Genesis - Keith R. A. DeCandido [47]
"No, it's okay." Even as she spoke, though, she realized that she was cold. Her arms had unconsciously folded so she could warm herself, and her exposed flesh—which there was a lot of in this stupid dress— was covered in goosebumps.
"C'mon, it's cold in here." He held up the jacket.
With a small smile, she gave in and took it.
As her fingers brushed his, she suddenly remembered something…
His hands ran gently up and down her naked flesh, his callused fingers playing over her skin, feeling both rough and smooth at the same time.
His lips hungrily attacked hers, as if they were trying to consume each other. Their tongues explored—teasing, tasting, dancing.
He pulled her slim athletic form tight against his muscular body.
It seemed their marriage wasn't quite the sham One thought it was.
She decided to venture a question. "Are you—do you remember anything? Before—this?"
Spence shook his head. "No—no. Nothing before the train. You?"
"No," she lied. "Nothing."
Why did she lie?
For some reason, with the memory flash came a feeling.
Don't trust Spence.
No, it was more general than that. It was not wanting to trust anyone.
Dammit, what the hell was going on with her head?
"Got it."
Alice looked up to see the computer geek—what was his name? Kaplan?—showing One something on that wrist-top computer of his. "We double back, cut through Dining Hall B, then we're back on track."
Even as he spoke, the other two—whom One had identified as Rain Melendez and J.D. Hawkins—returned.
"Sir—no go," Rain said. "The whole level's flooded."
"All right, we're behind schedule," One said, "so let's move it!"
Another of the commandoes—Alfonso Warner—walked up to Spence and Alice and gave them a "move-it" head nod. Without waiting for any kind of acknowledgment, he went ahead.
Alice looked at Spence. They each solemnly mimicked Warner's head-nod.
Then they both laughed.
Maybe she should trust him.
"Come on," Spence said.
As they started walking behind Warner and the others, Alice said, "Strange that over five hundred people work in this place. So far, we've only seen one."
"You think they're lying?"
"I don't know." She shook her head. "Seems like a lot of firepower just to shut down a computer."
Spence shrugged. "Maybe whoever briefed them didn't tell them the whole truth. Or maybe they didn't tell us the whole truth yet."
Behind them, Rain took a quick look at the body of Anna Bolt.
"Poor bastards."
Alice couldn't argue with the sentiment.
After a few minutes, they got to another sealed entrance. Kaplan entered a code into the pad, and it slid open.
Warner, J.D., and Vance Drew went in first, in a standard rotating cover flank.
How the hell did she know that was standard?
That question was superseded by another one: what the hell kind of dining hall was this?
The space they entered was huge. It was also dark and dank and filled with boxes that were about eight feet tall with large tubes leading in and out of them.
No sign of any of the accoutrements one would expect in a dining hall.
Or much of anywhere else, if it came right down to it.
"Kaplan?" One asked.
"Dining Hall B." Kaplan shrugged helplessly. "It's what it says on the map."
One walked over to take a look at Kaplan's display. "Maybe you're reading it wrong."
Matt gave One a hard look. "Maybe the corporation's keeping a few secrets down here. Something you're not supposed to see."
Kaplan actually looked worried about that, but One remained unaffected. "J.D., you and Rain keep the prisoner here and secure the exit."
The medic took another air sample.
"Sir, halon levels are nonexistent in this room. Could be the system malfunctioned."
Alice wondered what that meant, exactly. Then again, there was no reason for anything to start making sense now.
One studied the medic's readout, then looked up.
"All right, listen up. There may be survivors, so give me a search line—but keep it tight."
Rain shoved Matt toward one of the smaller crates for him to sit on.
"Move it."
They moved out in different directions. Alice and Spence were left alone, with only