A strangled laugh escaped before I could stop it. Since when did Oss offer pep talks? I shushed the scared voice in my mind that reminded me of all the things that could still go wrong. I pushed my worries aside to focus on the moment. If I didn’t give Buster my complete attention, I could cause him untold injury.
“Anything I can help with, or should I just stay out of the way?” Oss asked.
“Can you hand me tools as I ask for them?” I gave Oss a doubtful look.
Oss shrugged. “Probably. I’ll at least make sure not to drop them on the floor.”
I snorted. “How can I deny your professional assistance now?”
“Precisely!” Oss’s manic grin boosted my morale. If nothing else, I would have my friend’s support during this catastrophe. Why had I agreed to take a man apart? Metal or not, Buster was a living, thinking being and I, his potential murderer.
“You can do this!” Justin said from the doorway.
“I can do this,” I whispered, trying to boost my confidence. I took a steadying breath to still my shaky hands. Buster, cold and still, lay before me, resembling a cadaver more than a machine. I pushed that thought away. My job was to make sure he didn’t remain this still, motionless corpse. “Hand me the scissors.”
“That one I know!” Oss placed the small pair in my hand.
Glad Buster was unconscious, I cut away the skin that had grown over the spot I needed. The flesh was taut and thicker than regular human skin. My own experiences in stitching flesh were limited to a few bad cuts I had received on the street, which resulted in crooked scars after I had sewn them up. I would never be mistaken for a skilled surgeon.
“How you want to dispose of the skin?” Burning it would be optimum so no one could question why Thorne or Oss had human flesh in their rubbish bin, however the smell would attract even worse attention.
Thorne stepped forward with a small can. “Place it in here. We’ll worry about disposal later. I sent a runner for the doctor. He should know how to dispose of flesh.”
I did as he asked, then continued my grim task. I’m not too proud to state I had to swallow back bile a few times. Nuts, bolts, and sheets of metal, I could handle. Flesh, blood, and gooey bits, I’d rather leave to those who dedicate their time to the messier jobs. Finally, my path was clear. I accepted the cloth Justin handed over. He had snuck into the room while I was distracted with Buster.
“Oss, could you grab me the jar with the hardware.” I had raided the cabinet drawers to make sure I had all the correct components to install the gear. It wasn’t only the main gear damaged, the pin holding it together had a wonky bend.
“Here you go.” I accepted the pieces from Oss one at a time and explained to him which tools I needed. In a surprisingly short time, I had Buster complete once more and I hadn’t thrown up once.
“There. We just need to wait for Dr. Ballinger before I wake him up.”
“What do you think the doctor can do?” Justin asked, handing me a damp cloth for my hands.
I wiped my fingers clear of things I’d rather not think about, eager to get the goop from beneath my nails. Could Buster die from infection? “I’m hoping he can tell us if Buster is healthy or not.” I pointed to the grayer areas of Buster’s skin. “If not, we’ll have to cut that away, and I’d like to do it while he is still turned off and can’t feel pain.”
The thunder of multiple pairs of shoes stomping up the stairs pulled our attention to the door. If Ballinger had arrived, why would he bring multiple people with him? And why didn’t Brenson announce anyone.
I turned to Oss. He shrugged. I didn’t miss the sly grab of his daggers or the alert stance he took to the side of the door.
Before we could discuss our approach, six sword-wielding men stormed into the room. They were dressed all in black with even darker masks over their faces. Long coats with hoods covered their bodies and hair to hide any identifying features.
“Who are you? What do you want?” Justin’s authoritative tone demanded answers.
None of them responded.
I stilled Oss’s hand on his daggers. He could take out two or three of them, but the others would kill him before we could do anything else.
Three of them pushed us away from the bed, while one of them rolled Buster up in a blanket. The other two took his head and his feet. Not one word was spoken as they walked back out of the room, Buster in their grasp. Swords from three of the intruders prevented us from following. The thunder of footsteps returned to the stairs. A minute later, the front door slammed shut.
“What just happened?” I asked.
Justin growled. “I don’t know, but I’m going to find out. I’ll report this to the authorities and meet you at your home.”
I almost told him not to bother, but his eyes had a hard edge that dared me to deny him. “Fine. I’ll see you later.”
“Yes, you will.”
Oss laughed when Justin left. “You two just need to fuck it out.”
