“An old one, right? Original year?”
“Yeah. So?” I asked, a little belligerent.
“They don’t even make parts for original models these days. I’d love to close a deal with you on one of the IGPs.”
I shrugged and accepted a drink from Marty’s henchman. Their weapons were all hidden now, so that meant things were progressing nicely. Time for the Bargaining Dance. I tilted back the drink and discovered it was cola. I hadn’t had a cola in ages. It bubbled and burned and went down so sweet I nearly wanted to cry. “Been a while since I had one of these,” I said. “Nice. But I don’t know, Marty. Just because I’m flush now, doesn’t meant I will be later. I might need other things before I need an IGP.”
“I’ve been known to work with people who fell on hard times. Make some deals between friends.”
“Workwithpeople?” I let him see my teeth in what only a magnanimous person would call a smile. “I’ve heard the tales about your goons workingonpeople. With baseball bats.”
“Don’t believe everything you hear, Shining.” He placed a hand over his heart. “I’m mighty easy to work with. Mighty easy. Make me an offer.”
Shining.
I went cold and hard and eternallypissed. Things I had hoped were not true, but clearly were, settled inside me. I squinted at Cupcake. “That ring is worth way more than a piece of equipment we don’t need.”
Cupcake was watching me, her eyes taking in the tiny, intimate body-language changes only a thrall would see. To Marty, she said, “Toss in some seeds. I saw packets of heirloom seeds behind the counter. And we could use some solder to seal the rain catcher.”
“Soldering iron I might could use,” I said, working things through, “but still not value for value.”
“Tell you what,” Marty said. “You give me that ring, and one other ring of my choosing, and I’ll load up an IGP, a top-of-the-line, heavy-duty soldering station and iron, new in the box, extra solder, an old but operational M72 laser, and I’ll keep a credit on the books.”
M72? Dayum!I frowned a little. “Nah. Cash I’m willing to do. Not credit. Sorry, Marty.” I raised my voice. “Okay, people. Time to head out.”
“I can do cash,” Marty said quickly.
I made a face and rocked my head side to side as if thinking. “A girl can always use liquid assets.” I glanced around and didn’t see Jagger or the cats. Marty’s men still had their weapons holstered. “I guess we can chat about it. But I’m not paying top dollar for something I don’t need today.”
Marty grinned and we both looked at Cupcake. She frowned, not certain where I was going or what I might want her to do. She settled on hefting the bag, which clinked temptingly. “I’ll show you six rings, all fourteen karat. Your choice of the original and one other.”
“Deal,” Marty said. He looked at me. “She’s cute. You two . . . you know . . .” He made an obscene gesture.
Cupcake burst out laughing and pulled herself onto the truck’s running board, moving faster and smoother as the nanobots in her system prepared her body for battle. She opened the driver’s door and hot air whooshed out. She scooted across and opened the passenger door, too, before she dropped to the ground. “It’s hot. Let’s go inside where it’s cool and I can pick out my seeds.” She led the way to Marty’s storefront, business office, and breakfast joint. “And another cola for the boss lady would be nice.”
As we walked, I realized that Cupcake didn’t look like Cupcake anymore. She looked younger, sprier, prettier. My nanobots had done what Clarisse Warhammer’s hadn’t. They were rebuilding her, healing age-related illnesses. Cupcake was mutating. Fast. And it had started yesterday. With gunfire.
???
While Cupcake handled the financial details, I watched the heavy gear being loaded. I had gotten everything I needed, a few things I could sell, a handful of cash, and everything Cupcake wanted, which meant a bag of seed packets and a batch of solar panels. Marty ended up with six trays and two rings: the flawless diamond-and-ruby ring and a gold band encrusted with five quarter-karat diamonds.
I checked on Amos, who was soaked in sweat and nearly prostrate with heat exhaustion after helping load and rearrange. There were a dozen empty water bottles on the floor near him and as many more full of pee. Smart man. “Anything?” I asked him softly.
“Yeah. Cats everywhere, and the woman made a tour of the rig. We chatted. I didn’t see her plant anything, but I could have missed it.”
“Copy.” I tapped my earbud. “Mateo. You there?”
“Monitoring cameras and transmissions. The mini-cams caught it. Pull over when you cross the river and I’ll direct you to two tailers.” Tailers were tracking systems that could use vibrations, static electricity, or solar for power. Marty wanted to know where we were. Not unexpected after his slip. Marty wanted to—what? Find us and steal the goods back? Tell someone where we were?
“Let’s take them off now,” I murmured. “Before we leave.”
“You sure? He’s watching you.”
“Yeah? Good. Marty needs a lesson that might make him bleed.”
“What kind of lesson?” Mateo’s mechanical voice was suspicious. “What did I miss?”
“Later. Amos,” I said to the guard, “we’re about to have trouble.”
