Cyber.”
Jaws dropped.
“Cyber?” Harper gasped. “Ya didn’t say nothing bout a Cyber Cap!”
“Wait!” Zena shouted.
It was too late as Nathan was already halfway down the stairwell. His feet stomped every step, sending thundering echoes through the stone dwelling. Zena looked back to Harper, before groaning and chasing after the Agent. Her feet were quick, descending the stairs before the man could get a hand upon the wooden door handle. She reached out with one hand, clasping onto the Agent’s shoulder. He turned, faster than she’d anticipated. As his plain features skewed, a menacing face bore down upon her.
“Tell me why I should give a fuck what happens next!” he whispered hoarsely. “Huh? Give me one damn reason why I shouldn’t have all of you hauled to the Colony. Go ahead Red, gimme one good reason.”
The blue eyes stared back into his simple brown. For a moment, she had to remember to breathe. How long had it been since that horrible night? Six years? Seven? How many more had to pass before he forgave her? Worse still, how many more until she forgave herself. She’d been pushed to her breaking point, but it had nothing to do with her former partner. If not for him, she’d snapped long before that night. The anger was fading quickly, humility settled in.
“I’m so sorry Nathan,” she cried. “I know you can’t forgive me, but at least, try to understand me. Take me in if you want, but leave them out of it. You know they don’t deserve to be drug back to him.”
There was something about the face she was showing him, the side of her he hadn’t seen in so long that he doubted its existence. Time heals all wounds, but some wounds need more time than others need. He knew she was right, he had zero intentions of dragging Yomiel and Elzana into their war. They were good people, by any standards. The type of people that needed him the most. He wouldn’t sacrifice them just to get petty revenge over his ex-partner, no matter how deeply she’d wounded him.
“You know me better than that,” he snapped. “What I can’t figure out is why there aren’t twenty rings between those two and Parasus. This is the first place he’ll look for her and you know it. You got a plan that doesn’t involve handing them over to him for a bigger payment than they’re giving you?”
“Don’t you dare!” she whispered back. “Don’t you dare talk to me like I’m a backstabbing bitch. You think I didn’t tell them to run. You think I didn’t feel for them when she told me what Elsmere and his men were doing to her. I’d have them on the other side of the galaxy by now if they weren’t so damn stubborn.”
Despite her inner demanding, tears had begun to stream over her cheeks. The drops amplified the tiny freckles on her face, reminding him of the younger woman he’d once known. He leaned away from her, sensing the trap.
“Can the waterworks Red,” he replied solemnly. “Don’t think you can just cry your way out of this one. I don’t need you to tell me what that bastard was doing. I met the man and wanted nothing more than to put a bullet between his eyes. I don’t say that about many people, so you know I mean it. You know I’ll just walk away and say they weren’t here. I’ll say it, but how long til they send someone else. Elsmere has a ton of power. He’ll have hunters in here by tomorrow morning. Hell, he may just send a message and find some right next door to this place. Mesa isn’t exactly the pinnacle of proper citizens.”
“The tears aren’t fake,” she snapped, wiping them away. “Wouldn’t waste the water on you anyways. But don’t you go acting like some hardass neither. You got a soft side to you. That’s why you’re here to warn them instead of waiting for a squad to help you take them back.”
“I HAD a soft side,” he replied. “Must have fell out when they dug that bullet outta my chest.”
“Oh don’t you even go there,” she whispered, the
Jaws dropped.
“Cyber?” Harper gasped. “Ya didn’t say nothing bout a Cyber Cap!”
“Wait!” Zena shouted.
It was too late as Nathan was already halfway down the stairwell. His feet stomped every step, sending thundering echoes through the stone dwelling. Zena looked back to Harper, before groaning and chasing after the Agent. Her feet were quick, descending the stairs before the man could get a hand upon the wooden door handle. She reached out with one hand, clasping onto the Agent’s shoulder. He turned, faster than she’d anticipated. As his plain features skewed, a menacing face bore down upon her.
“Tell me why I should give a fuck what happens next!” he whispered hoarsely. “Huh? Give me one damn reason why I shouldn’t have all of you hauled to the Colony. Go ahead Red, gimme one good reason.”
The blue eyes stared back into his simple brown. For a moment, she had to remember to breathe. How long had it been since that horrible night? Six years? Seven? How many more had to pass before he forgave her? Worse still, how many more until she forgave herself. She’d been pushed to her breaking point, but it had nothing to do with her former partner. If not for him, she’d snapped long before that night. The anger was fading quickly, humility settled in.
“I’m so sorry Nathan,” she cried. “I know you can’t forgive me, but at least, try to understand me. Take me in if you want, but leave them out of it. You know they don’t deserve to be drug back to him.”
There was something about the face she was showing him, the side of her he hadn’t seen in so long that he doubted its existence. Time heals all wounds, but some wounds need more time than others need. He knew she was right, he had zero intentions of dragging Yomiel and Elzana into their war. They were good people, by any standards. The type of people that needed him the most. He wouldn’t sacrifice them just to get petty revenge over his ex-partner, no matter how deeply she’d wounded him.
“You know me better than that,” he snapped. “What I can’t figure out is why there aren’t twenty rings between those two and Parasus. This is the first place he’ll look for her and you know it. You got a plan that doesn’t involve handing them over to him for a bigger payment than they’re giving you?”
“Don’t you dare!” she whispered back. “Don’t you dare talk to me like I’m a backstabbing bitch. You think I didn’t tell them to run. You think I didn’t feel for them when she told me what Elsmere and his men were doing to her. I’d have them on the other side of the galaxy by now if they weren’t so damn stubborn.”
Despite her inner demanding, tears had begun to stream over her cheeks. The drops amplified the tiny freckles on her face, reminding him of the younger woman he’d once known. He leaned away from her, sensing the trap.
“Can the waterworks Red,” he replied solemnly. “Don’t think you can just cry your way out of this one. I don’t need you to tell me what that bastard was doing. I met the man and wanted nothing more than to put a bullet between his eyes. I don’t say that about many people, so you know I mean it. You know I’ll just walk away and say they weren’t here. I’ll say it, but how long til they send someone else. Elsmere has a ton of power. He’ll have hunters in here by tomorrow morning. Hell, he may just send a message and find some right next door to this place. Mesa isn’t exactly the pinnacle of proper citizens.”
“The tears aren’t fake,” she snapped, wiping them away. “Wouldn’t waste the water on you anyways. But don’t you go acting like some hardass neither. You got a soft side to you. That’s why you’re here to warn them instead of waiting for a squad to help you take them back.”
“I HAD a soft side,” he replied. “Must have fell out when they dug that bullet outta my chest.”
“Oh don’t you even go there,” she whispered, the
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