Chapter Five—The Rescuer and the Rescued

“Not here,” Kyle said. “I’ll get him on my—“

He blinked, realizing his wristlet was fried. “You shorted by tech!”

“At least you’re alive.”

“Do you have a way to contact John?”

“Not on me,” May said, glancing about. “I came out here to take this missile launcher out.”

Kyle sighed. He wasn’t looking forward to hiking some more. “Now what?”

“We go back to my shuttle,” she said. “I’ve got some coms tech we can contact your friend with.”

He nodded. “Is it far?”

“What, are you tired already? I saw your car fly by not twenty minutes ago.”

Kyle sighed heavily as May smirked at him.

“Come on,” she said, turning around.

He walked, then realizing he had forgotten his knife, stopped and started kicking the sand about. It was black, and so was this course sand.

Where are you?

“Aren’t you coming?”

“Yeah,” he said, moving the sand about. “I’m trying to find my knife.”

“We shouldn’t waste time. You can get a new one.”

Chuckling, he ignored her.

After a few moments she said, “Are you upset that I saved your ass, Kyle?”

“What?!” he asked, glancing up at her. “No.”

With her huge gun in her hand and her fist on her hip, she looked like something off a magazine cover in that tight black latex and chest harness.

“Here it is,” he said, bending and reaching for the blade. It was a miracle he had found it kicking about the sand like that. He pushed the thumb release to activate the blade.

And like his wristlet, it was fried. The knife was supposed to be guarded against those kinds of attacks, but apparently May’s huge fucking gun was a little more destructive than he thought it would be.

“This cost me two million.”

“Wow,” she said, her eyebrows rising above the rims of her glasses. “Well, you know what they say about expensive knives.”

He stalked toward her. “What’s that?”

She smiled. “The more expensive the knife…”

Flinching, he realized something. “You’re a lot different in person, you know that?”

May shrugged. “I’ve noticed. Now can we go, or are you going to make me carry you out of here?”

“Yeah,” he said with an amused sniff. “Let’s go.”

“So how far did you say your ride was?”

“I didn’t. Don’t worry, it won’t take longer than a few hours.”

“Gods…” he muttered, and instantly regretted whining in front of her. It was hot and muggy out here and his shoes were getting ruined. Kyle was no outlands gorilla. He was an Anarcho—a city-fuckin’-boy. He didn’t need this shit—and he certainly didn’t need May smirking at him with that derisive little smile.

“Don’t be offended,” she said, not bothering to turn around to address him as they crested the edge of the crater.

“What are you talking about? I’m not offended.”

“Okay.”

“I’m not!”

“Yeah.”

He rolled his eyes. “You’re insufferable.”

She turned around. “And you’re a crybaby—now can we get a move on?”

“You’ve got a bad attitude, you know that?”

She shook her head. “It’s not me.”

He said, “Yeah.”

She chuckled and continued leading the way. Kyle followed, but kept a respectable distance of two or three meters.

After a time walking through what used to be a road, he realized the weather was heating up as the clouds burned away from the hot sun.

Wiping his forehead, he glanced at May. He was still utterly shocked that she resembled the illustrated cover image he and John had always seen whenever they were in contact with her. Dark hair, big eyes and bright red lip gloss.

But her demeanor was completely different. She was…

Annoying.

Nice hips and ass notwithstanding.

Damn, I’m a douche, he thought. Been waiting for this moment only to fuck up and make a terrible first impression.

Nice goin’ dumbass.

“You’re pretty quiet,” she said as they stalked up a hill atop the cracked and crumbling street. On their east and west were the hollow shells of dead buildings—probably dwellings.

Their sheer size made what people lived in today look like shoe boxes.

“I’m just…” He breathed. “I’m just trying to save my breath.”

She stopped and looked at him. “You know, you guys are pretty capable—especially in a pinch.”

“Thanks,” he said, wondering where she was going with this complement.

“It’s just not your element,” she added.

“Ah,” he said with a nod. Kyle wasn’t sure whether to accept that complement or be offended that she was still pointing out how terrible he was doing out here.

“Aren’t you a tech nerd?”

She laughed. “What?”

“I don’t know,” he said with a shrug. You were always the go-between girl when dealing with us. I’m surprised. I mean—look at you.” He gestured to her.”

“What?”

“You’re—“

Shit—he just glanced at her up and down like some kind of pervert.

She raised an eyebrow. “Yes?”

“I mean, look at you and your big ass gun running out here and rescuing me.”

“I didn’t come out here to rescue you,” she said. “You just got lucky.”

He nodded.

“I guess you have a point. But what you don’t see, you don’t know. I’m very versatile—just like you boys.”

“Makes sense.”

“Now come on,” she added. “If those Strogaus Industries douchebags find out where our shuttle is, we’re fucked.”

She sounds like me.

“Wait—how does Strogaus play into this?”