Sooner Dead (Gamma World) - Mel Odom [30]
“Hella.”
Recognizing Colleen Trammell’s voice, Hella stopped and looked back.
Standing between two security people who had obviously been assigned to her, Colleen looked pasty and worn. Sweat glistened across her cheeks, and dark circles hollowed her eyes. She walked a little unsteadily.
“Are you all right?” Hella felt certain the woman was on the verge of collapse.
“I’m fine.” Then, as if recognizing that Hella saw through her lies, Colleen swallowed and lifted her chin. “I’ll be fine. Dr. Pardot gave me something so I could function better.”
Or be more manageable? Hella thought that was more likely the truth.
“It’s a necessary evil if I’m going to function. The senses that I have that tie me to the ripples have never been stronger.” Colleen fingered a simple, silver chain at her neck. A small oval containing a picture of Alice hung there. She recognized the girl from the photo on the PDA. As in the previous photo, Hella recognized the sense of joy and wonder about her that she had never before seen in a child.
“Maybe you should sit down.”
“I’ll be all right. If you don’t mind, I’d like you to show me around.”
“I’d be happy to.”
The security guard on the left shifted. “Dr. Pardot gave us strict orders that we were to stay with you.”
“Stay with us.” Hella didn’t look at the guard. She looked at Colleen. “You don’t know your way around this place either.”
“Careful, Red.” Down the small street, Stampede stood in front of the armorer’s shop and spoke over the comm link. “You’re flirting with the edge.”
“Do you know any other way to find out what’s going on?” Hella whispered under her breath.
Stampede’s silence was the only acknowledgment she needed.
Colleen smiled weakly. “That sounds fabulous.” She held out her hand. “Perhaps you wouldn’t mind steadying me.”
Hella wrapped the woman’s arm inside her own and took some of her weight. Colleen was slight and helping her was easy, but the tremors that ran through her almost unnerved Hella. To a person who lived out in the Redblight, sickness was one of the most fearful things to encounter. That was why they burned the dead instead of burying them.
“The security chief knew you.”
“Faust? Yeah.” Hella guided Colleen through the main building of Carnegie’s trade camp. They walked along a line of clothing that scavengers had discovered and brought in to sell. Some of them had bright colors, were in styles that would never work in the wilderness, and had sayings that Hella didn’t understand, including DO THE DEW. What could that have possibly meant? And why would someone need to be told to do something if it were necessary? And if it weren’t necessary, why put it on a shirt to remind yourself? “He used to ride with us. He was with Stampede when they found me. He was Stampede’s partner back in those days and helped take care of me.”
Raised by animals? That explains a lot.
Hella started to turn in the direction of the guard who stood behind her, certain that was where the voice had come from.
Inside his open-faced helmet, the man looked back at her guilelessly.
“Did you say something?” Hella stood her ground.
“No.”
Hella. The voice was different. She recognized it as Colleen’s, but it wasn’t like any other time she’d heard the woman speak. She looked at Colleen and noticed the sheen of perspiration had gotten wetter, dripping from her chin. I’m sorry. That wasn’t meant to get through. Don’t let them know I’m talking to you this way.
You’re an espee? Hella tried to let go of the woman’s hand, but Colleen held on with fierce determination.
Don’t. Please. Even Dr. Pardot doesn’t know I can do this. And it’s very, very