Chains of Freedom (26 page)

"I ask myself that at least a hundred and fifty times a day," he said with a sigh.

RJ smiled and shrugged. "What can I say? After awhile you get used to anything."

"I know what I'd like you to get used to," Whitey said slyly.

Levits laughed heartily. "I've got an embroidered picture of her talking all the way through it, and you being happy."

They all laughed, then ordered another round of drinks while they waited for their dinner. By the time dinner got there everyone but RJ was about half drunk.

David was having a rare night. He had put his hook out in several bars, and hadn't had so much as a nibble. They had worked their way back to the Golden Arches.

"Cheer up, David," Alexi said, rapping him in a friendly manner on the shoulder. "You always have RJ."

"Huh?" David asked, never taking his eyes off a brunette at the bar.

"RJ. You know," Alexi made an obscene gesture which took both hands.

David shook his head decisively. "RJ and I have never . . ." He made the same gesture.

"Give me a break. I've seen you sleep with her," Alexi said. "Whose virtue are you trying to protect here, David? This is RJ. RJ, who fucks Whitey Baldor, of all people."

David didn't like RJ's name being said in the same sentence as "fucks."

"RJ doesn't screw me, and I don't think she does him, either," David said hotly.

"Ah, come on, David! Get your head out of your ass! RJ is half Argy. Those damned hybrid bitches could screw a mink to death. Literally. I knew a guy had his neck broke by one. They're really strong, and when they have orgasm, they just lose it. I had one myself once . . . ."

"An orgasm?" David said flippantly.

"No, an Argy. It was a trip, like nothing I've ever had before or since."

David didn't know why Alexi was making him so mad. Maybe because he had finally began to see what RJ had seen all along. For instance right now Alexi was trying to belittle RJ's importance by making her into an object for sex.

"Alexi," David hissed the name through clenched teeth. "If it comes to a choice between you and RJ, RJ always wins. You try to hurt her in any way, and I'll stop you myself."

Alexi laughed nervously. "Calm down, old man, I have no designs on our intrepid leader."

"Make sure you keep it that way," David spat.

Suddenly, the bar was deathly quiet. David turned to see who was fighting and why. In the doorway stood a tall, slender man with immaculate, short-cropped black hair and coal black eyes. He wore a two-piece black leather suit and spit-and-polish black boots. He had an air of importance about him, and while it was obvious that he was out of his element, it was just as obvious that he was not afraid.

He looked around the bar for several minutes, then turned and left.

Curious, David followed him with Alexi scrambling behind him. The man was stepping into—much to David's disbelief—a bright red air-car.

The man turned, looked at David and Alexi and smiled. "Ah, you look familiar."

"Kill him; he's Reliance," Alexi said urgently.

"What do you want here?" David asked in his most intimidating tone of voice.

"I am looking for my sister," he said simply. "You are not my sister, so good day to you." He started to get in his car.

"Perhaps we could help you," David said, grabbing the man's arm.

The man looked down at David's hand curiously, but was still unconcerned. There was only one explanation for this man and his attire. It wouldn't be the first time some well-to-do Reliance brat had run off to Alsterase to catch a glimpse of the other side. They usually had to be rescued by siblings or parents. After all, a well-to-do (and therefore military) Reliance family wouldn't want it known that their precious little darling had been consorting with the scum of Alsterase.

The problem was, it explained the man's presence all too well, and was a perfect cover for a Reliance spy.

"What does your sister look like?" David asked carefully.

"I remember, and I'll know her when I find her. Now, if you'll excuse me." He started to pull away, and Alexi started to hit him.

David grabbed Alexi's arm. "I'm going to ask you again. What does your sister look like?"

Suddenly, the man's face seemed to light up. He raised his arm and waved extravagantly. "That's what my sister looks like."

David turned and saw, to his amazement, RJ and her crew getting ready to enter the hotel.

David started to question the man, but he was gone.

He bounded over the car and ran towards the woman.

David went after him. He tackled the man just feet from RJ.

When she heard the commotion, RJ turned, laser in hand.

The man shook David off, and stood up in a single movement.

RJ looked at the man in disbelief. "Poley?"

"RJ!" He clapped his hands together. "I think I am excited."

RJ laughed, then moved forward to hug him. He didn't hug her back. "Poley, what on earth are you doing here?"

Before he could answer, David demanded. "Is this man really your brother?"

RJ looked at Poley and smiled broadly. She nodded her head. "Yes. Yes, he is." She saw the air car and made all the right assumptions.

"Levits, take that thing and park it on the roof."

"Well, that ought to make fatso really happy," Levits mumbled as he went to move the car.

RJ took Poley's hand. "Come on, let's go up to the room."

In the room, David silently fumed as he listened to RJ and her brother talk.

"You never answered me, Poley. What are you doing here?" Poley was more or less a component of Stewart. Till now, she had always assumed that Poley was pretty much dysfunctional without Stewart. Apparently, that wasn't true.

"Our father sent me," Poley answered.

David snorted angrily. Not just a brother, but her father was still living.

RJ ignored David. "Why, Poley? Why did Father send you here?"

"To help you." Poley watched David. He didn't understand the man's reaction, and he found it curious. "Because he doesn't like J-6."

RJ didn't like that term, and she decided the rest of their conversation should be conducted in private.

"What else have you lied about, RJ?" David demanded. He was ignored.

RJ grabbed Poley by the hand and started to pull him towards the bathroom.

"Hybrid bitch," David cursed.

This got RJ's attention. She swung around to face him. "What did you say?"

"He called you a hybrid bitch," Whitey said, helpfully.

"Thanks a lot," David mumbled.

"No problem," the giant said with a smile.

RJ pulled Poley into the bathroom and shut the door, which Whitey and Mickey had replaced in their absence.

David glared at the closed door. He was being shut out. He was slowly being replaced in RJ's life.

"OK, Poley, I'll bite. What's a J-6?" RJ asked.

"Who," he corrected. "J-6 is Senator of Zone 2-A, and she is from the same batch as yourself."

RJ sat down heavily on the toilet seat.

"That explains a lot."

Poley nodded.

"How many of us did Stewart make?" She had always assumed that she was part of a batch. This just confirmed it.

"Twelve. But, as far as we know, you and J-6 are the only ones still operational. However J-6's calling unit was damaged, so who knows? You may all still be operational. You are the strongest, brightest, et cetera."

RJ smiled. It had always been obvious that Poley had been based on Stewart.

Stewart had told her that for some reason, her defect—the jerking arm—was directly related to other, more favorable aspects of her physical makeup. Now it made sense that he had come to this judgment by assessing her against others.

She started to fill Poley in with all he needed to know to function in this new environment. The last thing she told him was. "I want you to monitor Alexi."

"May I know why?"

"Because I don't trust him. That's why."

Poley nodded.

"Now, tell me about J-6."

"What the hell are they doing in there?" David asked in frustration. He moved closer to the door.

"Get back," RJ warned from inside.

"What are they talking about for so long? And why is it such a big secret?" Alexi asked, trying to add to the paranoia. "I don't like it."

"And I don't like you," Whitey growled.

"And I need to use the john," Levits said, uncomfortably.

"Go out the window," David suggested, flopping down on the bed. He had more important things to worry about than Levits' toileting needs.

"I would if I only had to whizz," Levits said, jumping around in an odd way.

"There's probably a charge for shitting on the side walk," Whitey said lightly. "After all, this is a classy joint."

"Ha, ha," Levits said. "It's easy for you to make jokes. Your piles aren't backing up."

"I don't understand. Why wouldn't she come over? What is her tie to the Reliance?" RJ smiled crookedly. "Besides being a Senator I mean."

"Governor Bristol."

"Yes, I killed him. So?" She was growing impatient with him.

"He was J-6's lover . . ."

"Her what?" RJ shouted. She put her hand to her mouth. "He was her what?" she repeated, quietly.

"You have total recall." Poley didn't understand the necessity of repeating himself. Perhaps she had become partly dysfunctional.

"Humor me," RJ said acidly. She just
couldn't
have heard him correctly.

Poley shrugged. "She said he was her lover. I have no reason to believe that she lied." He went on, "She is very intent on killing you."

RJ was thoughtful. This could change a lot of things, or it could mean nothing at all.

"I have to say that both Stewart and I were very surprised. We had naturally assumed that in any kind of sexual relationship, considering your maternal parentage and your massive strength, that you would crush your mate to death during orgasm."

"Thank you very much, Poley," RJ said with a sigh.

"You're welcome." He smiled his very best synthetic smile. Sarcasm was more or less wasted on the robot.

As they emerged from the bathroom, Levits danced in. He came out some time later, a very relieved look on his face.

There were a lot of things she should have been mulling over, many things that should have been occupying her brain. Important things. Things that needed all her attention. But all she could think about was that J-6 had had a lover. She'd had sex with a human man, and he'd survived. Been quite healthy, actually, before RJ killed him.

Everyone else went to bed long before RJ did. When she finally did, she crawled into bed with David. This time he got up and moved to the floor. Damn, this was just what she needed. He was mad at her. Probably because she hadn't told him about her family. But how could she?

She looked to where he tossed and turned on the floor and smiled. Good, he couldn't sleep either. It wasn't much of a consolation. She didn't want him to be mad at her. He had called her a hybrid bitch! The nerve, the gall of the man! If he was mad, that was his own fault. Piss on him! Three minutes later, she joined him on the floor. She put her hand on his shoulder.

"David, I'm sorry."

He harrumphed.

"Oh, come on, David, quit acting like a baby."

"You lied to me!" he said in disbelief. "You looked me right in the eye and told me a bold-faced lie."

"Ah, come on, David," she said, with equal disbelief. "At worst it was a little white lie."

"A little white lie?" David nearly yelled. RJ put a finger over his lips, and he lowered his voice. "You told me you had no family. You told me you were raised Elite."

"You called me a hybrid bitch." RJ countered.

"Don't change the subject," David said hotly. "You lied to me."

"You called me a hybrid bitch." Suddenly, she didn't want to make up with him anymore. She started to get up, and he grabbed her arm. For a moment she froze. She looked at where his hand touched her arm. Then she did something that shocked her at least as much as it did him.

She kissed him.

Because it was a reflex action, he kissed her back without thinking. He found her mouth a warm, wonderful, and wildly erotic place to be. He felt her hands running recklessly over his body. He could actually hear her heart pounding. His hands began their own exploration, almost without direction from his mind. She had an amazingly fascinating body, smooth but not soft. She had great breasts. Suddenly, her kisses became more demanding, he felt her hand at his waist undoing his pants. It came to him all at once. It was RJ's breast in his hand, RJ's tongue climbing down his throat, RJ's hips moving seductively against his.