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The man who grabbed Nova’s arm had eyes that looked like stone. Arrow hadn’t seen him coming. Nova’s face morphed into a mask of alarm. The stranger’s grip dug into Nova’s arm and multiple things happen all at once.
Arrow tried to shove the stranger’s hand off. Orange-Hair didn’t let go. He propelled Arrow backward with the flat of his other hand. The hit struck him directly in the chest. He gasped and the pain surprised him. A large group of people poured out of one of the private rooms causing them to be smashed into the crowd. Orange-Hair had nowhere to go unless he let go of Nova. He didn’t. Orange-Hair yanked a small weapon from his coat. With a vicious thrust, he vaulted him and Nova into the small private room. Arrow stumbled while he tried to gain his footing.
The room they all toppled into was sparse. On one wall was a low cot mounted with metal poles. Nova lost her balance upon entering. The flatbed was at knee height. She bumped her leg as her hand reached out for the wall. Arrow grabbed for her but he missed. Instead of a wall, he leaned against a half-open pocket door.
“Angel.” Arrow fell toward the tiny toilet room. The duffle on his arm dropped to the floor as he fell to his knees. He jumped up quickly and spun around. The room had only two doors. The one they’d entered was now blocked by the menacing stranger. Arrow could hear people in the hallway yelling loudly. The new arrival stood in front of their only escape. He stepped between Nova and the intruder.
“What do you want?” Nova stepped around him, but stayed near the wall. Arrow sized up the invader. He shifted in front of her again. His eyes dropped to the compact pistol the stranger held. He didn’t know what kind of damage it could do.
“Give me the bag, and I’ll leave. No one needs to get hurt,” Orange-Hair growled. The way the newcomer spoke sounded educated and he was well dressed. He had on a long dark brown coat that was spotless. His shoes appeared worn but clean. Arrow’s eyes jumped to his face again. He had bright orange hair and soulless black eyes. Educated or clean, it didn’t matter. This was a killer and he knew it.
Arrow glanced at the weapon, then at the strings that hung limp and flat from the stranger’s heart. This man was broken and truly heartless. He kicked the black duffle toward Orange-Hair.
“The other one.” The stranger waved the sleek metal pistol at Nova. What were their options? To his surprise, she wasn’t freaking out. Why wasn’t Nova more worried about this situation? Maybe if she gave up the backpack, this guy would go away. He weighed the lost items against the weapon. Her life wasn’t worth anything in that sack. She gripped her bag in her hands tighter.
“Give him the bag. The pack’s not worth your life. He could kill you.” Arrow spoke loud enough for her to hear him. The stranger gave a curt nod.
“Don’t be stupid. Give it to me.” A smug smile kicked up one side of the intruder’s face.
“I’m not stupid!” She glared at him, then the stranger. She gripped her backpack harder.
“Alright.” Orange-Hair raised his eyebrows like Nova was out of her mind. “Fucking crazy woman,” he muttered under his breath.
“I didn’t say that you were stupid and—” Arrow began.
“Great,” she spat. Arrow took a step away from her. “Another person in the world who thinks I’m nuts. This is your fault.”
“What?” Arrow’s head snapped back and forth between Orange-Hair and an irate Nova. “My fault?”
“Him being here is your fault,” Nova pointed at Orange-Hair, “because you look like you do, and you made me kiss you. You’ve got that sexy smile and what am I supposed to do with that? I don’t normally like men and men don’t like me, but you call me beautiful. You don’t listen. You couldn’t let what happened this morning go.” Nova began to pace in the small area in front of the bathroom door.
A warm feeling washed over him. “You like my smile?”
“Of course, you would only hear that,” she muttered. “This is the kind of crap that happens to me.”
“What happened this morning?” The stranger asked.
Nova ignored him as she became a whirl in the small space.
“You had to talk about how I made you come this morning. All I was trying to do was help you out. And another thing,” she continued. She seemed to forget they had an audience. “You can’t say you love me because you don’t know me. You say you love me because you don’t know any better. I can’t take advantage of that. What sort of person would I be if I let you walk around thinking you love me? What if you have a wife or kids? It’s unfair to you. Don’t you understand that?” When she finished her tirade, she pinned Arrow with a sharp look.
“You’re right. This is my fault.” Arrow’s cheeks felt warm. He didn’t know he felt about her sharing all of that with another person in the room, and not just any person either, a man holding a gun. He decided he would just agree with her.
Her eyes flashed. Apparently, she wasn’t placated. Arrow took a step toward Orange-Hair. The stranger also must’ve seen the fury in the red because Orange-Hair took a hesitant step toward the exit.
“For your information, Arrow,” she pointed at the weapon. “The pistol he’s holding is called a Sear-Shot. The modified weapon normally has only two shots. Guns that could kill people were made illegal two years ago. There was a huge deal a few years back when the United Nations put humans on the endangered species list. Back when Snow Flu first reached the equator lots of people died. Most of them were women. Without women, everyone thought humans might not be able to survive and continue the species. I’m not trading my life for my bag. I’m not stupid. And I’m not crazy.”
Arrow’s eyes jumped to the man gripping the Sear-Shot. Orange-Hair’s eyes slashed at her then he eyed her sack again.
“What does the gun do if not kill you? Why give him your bag at all?” Arrow squared his shoulders. “I could take him.” Arrow glared at the stranger. The stranger sighed. If they were such an inconvenience to him, he could leave.
“Wow, I can’t believe I have to explain this. I have two shots. This isn’t empty.” When the stranger spoke up, Arrow could tell the other man thought it was weird they talked at all. His raised eyebrows said as much. “This shoots a small poisoned dart into your body which makes you feel like you’re on fire. Trust me when I tell you, you’ll wish you were dead. Now hand over the bag.”
“Fine.” Nova paused for another second. This guy looked ready to shoot both of them. Loosening her grip, she tossed her bag onto the mixed tan tiles of the floor. The backpack stopped at the stranger’s feet. He didn’t bend over to scoop up the straps like Arrow thought he would.
“My dad was right, I might not have the patience for this. I swear, I have to spell it out for you. Give me the bag on your hip. I want CC.” Orange-Hair ground out the last word.
Nova glanced down at the sack tied to her hip then shoved the bag behind her. Arrow felt panic rise. Out of everything they couldn’t give up CC. Nova needed the machine. He needed it. CC was the whole point of this entire journey for Nova and his only way of finding Dawn.
Nova’s eyes flashed to Arrow and his brow furrowed in deliberation. Was Nova thinking what he was thinking? They needed CC to find his sister. He didn’t want the two of them to be withering in pain on the floor, but they also couldn’t let CC go.
Slowly, Nova untied the flowered bag. Arrow’s brain frantically reviewed their options. Seeing Nova in pain would destroy him. She meant way too much to him. Nova gathered CC and held out the satchel. Her hand’s trembled as she started to give the bag to the stranger.
“Don’t give it to him.” Arrow stepped directly in front of her. He shoved her and the bag behind him as he stood between her and the pistol. He effectively blocked any shot from hitting Nova in case the stranger fired. The action surprised the intruder.
With a swift punch, Arrow hit the stranger in the face with one clean hit. Orange-Hair acted like Arrow hadn’t touched him. The stranger’s head snapped back then forward. Instantly, Orange-Hair threw a punch of his own. He walloped Arrow in the gut. Arrow doubled over, then stumbled back. Behind him, Nova jumped up on the cot. He tried to straighten up, but Orange-Hair punched the back of his head and drove him toward the floor. He saw stars.
As Arrow crumpled to the floor, he brought both his hands up. The swinging of his fists knocked the pistol out of the intruder’s grip. The weapon clattered to the tiles. Arrow dove toward the weapon. Orange-Hair dove after him.
The invader and Arrow grappled over the gun. Arrow had his hand around the pistol just as Orange-Hair elbowed him in the ribs. He let go. When the stranger reached for it, Arrow kicked him and plowed the flat of his hand into the center of the other man’s chest. The pistol was thrown outward. When the weapon hit the wall, the gun fired. The shot made a hissing sound. Nova jumped down from the cot. The dart that shot out of the weapon hit the bed frame with a high-pitched ping. Arrow wrapped his arms and legs around the intruder and struggled to pin him to the floor. The pistol slid toward the bathroom door.
The intruder flipped Arrow face down. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Nova inching toward the gun.
Arrow had to keep Orange-Hair distracted. He twisted onto his back, then threw his legs up and wrapped them around the stranger’s thick waist. Arrow used his thigh muscles to yank the man off of him. As soon as Orange-Hair was on his back, Arrow tackled him. They rolled and whirled. Somehow, Arrow got pinned again. Now he was flat on his back and staring into those dead eyes. He couldn’t lose. He had to save Nova.
Their unwanted guest sat on his chest. He could barely breathe. This guy used his thighs to try and crush Arrow’s rib cage. Arrow labored for air. He grabbed at Orange-Hair’s neck. His fingers dug into the corded muscles. He squeezed. Orange-Hair tried to pry Arrow’s hand’s off. He punched at Arrow’s arm, but he wouldn’t let go. His vision blurred. Orange-Hair started to turn bright red. He struck at Arrow’s arms to remove the death grip on his throat. Arrow refused to give in. He wouldn’t leave Nova to handle this man on her own. He’d die before he would give up.
“I’ve got it.” Nova held the weapon out in front of her. Both men glanced up. She aimed at both of them. Arrow wasn’t afraid she would hit him. He trusted her.
“Shoot him,” he wheezed at her.
The stranger didn’t move. He froze. Arrow didn’t let go of his neck.
“Arrow let him go.” Her eyes dropped to the Sear-Shot then her eyes met his. He held on. “Arrow,” she yelled. “Let him breathe.”
Both of them stared at her.
Arrow finally lightened his grip. He gave her his trust, he wasn’t all talk. He shoved hard. With supreme effort, he dislodged the other man. Arrow gasped for breath as he wobbly came to his feet. He swayed.
Orange-Hair’s eyes flipped to the gun, then in one graceful motion, he got to his feet. He straightened to his full height and appeared not out of breath. His eyes flashed to Nova’s hands on the pistol, then to Arrow as if expecting him to attack. He’d fight again if he had to, even if he did think he might fall over.
“You work for the H.S.P.C.” Nova made the statement as fact. “You should’ve announced your allegiance. I know this weapon.” She held it up. “I’ve worked on it.”
“Wow. You sound like my dad,” the stranger drawled. “An agent of the H.S.P.C. wouldn’t be beaten by a dumb Indian and a red-eyed munchkin.”
Nova grinned. “You’re H.S.P.C. alright. All you guys are swaggering assholes.”
Arrow used his hand to rub his bruised arm. He didn’t move from his spot in between her and the supposed agent. He noted that the guy didn’t say he was an agent at all, and even if he was, it didn’t mean they should trust him.
“You referred to it as CC.” Nova cocked an eyebrow at Orange-Hair. Arrow waited to see if he’d deny his affiliation.
“Clare named the computer that.” Orange-Hair smiled only a tiny lift to his lips. His hands lifted to rub his neck where Arrow’s fingerprints had made marks. When he raised his arm, a bracelet with a set of glowing blue gears peeked out of his sleeve on his left wrist.
