Cliff Ryder - Out of Time

Karen shook her head and turned back toward the door.

“I’m going to go get some sleep,” she said.

“Your phone call kind of disrupted my beauty sleep. Give me a call next time there’s a war.”

Neither Brin nor Alex was able to answer, and Karen let herself out.

“Mommy,” Savannah said, “What’s wrong with Daddy? He’s bleeding!”

Brin stared at her daughter, then turned to Alex.

She smiled. “Nothing a good hug won’t fix,” she said. “We’re just very tired, baby. I think maybe it’s time we tuck you into your bed.” She looked at her watch. “It’s very early in the morning, so maybe just a little more sleep for you?”

Savannah looked anything but sleepy, but she nodded. She hugged Alex and rolled off of him, then turned back and stared at his shoulder. She pointed at it and frowned.

“You have a boo-boo,” she said.

Alex glanced down and saw that blood had leaked through the bandages and spotted his shirt.

“So I do,” he said. “I’ll have to put a new bandage on it. Let’s get you to bed, and I think maybe it’s time for Daddy to take a shower and go to bed, too. Daddy is very tired.”

“Mommy can fix it,” she said solemnly. “She’s very good at it. She put one on my knee, and it’s all better.”

Savannah leaned over and lifted the hem of her flowered skirt to show off the knee in question, and Alex reached out, tugging her hair gently.

“So she is,” he said. “Very good at that, and a lot of other things. She’s also right about bedtime.”

He rose then, and followed as Brin led Savannah to her bedroom. They tucked her in, Alex dropping clumsily to one knee to give her another hug, and to kiss her cheek.

“Are you okay, Daddy?” she asked.

He smiled at her, but as he did, he felt a strong tug at his heart. There was so much to do—so many things that would change, maybe too fast for him to explain them.

“Yes, baby,” he said. “I’m okay. It will all be okay.”

He rose then, and Brin steadied him. They watched as Savannah snuggled in, grabbed her favorite stuffed tiger and wrapped herself around it.

She pulled one of her pillows over her head, like Alex often did, and he had to turn away slightly. He didn’t want her to see him crying and misunderstand.

“Good night,” Brin said softly, turning to the door and walking very close beside her husband. He leaned on her a little bit, but tried not to put much of his weight on her. It hadn’t been an easy time for either of them. They walked down the hall to the bathroom and inside. Brin pressed him to the wall and held him there. He stood still, watching, as she went to the tub and started filling it with hot water.

When she had the heat adjusted to her taste, she turned back to him and began very slowly, and very gently to strip away his soiled clothes. She unwound the bandage on his shoulder and winced when she saw the ugly, bruised wound left by the bullet. It had started to heal, but the fight with Dayne had opened it at the edges. It seeped blood.

“Does it hurt?” she asked.

“Not as much as you’d think,” he replied.

She nodded and went to the medicine cabinet, returning with ointment and clean gauze.

“You’ll have to try not to get this wet,” she said as she applied the clean dressing. She did the same for his head. When she saw the missing patch of skin where Dayne had cut him, she looked away for a second. Then she squared her shoulders and applied antiseptic salve to the scab, covering it with another clean gauze wrap.

She led him to the tub and helped him step in, sliding into the hot water with such a sigh of pleasure that, finally, she smiled a genuinely happy smile.

“No more secrets,” she said. “Promise me.”

“None,” he said softly. “Ever. I love you, you know.”

Brin stood and unbuttoned her blouse, letting it drop away behind her. She stepped out her skirt and within moments stood naked, staring down at him. Then, delicately, she stepped into the tub and slid down between his legs, letting the steamy water wrap around them both.

When she was settled, she leaned into him, her breasts brushing his chest, and her finger stroking his cheek. She stared into his eyes again, and this time he thought she found what it was she needed.

“Prove it,” she said.

Holding her tightly, and sliding her into a tight embrace, he did.

IN THE BACK OF THE FREEZER, tucked behind a bag of frozen broccoli and a steak, a thin metal tube rested. It was about the size of a lipstick container, and frosted with the cold. Brin had placed it there just before Alex arrived home. She knew she should have told him the truth, but she would allow herself this one lie. The nanoagents weren’t sus-ceptible to extreme cold, just heat. She didn’t know exactly what she’d do with it—where she could go to work on it—but she knew it might be a cure.

Someday.

If it was in her power, she would make her husband—and her world—right again. She had hope and that, at least, was a small start. Her memory was excellent. The loss of the data wasn’t that big a deal, so long as she had the nanoagents, the possibility of reconstructing the work for good purposes was there.

If only she could win the race with the clock.

If only she could do it before they were out of time.

DENNY TALBOT NODDED to himself. He’d just received his orders from Kate Cochran. He’d know it would come down to this but he always regretted losing a good agent. The accident would be tragic and the child would be orphaned but Kate’s directive had been clear.

“They know too much, she has the nanoagents, they can’t be trusted,” Kate had sated before issuing the order.

Denny called the agent he’d put on standby notice.

“The termination order is in effect. Do what you have to do.”