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Authors: Quincy J. Allen
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out, and I can’t do that if we’re running for our lives. The organization that wants to hire us tried to kill me last time I was there.” Jake deliberately left out the fight with Quinn. Skeeter would jump on that the same way Cole had, and he didn’t want to have that discussion again. “This is gonna be tricky enough without having to protect you.”
“But—” she started.
“No buts on this one.… Please ,” Jake implored. “I can’t take you with me … okay?” He gave her shoulders a squeeze for emphasis. “I promise I’ll take you after the job is done and things settle down. We’ll all go to San Fran and stay in a real fancy hotel … by the ocean. I promise.”
Skeeter’s face softened a bit, but Jake was too good a card player not to know there wasn’t much give in the girl. She was probably just biding her time. She turned her nose up at him.
“I’m going to my workshop,” she said flatly and grabbed the stun-glove. “I’ll see you two when you get back,” she added, turning on her heel. She marched out stiffly but didn’t slam the back door—she knew better than that. But she didn’t close it gently either.
“She’s gonna be pissed at you for a while, Jake,” Cole said, pointing out the obvious.
Jake sighed, got to his feet, and sat down in the chair across from Cole. “I know. At least it’s settled, though. I sure as hell didn’t know what I was getting into when I decided to take her in.”
Cole chuckled. “I warned ya. But she is a hell of a kid, and with no place else for her to go, you did the right thing.” Cole gave him an appraising eye. “You’re a good man, Jake, no matter what them other people say.” Cole took a sip of his coffee and looked towards the back door. “So when you want to head out?”
“As soon as I can get dressed. The sooner we’re out of the house, the less likely it is she’ll corner me with a better argument. Besides, with Qi in the middle of this I’d like to get there straightaway.” Jake eyed Cole. “You sure you want to come along? You don’t have to, you know. This could turn into a real shit storm.”
“I know Jake, but if it is a trap, who the hell is gonna bail your ass out if it isn’t me?”
Jake thought about it a moment and grinned. “Good point,” he admitted. He took a sip of his coffee and leaned back, looking at his partner.
Riding partners like Cole came once in a lifetime. “Thanks, Cole,” he added more seriously, warm friendship filling his voice.
Cole only nodded, the unspoken friendship between them beyond simple words.
They finished their coffee in silence and heard a muffled explosion from Skeeter’s workshop. Jake sighed, shook his head, and stood up. “Can you go saddle Koto and Lumpy while I get dressed?”
“Sure, Jake. I’ll have ’em ready in no time. You want me to bring the Thumper?”
“Probably a good idea,” Jake agreed. “I hope it doesn’t, but this whole thing could turn into a fiasco faster than a frog jumping off a hotplate.” Jake headed upstairs while Cole went out to the barn to saddle their mounts.
Jake clumped to his room and closed the door behind him. He pulled a lever and waited as the closet opened with a quiet hiss of steam. He pulled off his nightshirt and dropped it on the floor. The filigreed surfaces of his artificial limbs caught his eye. It had been four years, and he still wasn’t used to how they looked, although they felt perfectly natural.
Curls and strange patterns decorated every surface. Set within the patterns were sigils and runes their creator had imbued with magic. That magic allowed Jake’s limbs to be more than just brass clockwork and plating. He traced some of the patterns on his arm with his right index finger, feeling the warmth of the metal underneath. So complete was the magic within that his metal arm could even feel his finger tracing the patterns, as if it were living flesh. He said a quiet thank you to old Tinker Farris and
“But—” she started.
“No buts on this one.… Please ,” Jake implored. “I can’t take you with me … okay?” He gave her shoulders a squeeze for emphasis. “I promise I’ll take you after the job is done and things settle down. We’ll all go to San Fran and stay in a real fancy hotel … by the ocean. I promise.”
Skeeter’s face softened a bit, but Jake was too good a card player not to know there wasn’t much give in the girl. She was probably just biding her time. She turned her nose up at him.
“I’m going to my workshop,” she said flatly and grabbed the stun-glove. “I’ll see you two when you get back,” she added, turning on her heel. She marched out stiffly but didn’t slam the back door—she knew better than that. But she didn’t close it gently either.
“She’s gonna be pissed at you for a while, Jake,” Cole said, pointing out the obvious.
Jake sighed, got to his feet, and sat down in the chair across from Cole. “I know. At least it’s settled, though. I sure as hell didn’t know what I was getting into when I decided to take her in.”
Cole chuckled. “I warned ya. But she is a hell of a kid, and with no place else for her to go, you did the right thing.” Cole gave him an appraising eye. “You’re a good man, Jake, no matter what them other people say.” Cole took a sip of his coffee and looked towards the back door. “So when you want to head out?”
“As soon as I can get dressed. The sooner we’re out of the house, the less likely it is she’ll corner me with a better argument. Besides, with Qi in the middle of this I’d like to get there straightaway.” Jake eyed Cole. “You sure you want to come along? You don’t have to, you know. This could turn into a real shit storm.”
“I know Jake, but if it is a trap, who the hell is gonna bail your ass out if it isn’t me?”
Jake thought about it a moment and grinned. “Good point,” he admitted. He took a sip of his coffee and leaned back, looking at his partner.
Riding partners like Cole came once in a lifetime. “Thanks, Cole,” he added more seriously, warm friendship filling his voice.
Cole only nodded, the unspoken friendship between them beyond simple words.
They finished their coffee in silence and heard a muffled explosion from Skeeter’s workshop. Jake sighed, shook his head, and stood up. “Can you go saddle Koto and Lumpy while I get dressed?”
“Sure, Jake. I’ll have ’em ready in no time. You want me to bring the Thumper?”
“Probably a good idea,” Jake agreed. “I hope it doesn’t, but this whole thing could turn into a fiasco faster than a frog jumping off a hotplate.” Jake headed upstairs while Cole went out to the barn to saddle their mounts.
Jake clumped to his room and closed the door behind him. He pulled a lever and waited as the closet opened with a quiet hiss of steam. He pulled off his nightshirt and dropped it on the floor. The filigreed surfaces of his artificial limbs caught his eye. It had been four years, and he still wasn’t used to how they looked, although they felt perfectly natural.
Curls and strange patterns decorated every surface. Set within the patterns were sigils and runes their creator had imbued with magic. That magic allowed Jake’s limbs to be more than just brass clockwork and plating. He traced some of the patterns on his arm with his right index finger, feeling the warmth of the metal underneath. So complete was the magic within that his metal arm could even feel his finger tracing the patterns, as if it were living flesh. He said a quiet thank you to old Tinker Farris and
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