“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you. What’s up?”
Bee stood up. “I was in the neighborhood. Figured I’d swing by and say hi.”
“And camp outside my door?”
“I’ve only been here ten minutes. None of the neighbors saw me.”
He put his back against the door. “Seriously,” he said, “what’s up, Bee?”
She gave a lopsided shrug and one of the bra straps slipped off her shoulder. “I was just wondering if you wanted to hang out and watch a movie or something?”
“Or something?”
Her smile became a grin. “Well, I don’t know about you,” she said, dancing her fingers on his chest, “but I haven’t had a really good ‘or something’ in months now. We could skip the movie and go right to that. I wouldn’t have any complaints.”
He took her hand. “We agreed we weren’t going to do this anymore.”
“Yeah, and we haven’t,” she said. “But it’s been ages and we had an exciting day. I’m horny, I’m wearing the underwear you like, and you’re here instead of being...” She paused and looked him in the eyes. “With someone else.”
“Maybe this is my one night a week to sleep alone.”
“You’re a shitty liar.”
“Maybe I’m not up for it.”
“The George I knew was always up for it.” She peeled the tank off in one quick movement and slung it around his neck. “What do you say? Two or three times for old time’s sake?”
He reached up for her arms, grabbed her wrists. “Bee...”
“It’ll be our little secret.”
She pulled his head down, pressed herself against his body, and kissed him. For a second he let her, and then he straightened up and away. “We both know there aren’t any secrets from her.”
Lady Bee sighed. “Well,” she said, “looks like that moment’s passed, then.” She pulled the tank off his neck and wrestled it back over her striped hair. “You know you’re wasting your time, right?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
She pushed her arms through and jerked the tank over her flat belly. “You’re never going to have any kind of relationship with her. Nothing normal and healthy, anyway.”
“That’s a little—”
“She’s the empress of all ice queens. If the exes vanished tomorrow she would too. Back to her bat-cave, never to be seen again. And you know it.”
“You’re wrong.”
Bee shook her head. “She’s just like every other frigid bitch, holding the nice guy at arm’s length and getting him to do whatever she wants.” She gave him a peck on the cheek and headed for the stairs. “Good night, George.”
“G’night.”
“Maybe you’ll get lucky and I’ll try again in a few months.”
Chapter 9
NOW
Danielle had pulled the mattress off her bed months ago and set it against the wall under the all-purpose table. Once she’d blocked one side of the table with a small dresser, she could get something close to a good night’s sleep. She woke up aching from the concrete floor, but it beat laying awake in the cot all night and hearing imaginary teeth chattering in the corners of her workshop.
This morning someone was nudging her, and in her slumbering mind she wondered if it was a version of the dream where Nikolai was still alive and had gotten over his dead girlfriend. Then the nudges became prods, and after a few prods someone grabbed her exposed shoulder and shook. For a moment, in her half-awake state, she saw the dark form looming over her and thought an ex had latched onto her. She lashed out and the figure grabbed her clumsy backhand.
“Get dressed,” said Stealth. She released Danielle’s wrist. “We are needed at Four.”
Danielle threw off her covers. Even in the sweltering heat of a Los Angeles summer, she needed to feel a certain amount of weight over her to sleep. She crawled out from under the table and stood next to the hooded woman. “Where’s my crew?”
“I do not need your assistants. I need you at Four.”
“George, then? Someone’s got to help me get into the armor.” She nodded through the doorway at the half-assembled battlesuit standing in the workshop. “I can’t do it alone.”
“You do not need the Cerberus armor to come with me,” said Stealth. “Please put on whatever clothing you feel necessary. Time is of the essence.”
“Necessary for what?”
“Danielle, in one minute I am leaving,” said the cloaked woman. “You will be coming with me. What you are wearing at that point is of no consequence to me.”
Sixty seconds later Danielle tugged her shirt on as Stealth dragged her out of the workshop. The cloaked woman was like the villain in a slasher movie. Her pace never approached a run, or even a jog, but Danielle struggled to keep up.
It was barely dawn. A few last stars twinkled and faded in the steel-blue sky. “What the hell’s going on?” asked Danielle as she buttoned up her shirt.
“The Predator has returned,” said Stealth.
“Already?”
“An hour and a half ago.”