“Damn it.”
Norah wondered if Stryker and Matt knew how alike they were. She made a mental note to tell them, already amused by the reactions they’d have. She trailed off to the side as they spoke, her eyes scanning the Cyborg city, finding it wanting. Finding it gloomy and ordinary.
She had secretly hoped it would have the bright neon lights of the inner cities on Earth. Colors from all over the spectrum had flashed through her bedroom window at night.
“I need to purchase replacement tech for my ship.”
“Some of the dealers are in.”
“Is Brash in?”
“Yes.”
“Well? Is he busy?”
The two Cyborgs next to her had the most stilted conversation she had ever heard. Norah was glad she wasn’t the only one who thought Netto was strange. Her gaze fell back onto the beefy man and again she had to bite her tongue to stop herself from asking him more about his...unusual self.
More footsteps arose behind her and she turned to see several more large, scary-looking men come forward. They mutually checked each other out and she was suddenly nervous being surrounded by a bunch of killing machines.
Her hand found Stryker’s again.
There was surprise on some of their faces but she pretended to not notice.
Stryker contracted a deal for his ship with them, it took all of a few minutes. The men left with the diagnostics he gave them. She didn’t see the exchange but she knew it had been done mentally, wirelessly between them. Norah twisted her hand to thread her fingers through Stryker’s. She siphoned the warmth from him.
Netto remained, unmoving, waiting for something she didn’t know.
“I need to ask a favor of you,” Stryker addressed him before he led the two of them back into his ship. When they stood within the laboratory, before the plants and creatures in stasis, he continued, “Can you transport my acquisitions back to the EPED headquarters on Earth?”
Norah frowned and turned her attention to the shrieker in the back, wearing the bodysuit of the Wieraptor. It had begun to slump over the monster that was inside of it, it made it look gruesome and twisted.
“I don’t work for them anymore,” the other Cyborg replied.
“I’m willing to make it worth your while.”
Norah tugged on his hand, “What’s happening?”
Stryker looked her way. “The repairs are going to take some time and I don’t have the necessary materials to keep the lab running. Everything is running on fumes and I’m not willing to take my chances getting the creatures back to Earth when their habitats could go out at any time.”
She twitched. She didn’t want to take that chance either, not with her nightmare being within one of them.
He turned back to the other Cyborg. “I wouldn’t ask you if Dommik, Gunner, or one of the others were here, Netto.”
She slipped her hand from Stryker’s and walked back toward the quarters she shared with him. When she was alone, she slipped out of her clothes and finally stepped into the shower pod. Norah didn’t know how much time passed as she stood under the currents. But when she finally turned it off, her skin was wrinkly and soft and her curls had straightened to plaster down her back.
Norah lifted her hand and watched the water drip down her hand.
She had a lot of unfinished business to deal with.
A knock on the lavatory door had her looking away from her hand and slipping a towel on. It opened to Stryker, who for a full moment just checked her out. It was enough to bring a smile to her face.
“We’re going to be staying on Ghost for a little while.”
“I got that, so…Netto is going to take the creatures?” she asked, “Even the shrieker?”
“That stays with us here, we’ll deliver it personally. I trust Netto but I want to make sure it gets to EonMed myself.” He lifted his shoulders. “I want to stay with my ship and help with the repairs. Make sure it’s done right.”
Norah didn’t argue. She didn’t mind waiting a little longer to go back to her life as she healed, although a part of her just wanted to get back home.
