My insides twisted at the thought. If she didn't succeed, that meant she was dead. I couldn't imagine a life with Myrtle gone.
"I'm listening."
"Riot, promise me, if I die, that you'll try to get her out of the bunker."
"How do you propose I do that?" I smirked, but stopped when she didn't smile back.
"Promise me," she insisted. "I don't care what it takes, how you do it, who dies in the process, but if I die, please get her out."
I stared at Myrtle.
"Okay."
I would have never agreed if it were anyone else but she was my friend, and I'd cherish that for the rest of my life. I'd do anything for Myrtle.
"I want to solidify this moment in time. Make sure you never forget your promise to me."
"What, like a blood oath?" I smirked again.
Her eyes drifted to the suitcase on my kitchen table. Two days ago, a man came through needing new brake pads. The only thing he had to trade was a tattoo machine.
"You're not tattooing a whole book on me." I shook my head.
"No, of course not." She moved to the suitcase, opening it. "I just want to make sure you never forget her."
I swallowed my nerves and sat down. She asked for my hand, and I winced as she struggled with the machine. We'd played with it a bit but neither of us were professionals. She dragged the needle and ink across my hand for 20 minutes until she pulled back and nodded. "There."
I lifted my hand and looked at the fresh ink.
Eleanor.
"What's this?" I looked up, into her face. A single tear fell from her right eye.
"That's her name."
Chapter 36 - Callahan
Let her sleep.
"We need to go."
The swan boat returned to its original position, having circled the path over and over while Eleanor and I rode the waves of passion and lust. She'd already redressed herself and was staring at me bashfully. I gave her a nod. While it had been great sex, it wasn't my finest hour.
I'd broken the code.
"I have so many questions," she said as I helped her out of the boat. She was barefoot and limping. I turned the power off then scooped her into my arms and trekked back to my motorcycle. She gave me a questioning look and I smiled.
"A Daddy takes care of his Young Lady."
She relaxed into my arms and I picked up the pace.
"How can you survive without a mask?" she asked after a while.
I swallowed.
Did I dare tell her my secret?
"A few years ago, I discovered a bottle of pills. It's the same ones they give Young Ladies but for men. It's still in the testing phase, but the papers I found with it said it would enable us to breathe above. So I took them."
