disguises.
And then came a stroke of pure brilliance. I would wear a disguise…for a price.
"I'll make you a deal," I grinned.
Keil was nervous.
"What?"
"I'll put on a disguise if you dress like an actual woman."
Keil was surprised. Then defensive. I was, I am ashamed to admit, glad that she seemed insulted about me slighting her femininity. That made her more like a normal woman in my eyes. She thought about it.
"And make-up," I added suddenly.
Then she was blushing. Actually blushing. I was making her blush. Me. I always made women blush, but this…this was Keil. This was quite a triumph on my part. She was quite lovely with that little rosy glow to her skin. Then she agreed.
"Hit the couch. There's a closet in the bathroom with blankets you can use." She paused. I was standing in the doorway she needed to get through. "Is there something you wanted, Skullcatcher?"
I looked at her. I wanted to thank her. And I wanted to kiss her. I wanted to say something kind, but I was afraid to. So I just smiled gently, and stood aside. She looked at me curiously, then walked past. I went to the couch, but did not sit down or lie. I stood there watching her.
"Good night," she said in a strained tone.
"Good night, Keil," I said, looking away quickly.
When she shut the door, I went and got a blanket from the closet. Then I unbuttoned my shirt, and tossed it on a nearby chair. I also would have normally taken off my pants and slept in my boxers, but I felt that it might make Keil uncomfortable (especially because she was the one who was going to probably wake me up in the morning), so I just left them on, and fell on the couch heavily.
I was getting weaker. If I didn't get my sleep, my problems would escalate. I guess the lack of sleep and not-so-healthy drinking habit was catching up with me, and I was most certainly getting ill from stress and anxiety. If my insomnia ensued, it would become much harder for me to hide this illness from Keil. Already she was worrying about me a little. I was actually starting to worry myself. For awhile I wondered if I had been somehow exposed to the ricin in that packet I took from Quinn, but that was, of course, impossible. It had been in a proper storage bag, and if I had been exposed, I would have been dead long ago. No, it was my own stupid self that was ultimately trying to kill me. Why didn't my body and mind realize that I had no desire of committing suicide?
My mind wandered to the roots of my frustrations. I knew I was also frustrated from lack of-well-it had been a long time since I had been with a woman. Much longer than what I was used to. I was trying to not sleep with anyone for as long as I was working with Keil because I didn't want her to resent me. At the same time, it put me in a bad mood. That sort of rigorous activity usually left me tired and happy. Without it, I was growing tenser. It sounds ridiculous, but after a year of being used to having that option almost always available to me, I had become dependent upon it.
Than my mind wandered, God forbid, to Keil. I tried to imagine her dressed in something-anything-other than her normal dull and shapeless clothes. It started out innocent enough, but…well, not for long. I think this was the reason I dreamed the way I did that night. My dreams made me very, very, glad that Keil had no idea what I was thinking. The dreams were certainly…passionate, I guess you could say. They consisted of Keil and I partaking in very amorous acts. And when I woke up at four in the morning to these dreams, I was drenched in sweat. I immediately jumped to my feet and began pacing the room quickly, hoping to cool myself off and clear my mind.
"No, no, no," I muttered to myself, shaking my head, "Not Keil."
It had been so long since I had dreamt something like this. A dream like this actually scared me. Why? Because it was of Keil. Unattainable Keil. The one woman who made it clear she was out-of-bounds. Besides, she was…Keil. Thinking about having sex with her just felt…strange. Not bad, mind you, but strange.
I paced and paced until my blood cooled and my heart stopped pounding. I wondered vaguely if she kept any booze here. Even if she did, though, it would not be right of me to take some without asking. I collapsed on the chair. Not Keil. I could not be thinking in this way about Keil. I mean, wanting to kiss her was okay enough. I mean, what is a kiss, really? Just playful, just…small. But this dream took things to a whole new level in my mind.
"Things aren't supposed to be going like this," I muttered to myself.
Around five o'clock, I managed to go back to the couch and fall asleep again. This time there were no kinky dreams, nor any nightmares. In fact, I didn't dream at all, which was the best thing that had happened to me in a long, long time.
"Hey, Skullcatcher, wake up," said a loud voice.
Light. Lots of light. I muttered something completely incomprehensible, even to me, and I rolled onto my side, drifting back to sleep.
"Hey!" Keil's voice was louder this time, "Wake up!"
"Okay," I muttered, without making the slightest move.
"SKULLCATCHER!"
"Okay, okay," I muttered again, still disoriented. So disoriented, in fact, that I forgot I was on a narrow couch, and ended up accidentally rolling right over the edge, landing clumsily on the floor, right in between the couch and the coffee table. I heard Keil laughing. I stumbled to my feet, the blanket falling off of me, and I blinked back the bright light coming in through the windows. When my eyes adjusted, I saw Keil standing by the kitchen, laughing at me. I knew my hair was sticking up at an odd angle, and I probably looked completely unresponsive. I shuffled over to the counter near where she was standing and sat down.
"Good morning," she was still laughing.
"Morning," I yawned. I had not been that deep asleep in awhile, and it was hard to wake up.
She handed me coffee, finally getting a grip on herself. Serious Keil was back.
"Are you awake?" she asked.
"No," I took a sip of coffee.
"Well you should be. It's nearly noon."
"Is it really?" I asked, not at all affected by this statement.
"Don't you remember what we have to do today?" she prompted after a moment of silence in which I lazily took a few sips of coffee and rubbed my eyes.
"No-aw, shit," I said, as our plan from last night reentered my mind, "Yeah. When do you want to get going?"
"No later than three," she said.
"Three?" I asked in surprise, "I don't need that long to get ready."
"Well, you need a disguise, and, thanks to you, I need to dress up for the occasion," she snapped.
"Oh, yeah," I smiled.
"So, you have a disguise in mind?" she asked.
"I thought I'd leave that deeply important decision fall upon your shoulders, dear Keil," I took another sip of coffee.
"Of course. I'm honored," she said sarcastically.
I smiled and shook my head.
"I'm thinking that you and I could go as…" she trailed away and closed her eyes in misery.
"What?" I asked, yawning again.
"A couple," she made a face when she said the words.
I choked on my coffee. Than it was my turn to laugh.
"I thought," she said loudly, trying to drown out my laughter, "Of going as friends, but…" she trailed away.
"You don't want to be hit on by other men since you will be dressed up," I grinned.
"Yes," she flushed.
I just smiled, shook my head again, and took a swig of my coffee.
"Anyways, I have some clothes for you to put on," she said quickly, changing the subject, "They're over there, on the chair."
I turned and looked at the folded clothes sitting on the chair where I had hung my bulletproof shirt last night. I turned back to face Keil, but I think she had suddenly realized I did not have a shirt on, for she was staring at my bare upper half. I knew she had seen shirtless men before, of course, but I guess it was the oddness of a shirtless man in her apartment that threw her off. I realized that she was simply looking at me out of curiosity. Her eyes stopped short at the trail of hair below my navel.
"Do you like what you see?" I teased.
"Maybe," she said, turning around.
I choked on my coffee again and was sent into a fit of coughing.
"What?" I croaked as soon as I was able, "Did you just say that-"
"-Hurry up and get ready," she snapped, a triumphant smirk across her face, "You can shower."
I stared at her, open-mouthed, as she walked into her bedroom and shut the door. She had done that on purpose. It looked like she was catching on to the game. And she was manipulating it to her advantage. She had done that to shock me. And she succeeded.
I finished my coffee and went into the bathroom to shower. I looked at myself in the mirror, even though I was mad at myself for doing so. What had she meant by saying maybe? Well, I know she had been trying to shock me, but still. I frowned. I was kind of lanky. I always had been. I had filled out some, though, in my late teenage years. Maybe Keil preferred a more muscular type. No, Phil, don't be ridiculous, I thought to myself, she was just trying to shock you. And even if she liked your build, she would never even think of you more than just a partner.
Why was I even thinking about this?
I showered and went to the clothes on the chair. They were casual clothes, yet still nice; pants, button-down shirt, and…of course. Of course Keil would make me wear a sweater vest. I sniggered when I looked at it. It reminded me of a kid I once beat up in elementary school. I put on the clothes, and sat down on the couch. This morning's paper was sitting on the coffee table, and I picked it up and read it while I waited. Jesus, how long would it take for Keil to get ready? I glanced at my broken watch before remembering it was broken, then I rolled my eyes and continued reading. It was almost three. If she didn't hurry…
Her bedroom door opened and she walked out into the room.
"Well?" she asked, sounding a little shy.
I looked up from my paper, and tried to hide how incredibly shocked I was. But I failed miserably at it. My eyes were practically popping out of their sockets.
She was wearing a simple, navy blue dress with a white belt around her small waist, and white heels. Her hair was styled, and she was, in fact, wearing make-up. I gaped.
"Well, I thought I'd just go full-out, you know, might as well," she said nervously in response to my silence, "I mean, why put these nice clothes to waste?"
I had always thought Keil attractive. But the truth is that dressing nicely and wearing a bit of make-up makes a big difference. She was beautiful. No wonder she worried that the men would be making passes at her. Unfortunately, seeing her like this did not make me feel comfortable after that rather vivid dream I had had. Jesus, was she TRYING to make this hard for me? Sure, I was the one who suggested she dress up and all, but, hell, I didn't know she would end up looking this good.
"Never mind," I said quickly, "I think you should wear a nun's habit."
Keil surprisingly looked like she was fighting a flattered smile. I guess all women like thinking they're pretty. But then she managed a frown.
"So, you don't like it?" she asked. She knew damn well I liked it, and if I hadn't of known Keil better I swear she was trying to get me to say it. Was she playing mind games with me? Lord knows that for all my experience with women, their mind games went completely beyond my comprehension.
"Quite the contrary," I said shaking my head frantically, "I like it very much, and I'm afraid the other gentlemen of Central will like it too."
She shifted uncomfortably, looking awkward again. But pretty too. I could tell she was uncomfortable with the thought of that attention.
"Don't worry," I smiled, "Your young, brave, and handsome boyfriend shall save you from any trouble," I gestured to myself.
She snorted.
"Yeah, sure. Oh, and I almost forgot," she disappeared into the bedroom and came out with a trench coat, which she tossed to me.
"Thanks," I tore my eyes away from her and looked at it. There was something in the pocket. I looked up at her.
"Go on," she lifted an eyebrow.
I reached into the pocket and pulled out a pair of thick-rimmed glasses. I shook my head.
"No," I said.
"Yes," she said with poorly suppressed delight, "You are too recognizable even with the outfit, fedora, and trench coat. The glasses will help. And we need to part your hair," she added as an afterthought.
"Part my…? No!" I frowned. I did not like the direction this was going.
"Skullcatcher, you know when we go inside the laboratory, you will need to take your hat off," she looked at me like I was stupid, "And your hair does not match the look I'm going for."
"Fine," I pouted like a child. I sat down and allowed her to take a comb to my hair. Then she slammed the glasses onto my face.
"Ouch," I snapped, "Please don't take your sexual frustration out on me."
"Oh, please," she gave a bark of laughter, "I think we know who is having the sexual frustration here."
That shut me up.
"There," she said surveying me, "We can go now."
I walked straight to the mirror. She walked up next to me and looked at my reflection too.
"I look like a virginal chess-player who still lives with his parents," I said, horrified.
"Aw, I think you look just fine," Keil said smugly, "Now put your coat on, let's go."
As we stood in the elevator, I kept taking glances at Keil. She looked so lovely. She was wearing a long, black coat, a white scarf, and a white hat. Personally, I think she found getting a little dressed up exciting.
"So, my name is going to be Caitlyn," Keil said, "And yours-"
"-Why Caitlyn?" I asked, wondering if it was her middle name or something.
"I don't know. First name that popped into my head. Don't interrupt. And you name will be-"
"-How about George?" I asked, thinking of the bartender at the pub where Keil and I first met, "Sounds…sophisticated enough."
"Whatever. That's fine," she put on some black gloves.
We walked outside into the bitter cold, and suddenly I wanted to turn straight around and go back to her apartment. A few flakes of snow fell here and there. She linked her arm with mine.
"Quite forward, today, aren't we?" I asked jokingly.
"You wish," she huffed, "Keep in mind we are keeping up a disguise, here."
"Right," I smiled.
As we walked I was glad we were so close; it helped keep us warm. As we reached the heart of Central, things warmed up a bit from all the people around us. Keil was getting quite a few looks from many of the male passerby, and I felt proud to have her on my arm.
We passed the front, grand government buildings, and walked to a more remote part of Central where Hanover Research and Development stood. A tall fence surrounded the grounds of the immense building, complete with barbed wire. We walked over to the entrance, where a security guard sat in a warm-looking booth. He was on the phone, and when he saw us, he gestured that he would be with us in a moment.
"Now," Keil said through her teeth, while smiling sweetly at the security guard, "I want you to say, 'We're here for a tour of the lab, I'm thinking of applying for a job here'."
"Okay," I said.
"And put your arm around me as you say it, for good measure," she added.
"Alrigh-what?"
Before she could answer, the security guard reluctantly opened the window and looked down at us.
"What are you crazy people doing out here in this cold?" he said with a friendly smile.
"Oh, we're here for a tour of the lab," I said easily, "I'm thinking of applying for a job here," then I put my arm around Keil and gave her a small squeeze as if to warm her from the cold.
"Oh, okay, well, go on inside," he said pressing a button opening the gate, "The front office is right as soon as you walk in."
"Thank you," I smiled.
Keil and I walked briskly towards the entrance. As we did so, both of us were eyeing around for security cameras and patrolling security guards. There were no security guards on patrol, but there were tons of cameras lurking around.
Once we were inside, the first thing we noticed was the heat. Ah, sweet warmth. Unfortunately, the ridiculous glasses Keil made me wear fogged up. Keil, having not noticed this, grabbed my arm and led me to a desk where I heard a woman speaking on the phone. I stumbled blindly, nearly knocking over a potted plant. My glasses cleared up just in time for me to see everyone, including Keil, staring at me.
"Sorry," I said hastily, clumsily taking off my hat, "Um, I was thinking about applying for a job here," I smiled charmingly at the woman sitting at the desk.
"And?" she said impatiently. I wasn't used to my charms not working. It was these stupid glasses and this ugly part in my hair that was to blame.
"And," I continued, "I was wondering if there was anyone that could show me around a bit, because, you see, I'm also thinking about applying to Kane Laboratories as well."
"Well, I'm not the desk woman," she snapped, "I'm a scientist here."
I looked at her blankly.
"Don't tell me about it," she stuck her nose in the air.
"Okay then," I said, looking at Keil, who was giving the scientist a dirty look.
"Besides," she continued nastily, "We don't give tours here."
I looked at her nametag: 'Dr. Batavia, biochemist'.
"I see," I said passively. Then I shrugged and turned to Keil, "Kane Laboratories has a pretty good reputation for biochemistry, and I'm sure they'll give us a tour, honey."
I sensed the overwhelming desire to brag radiate from Doctor Batavia.
"Kane is behind us in biochemistry," she said suddenly.
"Really?" I asked, "Fascinating. Well, thank you for your time," Keil and I turned to leave.
"Are you interested in joining the biochemical branch of the laboratory?" she asked.
I stopped and turned to her.
"Yes, yes I am," I answered.
"Well, I suppose I could give you a quick look," she said, pursing her lips.
"Oh, thank you very much," I smiled.
Keil and I followed her down the hallway. The floor was a blindingly white linoleum, and the walls were olive green. We turned down a hall, passed a sign that read, 'BIOCHEMICAL ENGINEERING AND STUDY / BIOTECHNOLOGY' then made our way to one of the many labs. I trusted Keil to look out for security details. I was too busy excitedly looking around at the technology.
"As you know, biochemistry is a really broad range of study," Doctor Batavia said, "This is where we are studying the hydrogen production of algae."
I eagerly looked around the room. As interesting as this was, I knew that this was probably one of the only labs they would show us. They were competing, after all, with other labs such as Kane, and their most secret, and thus important, studies would take place in secret. I suddenly became aware of Doctor Batavia watching me carefully. I smiled at her.
"What area are you specialized in?" she asked.
Keil looked at me worriedly. She seemed to have forgotten I was well-educated in this sort of thing.
"I'm mostly into the biotechnical sort of thing," I answered, "I'm good at pharmaceuticals…good knowledge of genetics and cell biology, you know…and the impact various chemicals have on them," I said carefully, watching Doctor Batavia's reaction.
She surveyed me, squinting.
"Hm. Well, I truly hope you apply here, you are sure to get in," she said, crossing her arms, "We have a shortage of good scientists in your area of study."
I smiled.
"Well, I think I will definitely consider this then."
Doctor Batavia showed us around some more before finally taking us back to the entrance.
"Thank you for your time," I held out my hand.
"No problem," she said as we shook hands.
Keil and I buttoned up our coats, and within a few minutes we were back out into the biting cold.
"That went rather well," Keil muttered.
"Yes, yes it did," I muttered back, waving to the security guard in the booth.
"I was being slightly sarcastic," she said darkly.
"Why?"
"Because we only obtained some security information. I wanted to see if there was any way we could get into the more secretive labs."
"Well, that was illogical of you," I said, "They would never take us even close to those places. The security near those labs are as thick as the Torque Forest. And there are genetic locks. And security guards."
"Well, you forget that I am unlearned in how labs are run," she snapped, "But apparently you seem to have a good idea of what it's supposed to be like. And how, exactly, do you know so much about biochemistry? I know you were involved in bio-weapons, but still."
I frowned.
"Keil, I think we've had enough emotional and personal storytelling to last awhile. I don't feel it necessary to tell you the first time I've ever killed a man," I said darkly.
And there we were again, back to the discomfort. The long walk back to her apartment was very silent. When we finally reached the warmth of her apartment, I was relieved to see she did not change out of her dress or wash off her make-up. I sat down with a glass of water and watched her pace the kitchen.
"We need a different plan. I guess I could warn the government, and leave you out of it…" she said, looking up at me.
I tried hard not to scowl. Leaving me on the sidelines when it involved Quinn? What did she take me for?
"I don't like the sound of that plan," I said flatly.
"Skullcatcher," she sounded softer, "Listen to me. I understand you want to help bring down Quinn, but don't you see this is the only way we can? I warn the government about Quinn, they protect the sarin."
"Meanwhile, I'll just sit here and read the newspaper or watch TV," I snapped, "Sounds like a great plan."
She frowned at me.
"You need to take a look at the bigger picture here," she snapped, losing patience, "Trust me, I understand your anger, I really do, but in order to bring her down, you are going to have to sit this one out…or get arrested. Your choice."
I didn't say anything. She waited. The silence continued.
"Skullcatcher, it's only this once. I promise," she looked down at the counter.
"Fine," I said finally, only because there was nothing else I could say, "But even a disguise wouldn't work?"
"I wouldn't attempt it, no," she said.
"Why?"
"Skullcatcher, I think you know why. Covering your face normally is hard enough, but when we go in the field where we know we will be fighting…" she trailed away.
"Yeah, I guess these glasses would get in the way, huh?" I smiled bitterly, tossing the glasses on the counter.
Keil looked at me with a mixture of irritation and pity.
"Sorry Skullcatcher."
And with that, she walked over to the phone to make some calls. I was incredibly angry, but I was keeping my temper in check. It was hard to, though, and I suddenly felt like doing something reckless. I pulled off that stupid sweater vest, ran my fingers through my hair to get rid of the part, and began putting on the trench coat she had given me, because it was a great deal warmer than my other jacket.
"Where are you going?" she asked suddenly, covering the mouthpiece of the phone with her hand.
"I'm just going to have a drink," I said, buttoning the coat.
"Oh, no you're not," she snapped, then she said to the phone, "Hold on, I'm sorry-Skullcatcher!"
"Yes?" I asked, putting on the fedora and making my way to the door.
"You are not leaving!" she hissed, "You are not going anywhere!"
She walked over to the door, phone still in hand, and blocked it. I grinned. Sometimes she just walked right into it, didn't she?
"Oh, dear, looks like I can't go anywhere because you're standing in front of the door," I said sarcastically.
"How are you going to get a drink without any money?" she spat, then she held up the phone, "I-yes, I'm a mercenary with some information regarding the safety of Hanover Research and Development…"
I walked right up to her, and wrapped my arm around her to get to the doorknob. She jumped, as my hand had brushed dangerously close to her behind, and attempted to slap me, but I caught her hand in midair. I leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "I think you want to let me through."
I could see the goosebumps on her skin.
"I-yes, call me and let know," she said hastily and hung up, "Skullcatcher, get away from me."
"You're the one in my way, Keil," I said easily, not moving back an inch. She was uneasy at how close I was, "You know, you do look very pretty today," I gently brushed aside some of her hair, which was pleasantly soft. She jerked away. I can tell she remembered what nearly happened the last time I was this close to her.
"I don't trust you, Skullcatcher," she said finally, moving aside. I rolled my eyes as I opened the door and walked out.
"Don't worry, I'll be back," I said, turning to her, "I won't leave you."
Those last four words sounded strange in my mouth, and I felt shaken when I said them. I turned quickly, and walked as fast as I could out of that blasted apartment building.
*
Head pounding. My head was throbbing like crazy. I opened my eyes groggily. Where the hell was I? I sat up slowly and looked around the room. I was in a dumpy motel room. I rubbed my eyes, and tried to make them focus. There was a young woman in bed next to me, deep asleep. I could see the rise and fall of her breathing, her red hair fanned out across the pillow. I had evidently drunk boatloads of booze to be this completely confused. I slid out of the bed, and hastily got dressed. I reached into my pockets and was surprised to find a rather large sum of money in there. The woman didn't appear to be a prostitute, but just in case she was, I tossed some money on the bed. What can I say? I was the perfect gentleman.
I walked out of that motel feeling like the world's biggest asshole, and I cursed Keil for making me actually think about my actions. She wasn't even here, but I could just feel her judging me. I had no idea where I was, and I looked around for any familiar landmarks so I could find my way back to her apartment. After wandering around (I was still in Central) I managed to see the spire of one of the government buildings, and made my way to it, mind blank. It wasn't until I was in the elevator going up to Keil's floor that I remembered why I had stormed off yesterday in the first place. I was suddenly mad again, but I was too tired to show it, so I trudged over to her door and knocked. There was silence. I knocked again. I heard movement on the other side and waited patiently until she opened the door.
"Skullcatcher!" she gasped in surprise and relief. I think this time she genuinely thought I had left for good, "Where in HELL have you been?"
"Had a few drinks," I shrugged, "Lost track of time."
"Lost track of time? It's two in the afternoon, you dolt!"
I didn't answer, and instead pushed past her and flopped down on the couch, head still throbbing.
"Talked to your government buddies yet?" I snapped.
Keil frowned.
"I don't know who the hell you think you are, bursting in here, sitting on my couch, and speaking to me like that," she snapped back.
"Fine. I'll leave again," I narrowed my eyes.
She smirked, crossing her arms.
"No you won't. You have a massive hangover, I can tell. You won't leave because that means you would actually have to go out and not sit on your lazy ass nursing your self-inflicted pains," she hissed smoothly and snakelike. She was very mad, I could tell. And probably a little disgusted, too.
"I thought you wanted me to sit on my lazy ass, remember?" I yawned, making it a point to put my feet up on her coffee table, "Or do you not recall?"
Keil's face turned bright red with anger.
"You are impossible to reason with!" she turned on her heel and stormed into her kitchen. I got up and followed her.
"Reason with?!" I spat, "You said yourself yesterday that you wanted me to stay out of this, 'just this once'. You said it!"
"I did say that," she said with a huff, "And it's the truth, but you are acting like a spoiled brat."
"Fine," I lifted my eyebrows and nodded slowly, "Fine," I walked back to the couch and sat down, "I'll pretend to be ecstatic that you get to aid the government in bringing Quinn down while I sit here and do the crossword."
"Fine," she shrugged, "Doesn't bother me."
I was getting very close to blowing my fuse. So I sat down, seething, and watched her gather her equipment.
"Where are you going?" I asked, trying to keep my voice at a civil tone.
"The lab. The government and I are launching our plan tonight," she said breezily, making sure her gun was loaded.
"What's the plan?" I asked curiously.
"The government's putting in some spies to act as fellow scientists to make sure that none of the real scientists are cutting any deals with Quinn. If they are, we'll put an end to it. Also, the spies have spread the rumors that the lab's security systems are undergoing some problems. Hopefully, this will reach Quinn somehow and she'll try something so we can catch her. A force of government agents and I will be waiting in one of the small outside buildings just in case things get violent or if Quinn shows up."
I listened, feeling resentment build up inside of me. This was the type of thing I'd have loved to do. But no. Instead, I'd be stuck in here, worrying that something bad would happen to Keil. Talk about a gender-reversal situation.
"Be careful," I said suddenly, as Keil made it to the door. She paused and looked back at me. There was a softness in her eyes, and I could tell more emotion had accidentally leaked into my voice than what I had intended. A little embarrassed, I quickly looked down at my feet.
"Okay, Skullcatcher," she said, and then I heard her open the door and leave.
The sudden silence descended around me, thick and suffocating. I looked around the room awkwardly. Now what? I picked up the newspaper and skimmed through it, looking for something to catch my eye. And something did. BIOCHEMICAL PROFESSOR GONE MISSING it said in big, black type. Goosebumps covered my entire body as I quickly read through the short article:
Doctor Adrian Marshall, professor at the City University, was recently reported as a missing person. His secretary at the university filed the report, "He hadn't shown up for any of his meetings or for his classes for a few days. Usually he lets me know when he can't make things," she says, "I was starting to get worried." The secretary, Bette Sága, 53, reported to the police after attempting to call Doctor Marshall for the fourth time that day. Upon investigating his house, police were unable to find anything out of place except for a broken lock on his back door.
I would have continued reading further, but the rattling of the doorknob caught my attention. Had Keil forgotten something? I was about to get up and open it when I realized the type of rattling that was happening. Someone was picking the lock. Quietly and quickly, I pulled out my gun and slid into the closet where the blankets were. The door was slated; I could see out, but no one could see in.
The door opened, and a few figures stepped soundlessly into the room. One was a male. The other I recognized as the black-haired woman I had mistaken for Quinn back in Southside. So it was Quinn's lackeys. Why were they breaking in here? Evidently Quinn now knew Keil was hunting her.
"Light's are on," the man muttered, his gun out, walking around, "Woman evidently doesn't care about electricity bills."
"Unless someone is in here," the woman said slowly, eyes narrowed and gun up and ready, as she surveyed every detail of the room. My heart was pounding.
She walked over to the kitchen, her tight leather clothes making the only noise. She poked around a bit, then turned to the man.
"Check the other rooms," she ordered. The man obeyed and left the room. Her dark eyes continued to scan the room. They stopped at the closet door. Shit. Slowly, she began walking over. I held up my gun, getting ready to fire. I would shoot, then run out the door. It would have to be fast, or else I'd end up with the man's bullet in my back. And for once I didn't have my bulletproofed shirt on. Damn. She held her gun up, and placed her hand on the doorknob. I held my breath, but suddenly there was a loud bang from the bedroom. The woman snapped her head in the direction of the noise and immediately ran over. I took this opportunity to run, as quietly as possible, out of the closet. I was at the door before I quickly turned around and grabbed the two pictures from Keil's table. I don't know why I did it; maybe I had subconsciously knew something would happen. Either way, I then slid out of the front door without being noticed. I had no idea what had happened in the bedroom, but all I knew was that I needed to get out of this building. I ran down the stairs, not feeling comfortable enough to take the elevator. When I reached the bottom, I paused, adjusted my collar and sleeves, and walked outside into the freezing cold with nothing but a light blue button-down shirt to protect me from the cold. I didn't have the trench coat, nor my jacket to store my gun in, so I simply carried it, in full sight.
People stared at me and gave me a wide berth. It was common for people to be armed at this day and age, yet most people didn't have their weapons out and exposed. As I walked my fingers immediately began to go numb. I needed to find a coat, but I needed foremost to warn Keil to not return to her apartment. I didn't own a damn cell phone, and cell phones were pretty much useless nowadays as companies hadn't had a chance to rebuild the towers yet. I hunched and put my free hand in my pants pocket, hoping to get feeling back into my fingertips. Then I paused, and looked back up at Keil's building. I stared at her windows for the longest time, wondering what Quinn's lackeys were doing in there. Suddenly, there was a huge bang, and fire pushed the windows out. People on the street jumped and screamed and pointed. It was chaos. I stood there, mouth agape. They had blown up her apartment.
"Crazy this day and age, huh?" said a voice, I turned to see the man that had been inside Keil's apartment, "Never know what's going to happen."
I looked at him. He was squinting up at the burning building with a smile on his face. In the distance, I could hear the sound of fire trucks and ambulances racing to get here. I knew he didn't know who I was, but still his words chilled me to my core.
"Yeah…" I answered faintly, looking back up at the fire for a few moments. I saw the woman in leather approaching us, and I hastily turned and began walking away. I wasn't sure if she'd recognize me or not, but I was not about to take the risk. As I walked away, I heard the man say, "Tatiana, job well done."
I had no idea what to do. No, I actually did. I bought a newspaper, ripped a small piece out of it, borrowed a pen and scrawled a short message,
Don't go back to apartment. Meet me at diner. Emergency. –S
I walked, no longer feeling the cold, to Hanover. The security guard at the booth was different from the friendly one from yesterday. I was sure he was a secret agent.
"Can I help you?" he asked.
"I need you to give this to someone for me," I said seriously.
"What?" he asked blankly.
"My friend said she would be here, give this to her," I handed the piece of paper to him, "It's incredibly important."
He scowled at me in suspicion. He probably thought I worked for Quinn and the piece of paper I was handing him was covered in ricin or some such poison, because he didn't take it.
"Who is this friend?" he asked.
"Keil Vesca," I said.
Suddenly he pulled out a gun and held it to my face. I, on the way over, had enough sense to wrap my gun the rest of the newspaper and hide it in an alley, so I was completely unarmed. I held my hands up to show so.
"How the hell do you know that name?" he demanded, afraid I was a lackey of Quinn and that I knew their plan.
"SKULLCATCHER!"
I turned. Keil was storming towards me, looking completely insane with fury. I smiled, then turned back to the agent.
"See? She knows me," I grinned, as he lowered his gun.
"What the fuck are you doing here?!" she hissed, "I saw you on the security camera!"
"Keil," I said seriously, "Listen to me carefully, she knows it's you. Don't go back to your apartment. When you're done here, find me at the diner. Now go back to hiding so Quinn doesn't know you're here."
Keil looked at me in surprise and confusion. She opened her mouth to ask questions, no doubt, but I turned and quickly began walking away. I could feel the cold now. I needed to get someplace warm. I walked into the first building I could, a small boutique filled with jewelry and high heels and other such items. I ignored the strange looks I got from the clientele, and stood by the door, trying to rub some feeling into my hands. I stood there for a little while longer, then made the break to the diner.
I sat in a booth in the corner, and ordered myself some coffee. I was going to be here a long time. An hour turned to two, then three, then four. I took multiple toilet breaks as I drank more and more coffee to keep myself awake. I had hidden her two photos in the alley with my gun, and after the second hour, I got up to retrieve them and return. I left my gun there though. I would go back for that later.
I spent the third and the fourth hour studying the pictures over and over again, memorizing every detail. Finally, I set them on the booth next to me.
"Skullcatcher," said a weary voice. It was Keil. Her hair was messy, but other than that she looked unharmed and unruffled. I was curious to know what happened, but my story needed to be told first.
"Keil, sit down," I sighed, dreading the news I would have to share. She did. Then she opened her mouth to speak, but I held up my hand.
"Please," I said gently, "You need to know this."
She looked at me curiously.
"When you left, I noticed an article in the paper," I began, "Doctor Marshall has gone missing."
"What?!" she exclaimed.
"Yes," I nodded, "And then I heard someone picking your apartment lock. Keil, two of Quinn's lackeys came in. Quinn knows you're after her. I don't know how, but she does. I managed to escape, but…" I trailed away.
"What?" Keil said, her face pallid.
"Keil, they set off a bomb," I swallowed, "You're apartment, it's…"
I didn't need to finish. She knew exactly what I meant. Her face fell and I saw tears in her eyes. Yet she didn't let any of them escape her eyelids.
"I'm so sorry," I said genuinely.
"I…I just wish…" she trailed away, "My pictures…"
Suddenly I remembered them. I stood up and handed them to her. Her eyes widened, and this time the tears managed to escape. I didn't blame her. These were the last remnants of the people she had loved. She gently ran her thumb over them.
"I grabbed them before I escaped," I said softly.
"They're still in their frames," she said, trying to wipe her tears away, "I…thank you Phil."
We sat together for a while. Finally, she looked at me.
"So, Doctor Marshall's gone missing?" she asked.
I nodded.
"And Quinn now knows I am trying to stop her," Keil went on.
"Yes."
"I guess we will have to act a bit more low-key from here on out. We don't need her to find out you're helping me," Keil sighed.
I nodded vaguely. There were things to be done. She still needed to explain to me what happened at the lab. Things had changed, both between us and with the Quinn ordeal. But for now, we sat in silence, each deep in thought, and, strangely, at perfect peace.
© 2010 - 2024 Slicenndice
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By the way, did that women he slept with have a similar appearnce to Keil, or was I just imagining it?