Read Online The Woman They Kept by Andrew Krause - Free Book Online Page A

photograph and handed it to her.
She unfolded it and it showed both Rolanda and Gideon, arm in arm,
smiling like they knew all the secrets of the world.
    “ This could be any woman.
Tell me a story about her,” she said, though the conviction in
her voice was wavering.
    Gideon thought for a moment.
“The day I proposed to her we went beyond the glass bubble for
a ride. It was one of those rare clear days and I knew a small
secret spot that wasn't stuffed with garbage or leaking poisons into
the air. It was up a rocky hill, there was an outlook there where
you could see for miles around. All of Cormac looked like a little
drop of water on a leaf, and in the distance we could even see other
bubbles. It was breathtaking. We had a picnic lunch and some
champagne, I didn't have much money for a ring but I had made one
out of an old log I found, polishing it to the size of her finger.
I got down on one knee and she said yes before I could even get a
word out.”
    “ A storm started gathering
suddenly. It was a fierce one, too, and growing fast in the
distance. We didn't have much time to get back to the bubble.”
    “ We got on my bike and
before we put our helmets on she kissed me and it was like time
stopped. In that moment there was no thunder and no lightning, just
the soft comforting feel and taste of her lips on mine. Then she
smiled and we were off.”
    “ I had five miles to cover
before we would be safe and the storm was coming quick. I had to
dodge all the trash and scattered metal on the way back, and do it
at three times the speed I had going out there. The storm was
coming fast, but all I could feel was her arm around my waist.
Nothing in the world can compare to that complete trust she gave to
me that day.”
    The woman stood for a moment
above Gideon, her features shadowed by the light behind her. Her
profile looked hard, cut from steel, sharp as the knife she held.
Finally, she fell into a chair and pulled out a cigarette, blowing
her smoke up towards the light. “It's a good story. So
you're here trying to get her back?”
    Gideon nodded and sat up. His
heart was still beating mercilessly against his ribcage, every thump
echoing in his ears. “And you? Just settling a vendetta?”
    “ You caught me in the
middle of my story. That man,” she pointed to the corpse of
Daniel, “is an ellipses, a 'to be continued.'” She took
another drag of her cigarette.
    “ So what now? Are you
still looking for your Jenny?” Gideon asked.
    Brushing her short dark hair out
of her eyes she frowned. “No, not any more,” she said
quietly. “What about you? Did you find out what you needed to from
him before I eviscerated Daniel?” She offered a cigarette
over to Gideon and he reached for it.
    “ A guy named Malakir
bought her a few weeks ago. He works in...”
    “ Fouchbough,” she
interrupted. “Yeah, I know him. He's got riders with him,
they form the backbone of his little gang.” She stood and
belted her knife back onto her waist. "You need help? I can
always cut a little larger swath through these animals."
    By the hard set look on her face
Gideon knew it was futile to say no, so he just stuck out his hand.
“Gideon,” he introduced himself.
    “ My name's Leanin,”
she said, her handshake painfully strong.

Chapter Five

    Leanin met Gideon at the
entrance to the bubble. When he rode up she was leaning against an
old motorcycle, tossing her helmet back and forth. Her bike fit her
personality, sleek, sharp, and tough. It was a smaller bike that
rode high with studded and reinforced tires for navigating off road.
It purred loudly as he strapped on his gear, she seemed to love
blipping the throttle and hearing her engine bark in response.
    When Gideon was ready Leanin
took off, leading quickly and swerving between the piles of debris
with ease. Fouchbough was far off down the mountains, the air got
warmer as they went along their path. A few clouds were in the sky,
but nothing imminently threatening.