VIRGINIA WAITED all morning for Ray to arrive. It was only by luck that she'd found the hideout, after having wandered the district all day, completely lost. As she drifted through the different areas, looking for a shuttle line she recognized, she was surprised to see how differently society treated her while she wore her Corporate disguise. How strange that the coat she wore could offer her so much respect, and how completely opposite her treatment would surely be if she were to remove her sunglasses and just one person got a good glimpse of her eyes. Men opened doors for her; managers offered her their shuttle seats. She wondered how many laws she broke by playing the part and accepting their kind gestures, but then decided that she didn't really care. After everything she had gone through, she deserved a bit of pampering.
When she finally found her way, moving through the piles of snow left by yesterday's heavy storm, she became even more grateful for the expensive clothing. She pushed her way through the slushy trails in the field, the heavy boots protecting her feet from the cold. She kept her hands in the coat's deep pockets, the thick pelts guarding her from the frozen air.
Ray's people ambushed her when she reached the cave, intent on mugging and killing her. Several men rushed her, and it wasn't until they dragged her, kicking and screaming, into the main room and saw her eyes that they realized she wasn't just a lost Corporate. Virginia brushed herself off and took some time to calm down, only to find that Ray had been called to another location for the weekend. Isaac offered her a spare bed, but Virginia insisted upon spending the night in one of the office chairs, waiting where she was until Ray returned in the morning.
She wore Mrs. Conrad's expensive coat and accessories throughout the night, despite the well-heated room, afraid that it might disappear forever if she were to take it off. She woke in a heavy sweat, but still she refused to give up even the boots or hat, determined that she would have the means to brave the cold again if need be.
The morning slowly moved into afternoon, and Virginia slipped outside to check on the weather. The snow was melting quickly, although the temperature had risen only slightly since yesterday. Ray would be back any time, now, according to the men guarding the place, although they had been insisting upon his arrival for hours. Virginia felt like she was wasting time just sitting there, waiting, while Corporate actively planned their demise.
Ray finally arrived in the late afternoon, accompanied by several other people Virginia did not recognize.
Virginia hurried up to Ray and followed him into the main cave. "I need to talk to you."
Ray seemed surprised to see Virginia, and even more surprised at her attire. "Virginia, right?"
Virginia nodded. "I really need to talk to you."
Ray sat down at his desk, logging onto his computer. He turned to one of his men. "I want a full report every hour."
The man nodded, and then he and the others disappeared down a rocky hall.
Ray took a deep breath and turned to Virginia. "I'm sorry, my dear, but aren't you supposed to be at the Conrads' estate?"
"There was an incident," Virginia said, not wanting to rehash all of the horrible details. "I found some interesting information on their computer, though—"
"We already received the information from one of my other men," Ray said gruffly, but then smiled and patted her on the shoulder. "But good job. At least I know whose side you're on."
Virginia frowned, taken aback. "What do you mean by that?"
Ray gave his most sincere face, and he answered directly and without hesitation. "It would only be natural for you to have some enduring loyalties to your old life. I'm actually quite impressed with your development. Perhaps your brain actually did catch up with your eyes."
Virginia wiped the sweat from the side of her face and neck, no longer able to handle the heavy layers of fur. She took off the hat and unbuttoned her coat. With another thought, she kicked off the boots, sighing with great relief as her body breathed for the first time in two days.
Ray inputted several commands with a few clicks of the mouse, his attention quickly returning to his computer. He watched her in the reflection of this monitor as he worked. "I assume that is Mrs. Conrad's coat you're wearing?"
"How else was I going to get back here through the snow?"
"May I ask if you know whether Mrs. Conrad is still alive?" Ray asked.
"Why do you ask?"
Ray picked up his hand-held computer and began inputting commands. "Her last login was quite disturbing," he said as he turned to face Virginia. "You said there was an incident?"
Virginia took a deep breath, and then proceeded to explain the series of events to the best of her ability. Ray stared back for a moment, taking in the story, and then he began to punch in a few new commands on his hand-held computer.
"But you would say Mrs. Conrad is probably still alive?" he asked.
"I locked her in the basement."
Ray entered a command for one of his most seasoned men to investigate the Conrad estate before he set the hand-held into its computer port. He synchronized the databases, sending his commands to the other headquarters.
Ray and Isaac had come up with an immediate counterattack to Corporate's development of HD-1a, as well as Mrs. Conrad's allegation that deviants had killed her husband. Isaac had his laboratory staff working at all four locations to produce enough Blue Dust to infect the entire quadroplex. Meanwhile, Ray had assassins hunting down every Corporate their intelligence could track, silently taking them down, one by one, as they left from their fortress-like estates.
"I'm still looking for volunteers for our next big project," Ray said. "Can I count on your help?"
Virginia nodded.
"You look like you could use a hot bath." Ray pointed to a narrow tunnel on his right. "I've got a tub in my sleeping quarters. You can get cleaned up in there, scrub your clothes." He immediately shifted his attention back to his work, letting her know that their conversation was over.
"Thanks," Virginia said, moving to the dark cave. "Where's the light?" she asked, hesitant to go any further.
"Motion activated," he said, annoyed.
Virginia slipped through the narrow tunnel, feeling her way to the adjoining cave. As Ray promised, an overhead light flickered on as soon as she entered the large room.
There was a king-sized bed on one side, two dressers, and a bathtub with hot running water. Virginia waited to make sure no one followed behind her, and then she filled the tub and removed her sweaty clothes. The hot bath was relaxing, and it felt good to rinse off the sticky layer of sweat her body had accumulated over the past couple of days. Still, she washed and got out as quickly as she could, wrapping herself in Ray's thick bathrobe. She scrubbed her clothes in the warm, soapy water, and then hung them to dry along the side of the tub.
Holding the robe close to her body, Virginia padded barefoot through the tunnel, finding Ray right where she had left him. Beside him, however, there was now an untouched tray of fruit and sandwiches.
"Lunch?" Ray asked as Virginia slowly entered the cave.
Virginia hurried to the food, taking a small helping of all that was offered.
Ray picked up a peanut butter sandwich and leisurely nibbled at it. "Slow down. You'll give yourself indigestion." He confirmed that all of his logistics were set, and then flipped off the computer monitor. "I see you found something clean to change into."
Virginia blushed, clasping the fabric with one hand to keep her chest and legs from showing through. "I couldn't find anything else."
Unable to eat any more, Virginia found a chair and curled up beneath the robe. She watched Ray slowly finish his sandwich, the silence killing her. "I know why you developed HD-1, the Blue Dust, or whatever you want to call it," she finally said. "I'm not sorry this happened to me. Not anymore, anyway. I've seen so much . . . and I'm glad to know what I now know."
"I'm glad to hear that," Ray said, visibly contemplating all that remained available on the food tray. He picked up a nectarine and took a large, juicy bite. He chewed slowly, savoring the sweet fruit. "We stole a whole shipment of these from Corporate growers in this district. We're selling them at the deviant market for ten cents on the dollar." He gave Virginia a dire look. "Scurvy is a big problem in the shantytowns."
Virginia looked down, feeling as though she needed to apologize for all of the suffering deviants had endured throughout the years. She had to apologize for humanity, and for all the years she took her freedom and her rights as a human being for granted. "I'm sorry," she finally said aloud.
"Beg pardon?" Ray asked, finishing his nectarine, licking the juice from his fingers.
"I'm sorry that humanity let you all down so miserably," Virginia said, her throat knotting up.
"Humanity let you down too, if I remember correctly," he quickly replied, setting the nectarine pit aside.
Virginia nodded, and she covered her face with embarrassment as she began to cry.
"You've lost a lot, my dear," Ray continued, getting up and wiping off his hands. He went over to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "I can tell you're a strong woman. You'll survive this."
Virginia looked up, feeling a sense of calm from his reassuring face. He wiped away her tears, and she closed her eyes as his hand gently caressed her face. His hands smelled faintly of nectarine, the sweet scent soothing and inviting.
"I'm sorry," she said once more, another wave of tears coming as her mind drifted to thoughts of her estranged husband and kids.
"It's time now to think of the future," Ray said, wiping away her new tears. "Dwelling on the past will only hold you back."
She nodded.
"Oh, I almost forgot." He fished her wedding band from a drawer. "No harm in you wearing it now."
She held it for a moment, put it on her left ring finger only to move it immediately to her right. She looked at it, reveled in the feel of it on her finger, and then pulled it off with a light cry. "For the future," she said as she dropped the gold ring into the palm of Ray's hand and closed it into a tight fist.
Ray's eyes met hers, and he gave her a quick nod of gratitude. "A generous donation."
He wiped her face once more, the smell of nectarines brushing over her cheeks, and then he softly kissed her anxious lips.
She turned away. "I'm sorry . . . I can't."
He watched her, his face wrought with desire and confusion as she turned back and their eyes met again. She wiped the tears from her face and new ones immediately took their place.
He clasped the wedding band tightly in his hand, then disappeared alone down the dark cave.