David Robbins - Houston Run

Melody nodded. “I know that. I sense it, somehow. Maybe it’s intuition. Maybe I’m just crazy. But I believe I can trust you.”

“You can,” Lynx assured her, and squeezed her hand.

Melody used her left forearm to dab at her eyes. “I shouldn’t be troubling you with my problems,” she said nervously.

Lynx leaned toward her. “From now on, your troubles are my troubles.”

Melody mustered a feeble smile. “You sure move fast, don’t you?”

Lynx glanced at the cell door, then at her. “I don’t have any choice. I want you to listen to me, to think over what I’m gonna tell you. Give me your answer as soon as you can.”

“My answer?”

Lynx nodded. “As you’ve guessed, I’m not from Androxia, and I don’t intend to spend the rest of my life here. I’m going to find my buddies, rescue a couple of human dummies I know, and get the hell out of here. And I want you to come with us.”

Melody went to respond, but he held up his right hand, stopping her.

“I ain’t finished,” Lynx said. “I want to get it all out before I start trippin’ over my own tongue. I’ve never felt this way about a woman before. I’ve just met you, yet I feel like I’ve known you forever. And I want to go on knowin’ you. I want you to come with me. I’m asking you to come with me. I’ll take you to a place where you’ll never have to worry about the lousy Superiors. You’ll be free. You can do what you want once we’re there.

But I’m warnin’ you here and now. If you come with us, I’m gonna do my best to sweep you off your feet with my sexy looks and natural charm, and I won’t stop tryin’ until you say you’ll be my mate. There. I’ve said it.”

Melody was grinning. “And quite well said, too.”

“If you leave now,” Lynx declared, “I won’t hold it against you.”

“Why on earth would I want to leave?” Melody responded.

“Because you’re a lady,” Lynx stated. “And ladies don’t usually mix with savages.”

“Are you hard of hearing?” Melody queried.

“No. Why?”

“Didn’t you hear a word I said to you?” Melody questioned. “I like you, idiot! I’m not about to walk out on you.”

“Does this mean what I think it does?” Lynx asked hopefully.

Melody nodded. “I’d like to see this place where you live. Where I’ll never need to worry about the Superiors,” she added, quoting him.

Lynx beamed like a lunatic. “You mean it? You really mean it?”

“Lynx,” Melody said earnestly. “You may be the only true chance I’ll ever have at genuine happiness.”

Lynx leaped off the cot and spun in a circle. He smiled at her, joy pervading his being. “Damn!” he exclaimed. “Damn! Damn! Damn!”

“Are you always this articulate?” Melody inquired sarcastically, grinning.

“I don’t know what else to say!” Lynx declared happily. “I’m walkin’ on the clouds.”

A hard pounding on the cell door abruptly brought Lynx down to earth.

“Oh, no!” Melody cried.

“Melody!” barked a stern voice. “Are you in there?”

“Who is that?” Lynx whispered.

Melody hesitated before replying. “The floor supervisor.”

Lynx dashed to the rear of the door, flattening against the wall.

“Melody!”

The cell door flung open, forcing Lynx to stop its inward sweep with the palms of his hands.

“What the hell are you doing in here, bitch?” demanded the floor supervisor in a harsh tone.

Melody, her face downcast, stood.

Lynx bristled. What right did the floor supervisor have to address Melody that way? Who did the son of a bitch think he was?

“I asked you a question!” the floor supervisor snapped.

Lynx scowled, hoping the bastard would enter the cell all the way.

“I’m on break,” Melody said defensively.

“You’re on break when I say you’re on break!” the floor supervisor bellowed.

Lynx resisted an urge to spring from concealment. He wanted to tear the sucker into teensy-weensy pieces! What had Melody said his name was?

“But you said I could take an extra five minutes, Tom,” Melody mentioned.

“I’ve changed my mind. I want you out on the floor. I thought you were going to take your break in the break room, and I went there looking for you. But you weren’t there! I had to search the whole floor to find you!” he stated angrily. “And you still haven’t answered my question! What the hell are you doing in here, Little Ms. Prim!”

Little Ms. Prim? Lynx wondered if he’d heard correctly.

“There’s no need to bring our personal life into our professional relationship,” Melody said.

Personal life? Lynx listened intently.

“What personal life?” Tom retorted, and laughed bitterly. “You have to be close to have a personal life, and baby, you’re too cold to touch!”

“Don’t start,” Melody said.

“Or what?” Tom rejoined. “Are you going to run to the Superiors and complain?”

Melody didn’t comment.

“No, you won’t!” Tom continued. “And do you want me to tell you why?”

“No.”

“Then I’ll do it!” Tom mocked her. “You won’t say a word, Ice Lady, because you know they’d ask questions, and you don’t want them to know you’re still a virgin!”

“Tom! Don’t! Please!” Melody begged.

“Cut the crap, bitch!” Tom declared. “Do you think I give a shit about how you feel? After what you’ve done to me?”

“What have I done to you?”

Lynx heard Tom move further into the room.

“Don’t play innocent with me!” Tom hissed. “How long have I been after you to do the right thing? To do what you were created for? And how many times have you said no? Even when I twisted your arm?” Tom paused. “You’re not a woman!” he said resentfully. “I don’t even think you have a cunt!”

Melody stiffened as a guttural growl emanated from behind the cell door. She’d dreaded this happening, had hoped Tom would depart without insulting her as he normally did. She knew what was going to happen and she’d tried to prevent it, fearful of the possible consequences for Lynx. “Tom! Get out of here!”

The mutant named Tom, resembling Lynx in practically every respect, attired in a white shirt and white pants, ignored her. He faced the door, taking two more steps into the room, reaching for the knob. “What the hell was that?” he demanded. “Who’s the patient in this room, anyway?”

The cell door suddenly swung out from the wall.

Tom, startled, jumped out of the door’s path, moving between the door and Melody.

The door slammed shut.

Both Lynx and Tom did double takes, and then Lynx stepped in from of the closed door, blocking Tom’s retreat.

“I’m the patient in this room!” Lynx snapped.

“And who the hell are you?” Tom demanded.

Melody took a step toward Lynx. “Please! This isn’t necessary!”

Lynx crouched, his claws held near her waist.

“Who is this jerk?” Tom asked Melody.

Lynx uttered a trilling sound.

Tom raised his hands, displaying his own tapered claws. “I don’t know who you are, asshole, but I’m not scared of you! Ask anybody. I’m as mean as they come!”

“Yeah. I heard,” Lynx said. “I heard you like to beat on women. In my book, that makes you the lowest scum there is.”

“So what are you going to do about it, prick?” Tom taunted.

“Just this,” Lynx said, and attacked.

“Now let’s go over this data again,” the Superior said patiently.

“Whatever you want, cow chip,” Hickok stated pleasantly. He was seated at a table in a large room on the third floor of the Intelligence Building. Two Superiors had escorted him from his cell on the lowest level of Containment up to the interrogation room a half hour before.