hand on her arm. “But — well, doc. Don’t jerk me around on this one.” He let his hand linger.
She looked down at his hand, then pushed it away. “Don’t worry, Mr. Eckers. It’s a clean game of pool. And like I said, I’m not a doctor.”
“Right, right.” He nodded at the passenger door next to her. “Then get out. Be at The Hole . You know it?”
“No.”
“Buy a map, then. Be at The Hole . Friday — noon.”
Worry crinkled her brow. “Can we do it sooner?”
“Do I look like an instant courier? No, it can’t be done sooner. Need to set up a new set of buyers, after last time. Need to get you your precious reactor.”
“I’m worried. They feel close.” She rubbed her arms. “Friday it is.” And with that, Haraway pushed the passenger door open, umbrella leading the way out into the rain. Bernie watched her leave, his eyes on her ass.
He fired up the old Buick as she shut the door behind her. The wheels crunched on loose stones and broken asphalt as he nosed it out onto the street. He grinned in the cabin, the dim light from the dash lighting up his face. His hand touched the volume, pushing Sadie’s voice loud in the cabin. The car picked up speed, his belly bouncing against the seat belt.
They always came around in the end.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The lights in the room were off after the dawn. The louvres against the windows shifted slow and silent to show the cloudscape stretched out around the tower. Mason hadn’t slept yet — he stood looking out over the clouds beneath him, sipping whisky. He spared a glance towards the bedroom, catching a glimpse of black hair strewn amongst silk sheets.
“You ready to get to work?”
“Jesus, Carter. It’s 7 in the morning. I haven’t been to sleep yet.”
“It’s closer to 7:30. You could have grabbed a couple of hours. What have you been doing with your time?” She sounded testy. “I’ve arranged some breakfast.”
“Breakfast?” Mason looked down at the whisky in his hand. “I guess it is that time.”
“You’re not hungry?” She sighed. “You need to eat. Keep up your strength. It’s going to be a busy day.”
“You’re a golden ray of sunshine, aren’t you?” Mason tossed the rest of the whisky back. “I probably should get some sleep.”
“You can sleep when you’re dead. Harden up, princess.”
“Holy shit, Carter. That’s cold.” Mason turned to face the apartment’s kitchen. “You should try field work.”
“It’s not really my thing, Mason. I’ve got a nice desk job here. I don’t want to break a nail.” She paused, her tone softening a little. “I don’t need to die to show my loyalty to the company. And neither do you, really.”
“You think?” Mason started to pull a few things from the refrigerator. “Cancel the breakfast order. I’ll make it myself.”
“We don’t have time.”
“Make time, Carter. I’ve got a guest.”
“You’ve got a guest that charges by the hour.”
“You’re just cranky because I got you up at 5:30.”
“You didn’t get me up.” Carter sighed. “I didn’t get any sleep last night either.”
“Working late?” Mason put eggs and bacon down on the marble counter top, then went back to the refrigerator for some butter. It was real, from grass-fed cattle. He had a guy who got it for him. He put the butter down on the marble, letting his eyes wander over the almost black surface, veins of white making him want to touch it. Mason rested his fingertips against the cool stone for a moment, then raised his hand in front of his eyes. “I’ve still got the shakes.”
“You were in the chair for an hour.”
“It felt like longer.”
She sighed down the line. “This is one of the many reasons I don’t do field work.”
“That’s your problem, Carter.”
She looked down at his hand, then pushed it away. “Don’t worry, Mr. Eckers. It’s a clean game of pool. And like I said, I’m not a doctor.”
“Right, right.” He nodded at the passenger door next to her. “Then get out. Be at The Hole . You know it?”
“No.”
“Buy a map, then. Be at The Hole . Friday — noon.”
Worry crinkled her brow. “Can we do it sooner?”
“Do I look like an instant courier? No, it can’t be done sooner. Need to set up a new set of buyers, after last time. Need to get you your precious reactor.”
“I’m worried. They feel close.” She rubbed her arms. “Friday it is.” And with that, Haraway pushed the passenger door open, umbrella leading the way out into the rain. Bernie watched her leave, his eyes on her ass.
He fired up the old Buick as she shut the door behind her. The wheels crunched on loose stones and broken asphalt as he nosed it out onto the street. He grinned in the cabin, the dim light from the dash lighting up his face. His hand touched the volume, pushing Sadie’s voice loud in the cabin. The car picked up speed, his belly bouncing against the seat belt.
They always came around in the end.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The lights in the room were off after the dawn. The louvres against the windows shifted slow and silent to show the cloudscape stretched out around the tower. Mason hadn’t slept yet — he stood looking out over the clouds beneath him, sipping whisky. He spared a glance towards the bedroom, catching a glimpse of black hair strewn amongst silk sheets.
“You ready to get to work?”
“Jesus, Carter. It’s 7 in the morning. I haven’t been to sleep yet.”
“It’s closer to 7:30. You could have grabbed a couple of hours. What have you been doing with your time?” She sounded testy. “I’ve arranged some breakfast.”
“Breakfast?” Mason looked down at the whisky in his hand. “I guess it is that time.”
“You’re not hungry?” She sighed. “You need to eat. Keep up your strength. It’s going to be a busy day.”
“You’re a golden ray of sunshine, aren’t you?” Mason tossed the rest of the whisky back. “I probably should get some sleep.”
“You can sleep when you’re dead. Harden up, princess.”
“Holy shit, Carter. That’s cold.” Mason turned to face the apartment’s kitchen. “You should try field work.”
“It’s not really my thing, Mason. I’ve got a nice desk job here. I don’t want to break a nail.” She paused, her tone softening a little. “I don’t need to die to show my loyalty to the company. And neither do you, really.”
“You think?” Mason started to pull a few things from the refrigerator. “Cancel the breakfast order. I’ll make it myself.”
“We don’t have time.”
“Make time, Carter. I’ve got a guest.”
“You’ve got a guest that charges by the hour.”
“You’re just cranky because I got you up at 5:30.”
“You didn’t get me up.” Carter sighed. “I didn’t get any sleep last night either.”
“Working late?” Mason put eggs and bacon down on the marble counter top, then went back to the refrigerator for some butter. It was real, from grass-fed cattle. He had a guy who got it for him. He put the butter down on the marble, letting his eyes wander over the almost black surface, veins of white making him want to touch it. Mason rested his fingertips against the cool stone for a moment, then raised his hand in front of his eyes. “I’ve still got the shakes.”
“You were in the chair for an hour.”
“It felt like longer.”
She sighed down the line. “This is one of the many reasons I don’t do field work.”
“That’s your problem, Carter.”
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