DECIMUS MERIDIUS
By Stacey and Jo
Stacey writing: Terry, Dee, Biebe, Amber, Alex, Gayle
Jo writing: Maximus, Caroline, Bud,
Marie, Cort,
Lachlan, Hope, Sid
PART 9:
Once Alex and Lachlan were dressed in the security guards' uniforms, they quickly made their way to the service entrance, using the security access cards they found on the unconscious guards. Once the door was open and the coast was clear, Alex motioned for Bud and the twins to hurry inside.
"Through here," Alex told them, keeping watch by the
service elevator door. "Hurry, someone's coming!" he
hissed, listening closely as he heard footsteps getting
closer.
There was a janitor's closet just down from the service entrance and Bud and the twins practically dove into it. Hope warped herself back outside, just beyond the doorway, peering through its wired glass. Lachlan straightened his uniform jacket, stepping out into the middle of the hallway, tensely waiting to see who was coming.
A thin man in his early 50's, pushing a wheeled mop bucket, came around the corner, obviously heading for his closet. He stopped and stared at Lachlan and Alex, leaned forward a bit to read Lachlan's name tag. Frowning, he said, "You ain't Dwight. What're you doin' with his...." But then he was suddenly lying unconscious at Lachlan's feet and Hope was standing right beside him, a small grin on her face.
Lachlan blew out a breath of relief. "That's my girl!" he said.
"I am. And don't you forget it, Odd."
"No way," he grinned. "No way at all."
"If you two lovebirds are done making eyes, let's get into the elevator." Bud had come up behind them.
There was a janitor's closet just down from the service entrance and Bud and the twins practically dove into it. Hope warped herself back outside, just beyond the doorway, peering through its wired glass. Lachlan straightened his uniform jacket, stepping out into the middle of the hallway, tensely waiting to see who was coming.
A thin man in his early 50's, pushing a wheeled mop bucket, came around the corner, obviously heading for his closet. He stopped and stared at Lachlan and Alex, leaned forward a bit to read Lachlan's name tag. Frowning, he said, "You ain't Dwight. What're you doin' with his...." But then he was suddenly lying unconscious at Lachlan's feet and Hope was standing right beside him, a small grin on her face.
Lachlan blew out a breath of relief. "That's my girl!" he said.
"I am. And don't you forget it, Odd."
"No way," he grinned. "No way at all."
"If you two lovebirds are done making eyes, let's get into the elevator." Bud had come up behind them.
The group piled into the service elevator that would
take them up to the roof. It was about halfway up when
suddenly it just stopped moving. Everyone tensed,
preparing themselves for the worst.
"Think he knows we're coming?" Alex asked, his forehead
beginning to bead up with sweat.
Hope was very quiet, then she said, "He knows."
"Should we, um, you think, turn back then?" Lachlan asked.
"No." Bud's voice was grim, flat. Then he looked at Lachlan and Alex. "You guys can if you want. But I have to go on."
Hope was very quiet, then she said, "He knows."
"Should we, um, you think, turn back then?" Lachlan asked.
"No." Bud's voice was grim, flat. Then he looked at Lachlan and Alex. "You guys can if you want. But I have to go on."
"We are with you," Meridius said. Decimus nodded
agreement.
The elevator started again with a sharp jerk that almost
knocked them off their feet. "You think Sid did that?"
Lachlan wondered.
"No way to tell," Bud sighed. "But it doesn't matter."
When they stepped out onto the small hallway that had
stairs leading from the elevator to the roof, Bud went
first, his gun in his hand. He opened the roof doorway a
couple of inches. A guard was standing not far away,
smoking a cigarette. He let the door close. "Guard," he
whispered. Hope disappeared and a moment later opened
the door from the other side, smiling.
"You, my dear," Lachlan grinned, "are useful as well as
decorative."
Back at the blue house, Terry and the others were all
nervously waiting to hear word from Bud. Though an hour
hadn't yet passed since they'd first taken off for Sid's
penthouse, to the others it seemed like an eternity.
"They'll be okay, won't they?" Gayle asked, worried
about what Sid might do to Alex or any one of the others
if he caught them. "I mean, Sid wouldn't really...um...
kill anybody, would he?"
The rest of the group was grimly silent, casting a
glance towards Cort. They all knew this was harder on
him than any of them, stirring up memories of what had
happened to Rachel. Gayle noticed the exchange, mentally
chastised herself for bringing up the topic.
"They'll be fine," Terry tried to reassure everyone, his
eyes meeting Cort's. "All of them." He just hoped to
hell he was right. Who knew what Sid might do to one or
all of them. The nanotech was anything but predictable.
He'd proved that more than once.
Cort was sitting by himself off to one side of the room, his head down, watching his hands as he drew circles with his right thumb on the palm of his left hand. He sighed heavily from time to time, the long minutes weighing on him.
Bud, Decimus and Meridius set about removing the grating over the ductwork entrance on the roof. Sid sat cross-legged on the roof across the street, smiling in the darkness as he watched their efforts. They were like ants in one of those narrow plastic containers kids filled with
sand so they could watch them tunneling. He hadn't known, when he took her, just what he would do with Marie. This would be most amusing. He could simply let her be found. Bud would be ever so relieved. Bud, though, would not know that Marie now had Sid in her blood. Try as she might to fight against it, he was heroin to her now. Good sex for him. Misery for Officer White. A fair deal, imminently fair.
"Let me go first," Lachlan said when the grating was off. He was slimmer than everyone but Alex.
Bud licked his lips, sighing. "All right. But you be...."
"I know," Lachlan grinned. "I will be." Before sliding into the square silvery tunnel, he took Hope in his arms for a thorough kiss.
Sid, watching, frowned terribly. Hope. Well, he was far from done with her yet, either. He'd just let them complete this little escapade of theirs, but only because he wanted to observe the results of it.
"Hope," Bud said, "I can't leave you here alone on the roof. Who knows where Sid might be. You'll have to come along, I'm afraid."
"I thought that I would have to. It will take a couple of minutes for all of you to get into that thing. I'm going to warp for a second back to the house to let Daddy know I'm all right and where we are." She disappeared before he could open his mouth to reply.
"Daddy?"
Cort looked up. "Oh, God...Hope! You're ok! Are...are you finished? Is it over? Did you find Marie?"
Hope knelt in front of him, taking his hands in hers. "It's not over, Daddy. The others are on the roof, starting to get in the duct. I just came by for a minute to let you know it's going ok. " She looked over her shoulder at Terry and John. "It's actually been very easy so far. I don't know if Sid's just letting us in...or what. "
"The calm before the storm," Terry warned her. "Just because things are easy so far doesn't mean Sid isn't preparing some sort of a trap. Just...just be careful, see to it that Bud doesn't go charging in there, guns blazing and not have a think on things first."
Cort looked over Hope's head at Terry. "How's she supposed to do that? "
"I can't stay. I said I'd just be gone a second." She kissed Cort's cheek. "I love you, Daddy." Then she was gone. Cort buried his face in his hands.
Everyone was in the duct now but Bud. "Everything ok back at the house?" he asked.
"They're worried, but, yes, they're all right. All in the living room."
"In with you, then."
"It would be easier if I just warped to the other end."
"Easier, yes, but then you'd be out of my sight. In."
They didn't have far to go as the penthouse was right beneath them. Lachlan was already wrestling with the grate at the other end. It finally came loose and fell outwards with a clang. At the sound, Bud's head jerked up, banging into the top of the duct. "Fuck! What was that?"
The men in front of him passed the message back from a rather abashed Lachlan. "Might as fuckin' well have knocked on his door!" Bud growled.
The vent put them out in Sid's laundry room, an area he never used as he had everything done professionally. One by one they dropped onto the tile floor, completely filling the little room. Pulling his gun again, Bud pushed he way through the others to the door. "Now if nobody has
a trumpet they need to blow," he whispered, "let's see if we can manage a little quiet."
"Sorry," Lachlan whispered back, then felt Hope take his hand.
"Which way to his bedroom?" Bud asked Hope, keeping his voice very low.
"Down this hall, around the corner, last door, the one at the end."
"Lachlan, you and Alex stay here with Hope. Hope, you sense Sid, you sense anything you don't like, you warp outta here with the two of them. Don't look back. Just go. You understand?"
Cort was sitting by himself off to one side of the room, his head down, watching his hands as he drew circles with his right thumb on the palm of his left hand. He sighed heavily from time to time, the long minutes weighing on him.
Bud, Decimus and Meridius set about removing the grating over the ductwork entrance on the roof. Sid sat cross-legged on the roof across the street, smiling in the darkness as he watched their efforts. They were like ants in one of those narrow plastic containers kids filled with
sand so they could watch them tunneling. He hadn't known, when he took her, just what he would do with Marie. This would be most amusing. He could simply let her be found. Bud would be ever so relieved. Bud, though, would not know that Marie now had Sid in her blood. Try as she might to fight against it, he was heroin to her now. Good sex for him. Misery for Officer White. A fair deal, imminently fair.
"Let me go first," Lachlan said when the grating was off. He was slimmer than everyone but Alex.
Bud licked his lips, sighing. "All right. But you be...."
"I know," Lachlan grinned. "I will be." Before sliding into the square silvery tunnel, he took Hope in his arms for a thorough kiss.
Sid, watching, frowned terribly. Hope. Well, he was far from done with her yet, either. He'd just let them complete this little escapade of theirs, but only because he wanted to observe the results of it.
"Hope," Bud said, "I can't leave you here alone on the roof. Who knows where Sid might be. You'll have to come along, I'm afraid."
"I thought that I would have to. It will take a couple of minutes for all of you to get into that thing. I'm going to warp for a second back to the house to let Daddy know I'm all right and where we are." She disappeared before he could open his mouth to reply.
"Daddy?"
Cort looked up. "Oh, God...Hope! You're ok! Are...are you finished? Is it over? Did you find Marie?"
Hope knelt in front of him, taking his hands in hers. "It's not over, Daddy. The others are on the roof, starting to get in the duct. I just came by for a minute to let you know it's going ok. " She looked over her shoulder at Terry and John. "It's actually been very easy so far. I don't know if Sid's just letting us in...or what. "
"The calm before the storm," Terry warned her. "Just because things are easy so far doesn't mean Sid isn't preparing some sort of a trap. Just...just be careful, see to it that Bud doesn't go charging in there, guns blazing and not have a think on things first."
Cort looked over Hope's head at Terry. "How's she supposed to do that? "
"I can't stay. I said I'd just be gone a second." She kissed Cort's cheek. "I love you, Daddy." Then she was gone. Cort buried his face in his hands.
Everyone was in the duct now but Bud. "Everything ok back at the house?" he asked.
"They're worried, but, yes, they're all right. All in the living room."
"In with you, then."
"It would be easier if I just warped to the other end."
"Easier, yes, but then you'd be out of my sight. In."
They didn't have far to go as the penthouse was right beneath them. Lachlan was already wrestling with the grate at the other end. It finally came loose and fell outwards with a clang. At the sound, Bud's head jerked up, banging into the top of the duct. "Fuck! What was that?"
The men in front of him passed the message back from a rather abashed Lachlan. "Might as fuckin' well have knocked on his door!" Bud growled.
The vent put them out in Sid's laundry room, an area he never used as he had everything done professionally. One by one they dropped onto the tile floor, completely filling the little room. Pulling his gun again, Bud pushed he way through the others to the door. "Now if nobody has
a trumpet they need to blow," he whispered, "let's see if we can manage a little quiet."
"Sorry," Lachlan whispered back, then felt Hope take his hand.
"Which way to his bedroom?" Bud asked Hope, keeping his voice very low.
"Down this hall, around the corner, last door, the one at the end."
"Lachlan, you and Alex stay here with Hope. Hope, you sense Sid, you sense anything you don't like, you warp outta here with the two of them. Don't look back. Just go. You understand?"
"Got it," Alex replied, hoping to hell nothing happened
where they'd have the need to warp. So far, he'd managed
to avoid it, and given the choice he'd keep it that way.
Hope nodded and Lachlan tightened his hand around hers.
Hope nodded and Lachlan tightened his hand around hers.
With a hand signal to the twins, Bud slid out the door and the three of them made their way down the long hallway, their backs pressed flat to the wall. The door at the end was closed. The other doors they passed were all open but contained no sign of Sid's presence. At the bedroom door, Bud stopped, laying his palm on it as though testing to see if it were hot on the other side. The hallway light was on, which he didn't like, but no yellow showed through the crack at the bottom of the door. Damn! They would be entering darkness with light behind them. Not good. Not good at all. Reaching across the hall, he flipped the switch, plunging them into blackness themselves.
"Better," Meridius whispered.
Gun ready, Bud began to open the door. He didn't know if he'd be instantly warped, killed... what. He just knew this was the last place Marie had been seen and neither hell nor Sid was keeping him from going in after her. The door was open enough now that he could peer around
it. Nothing. He could see nothing. What was that? Sounds. He held his breath, listening. A woman crying. He reached to the wall beside the door, turning on the lights.
Marie was on the bed, her face on her legs, her arms folded over
the back of her head, sobbing. "Marie!" Bud burst into the
room, sprinting to the bed while the twins checked quickly for
sign of Sid. None.
"Oh, God...Marie!" Bud got up on the bed on his knees beside
her, putting a palm lightly on her back. She was shaking,
trembling from head to toe. What had Sid done to her to reduce
her to this? She still had on her jogging outfit. He was glad
to see that. Perhaps? No, he'd done something awful to her.
"Marie?"
She kept on shaking, kept on sobbing. He
felt a prickling in the backs of his own eyes and
slid off the bed, lifting her in his arms as he moved. She
didn't even seem aware of him but she did bury her face in his
shoulder, though the sobs and shaking continued. He pressed his
cheek against her hair. "I've got you, Marie. You're safe now.
I've got you. It's over. You hear me, it's over."
Turning with her in his arms, he said to the twins. "I'm taking
her down the main elevator. Get Hope. Get her to clear the way
for us, do whatever she needs to clear the way." He started for
the main door.
Hope warped half a dozen men before they got out of the
building. They walked quickly around to the back where Bud's
car was. "You drive," he said to Alex, getting in the back
seat, still holding Marie.
Alex nodded, looking all around for any signs
of trouble as he slid behind the wheel and started up the
engine.
Sid, standing on the other rooftop, smiled. "He thinks he has you back. He has no idea of the invisible tether that connects you to me. He will, though. Indeed, he will."
Minutes later, they were tearing down the road at full speed, Sid's penthouse a mere blur behind them. Alex was still concerned that Sid was somehow watching them, following them even. He kept one eye on the road and the other in the rear-view, expecting the worst. He didn't like it. Everything had gone too smoothly, too easily for them. He glanced back in the mirror at Bud, wondering what Sid had done to Marie to make her cry like that. "She okay?" he asked quietly.
Bud just growled something deep in his throat.
When Alex screeched to a stop by the blue house and opened Bud's door, he got out, carrying Marie inside, murmuring constantly to her though she didn't seem to hear him. Decimus held the front door open for him and he walked into the living room, his eyes latching on Terry's across the room. Marie's sobs had abated to a hitching of her breath, but she was still shaking.
"Oh thank
God you're all back!" Dee said, letting out a sigh of relief.
Alex
strolled in behind the others, closing and locking the front
door behind him, then falling into Gayle's outstretched arms.
"Any...trouble?" Terry asked, noting the way Marie was shaking
in Bud's arms. Outwardly, other than the way she was shaking,
there didn't seem to be anything physically wrong with Marie,
thankfully, but he was concerned that Sid may in fact have done
something more to her the way he'd done with Maximus.
"No trouble," Lachlan replied, watching as Hope went immediately to her father. Cort stood, wrapping her in his arms.
"The lady," Meridius said, "she is...as you see." He felt most distressed by her ongoing condition.
"Put her on Cort's bed, Bud," Caroline directed, her heart leaping in gratitude that both her Generals had returned safely from a place where she knew any number of horrid things could have befallen them. "I'll bring you some cold cloths, some water for her to drink. The rest of you please stay out here, let them have some privacy."
Bud tried to lay her gently on the bed, but as he lowered her, her arms locked around his neck. "Don't let me go. Please don't let me go." Her voice was a hoarse croak, but its tone was desperate.
Bud sat on the side of the bed, holding Marie in his lap. "I won't let you go." His lips were against her ear. "I've got you. You're safe. Shhhh! You're safe with me." He let his lips just barely graze her ear.
"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry." Her head began to turn from side to side. "I didn't know...I had no idea...I didn't....I'm sorry."
"Shhhh! You've done nothing to be sorry about."
She squeezed her eyes more tightly shut. She felt emptied out, not just emptied, though, but pumped dry. Her mouth was dry, too, her lips. She needed....what did she need? An empty space surrounded by skin. That's what she was. She needed...filled. What, though? What? Moaning, she gritted her teeth. It was unbearable, this vast hollow she'd become. What could end it? Every muscle suddenly tensed. "Oh, God, oh, God, oh, God!" she moaned, her fingers clutching the front of Bud's jacket. She knew. Oh, God...she knew. Only one thing could ever fill her again.
"Marie!" Bud was desperate in his inability to comfort her. He began to place little kisses all over her face. "Please, Marie...please be all right!"
"I need..." she whispered.
"What, Marie, what do you need? Anything! Just tell me so I can help."
Her eyes opened a slit and she looked up into his. His were green and full of compassion, anguish, caring. "Please, Marie," he begged. "Tell me."
"Blue," she moaned. "Oh, my God...I need blue."
Bud's mouth dropped open, his breath catching in his throat. When he could breathe again, he hissed one word through clenched teeth. "Sid."
"No trouble," Lachlan replied, watching as Hope went immediately to her father. Cort stood, wrapping her in his arms.
"The lady," Meridius said, "she is...as you see." He felt most distressed by her ongoing condition.
"Put her on Cort's bed, Bud," Caroline directed, her heart leaping in gratitude that both her Generals had returned safely from a place where she knew any number of horrid things could have befallen them. "I'll bring you some cold cloths, some water for her to drink. The rest of you please stay out here, let them have some privacy."
Bud tried to lay her gently on the bed, but as he lowered her, her arms locked around his neck. "Don't let me go. Please don't let me go." Her voice was a hoarse croak, but its tone was desperate.
Bud sat on the side of the bed, holding Marie in his lap. "I won't let you go." His lips were against her ear. "I've got you. You're safe. Shhhh! You're safe with me." He let his lips just barely graze her ear.
"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry." Her head began to turn from side to side. "I didn't know...I had no idea...I didn't....I'm sorry."
"Shhhh! You've done nothing to be sorry about."
She squeezed her eyes more tightly shut. She felt emptied out, not just emptied, though, but pumped dry. Her mouth was dry, too, her lips. She needed....what did she need? An empty space surrounded by skin. That's what she was. She needed...filled. What, though? What? Moaning, she gritted her teeth. It was unbearable, this vast hollow she'd become. What could end it? Every muscle suddenly tensed. "Oh, God, oh, God, oh, God!" she moaned, her fingers clutching the front of Bud's jacket. She knew. Oh, God...she knew. Only one thing could ever fill her again.
"Marie!" Bud was desperate in his inability to comfort her. He began to place little kisses all over her face. "Please, Marie...please be all right!"
"I need..." she whispered.
"What, Marie, what do you need? Anything! Just tell me so I can help."
Her eyes opened a slit and she looked up into his. His were green and full of compassion, anguish, caring. "Please, Marie," he begged. "Tell me."
"Blue," she moaned. "Oh, my God...I need blue."
Bud's mouth dropped open, his breath catching in his throat. When he could breathe again, he hissed one word through clenched teeth. "Sid."
"I don't
like this, I don't like this at all," John was telling Terry
quietly off to the side so the others couldn't hear. "Why would
he just let them waltz in there like that and take her and not
do anything to try and stop them?"
"I agree,
John," Terry told him, absently rubbing the 5 o'clock shadow on
his chin. "Sid wouldn't just take her the way he did and then
give her up so easily unless it was part of his plans. I just
hope he hasn't done anything serious to that poor woman."
They both
glanced over towards the direction of Bud's bedroom door. "Keep
your eyes and ears open," Terry told John. "I fear Sid may not
be quite finished with us tonight."
"It was too easy," Lachlan said to Cort. "Hope was an immense help, doubt we coulda done it without her...but it was like he was just letting us in. Sure, there were guards there, but Sid himself didn't do a damn thing to stop us. Marie was just right there on the bed and Sid wasn't
around. Like he'd left her for us, was, um, presenting her to us. It's not right. Something's just not right."
Cort looked at Hope. "What do you think, little darlin'?"
She was aware both Terry and John had been listening. "He knew we were coming. I felt that from him. He wasn't trying to hide his knowing from me. I, well, I felt him not far away, like he was watching, but he didn't do anything but watch. I could feel his mind. He was thinking, but I couldn't tell what. But he knew, he knew why we were there."
Cort ran his hands through his hair. What could they do? What was there to do?
"It was too easy," Lachlan said to Cort. "Hope was an immense help, doubt we coulda done it without her...but it was like he was just letting us in. Sure, there were guards there, but Sid himself didn't do a damn thing to stop us. Marie was just right there on the bed and Sid wasn't
around. Like he'd left her for us, was, um, presenting her to us. It's not right. Something's just not right."
Cort looked at Hope. "What do you think, little darlin'?"
She was aware both Terry and John had been listening. "He knew we were coming. I felt that from him. He wasn't trying to hide his knowing from me. I, well, I felt him not far away, like he was watching, but he didn't do anything but watch. I could feel his mind. He was thinking, but I couldn't tell what. But he knew, he knew why we were there."
Cort ran his hands through his hair. What could they do? What was there to do?
"What's
he playing at? Why won't he just warp one of us across the room
again and be done with it?" John said angrily.
"Speak
for yourself, slick," Alex chimed in. "I'm perfectly happy that
he hasn't done anything more."
Terry
turned to Hope. "Can you sense him watching now? Do you sense
him near?" he asked, concerned as to why Sid had yet to show
himself.
"No, Uncle Terry, I don't feel that. He's...he's...leaving us alone right now."
"He has reasons," Cort interjected. "The bastard always has his reasons. He's done something to Marie. You can bet on it. And he has a reason for that, too."
"I just don't understand why Marie," Lachlan sighed. "I mean, this afternoon was her first time here. She's never done anything to him, been a part of anything any of us has ever done that displeased him. Why her? It doesn't make sense."
"No, Uncle Terry, I don't feel that. He's...he's...leaving us alone right now."
"He has reasons," Cort interjected. "The bastard always has his reasons. He's done something to Marie. You can bet on it. And he has a reason for that, too."
"I just don't understand why Marie," Lachlan sighed. "I mean, this afternoon was her first time here. She's never done anything to him, been a part of anything any of us has ever done that displeased him. Why her? It doesn't make sense."
"Isn't it
obvious?" Terry told them. "He's trying to get to Bud in a way
he knows will hurt him most. Its the same as when he took
Caroline to get back at Maximus. He's done something to her, I'm
sure of it now. And whatever it is, it can't be good."
"Sleep now," Marie murmured. "Must."
"Marie, I could drive you to the hospital."
"NO!" She was appalled. "No, no hospital! I'm sorry. I didn't know. I...no hospital. No. Please. Sleep." She curled up against him and was immediately asleep.
Bud held her for a while longer, rocking slightly. He was still not at all sure she hadn't been raped. After about ten minutes, he lay her on the bed, pulling the coverlet over her. She stirred and opened her eyes, not fully awake, and she looked up into his. Green. Only green. She
moaned and turned her face into the pillow. "Blue. Where is blue?"
Bud stood there, pressing the heels of his hands hard into his temples, then he turned and stalked out to the living room. "She wants fuckin' blue. What the hell does she mean she wants blue?" His gaze fell on Hope. "You called Sid Blue. Why? Other than his fuckin' blood, why did you call him that?"
"He...he IS Blue, Uncle Bud. He took me there, into it, through it. It was everywhere and...and I was in it and...and it was in me, in my mind."
"Are you suggesting then that when she says she wants blue, she means...him? She wants Sid?"
"I don't know why she'd say that, Bud," Cort added. "She's not like Hope. She's never been exposed to the nanobots. I don't know how she'd even know about the blue...unless...."
"Unless what?" Bud snapped.
"Sid. Unless he....Hope, could Sid somehow take Marie...do....well, take her into it?"
"Sid can do anything," she said. "He is the blue. But the blue he took me with him to was a blue that came into my mind. Maybe he took Marie's mind in there, into his blue?"
"I bet he took Decimus and Meridius there. He certainly did something that affected their minds. But I have no idea what he did that's caused Marie to be so upset. She seemed like a very stable, in control sort of woman to me, but now...."
"Sleep now," Marie murmured. "Must."
"Marie, I could drive you to the hospital."
"NO!" She was appalled. "No, no hospital! I'm sorry. I didn't know. I...no hospital. No. Please. Sleep." She curled up against him and was immediately asleep.
Bud held her for a while longer, rocking slightly. He was still not at all sure she hadn't been raped. After about ten minutes, he lay her on the bed, pulling the coverlet over her. She stirred and opened her eyes, not fully awake, and she looked up into his. Green. Only green. She
moaned and turned her face into the pillow. "Blue. Where is blue?"
Bud stood there, pressing the heels of his hands hard into his temples, then he turned and stalked out to the living room. "She wants fuckin' blue. What the hell does she mean she wants blue?" His gaze fell on Hope. "You called Sid Blue. Why? Other than his fuckin' blood, why did you call him that?"
"He...he IS Blue, Uncle Bud. He took me there, into it, through it. It was everywhere and...and I was in it and...and it was in me, in my mind."
"Are you suggesting then that when she says she wants blue, she means...him? She wants Sid?"
"I don't know why she'd say that, Bud," Cort added. "She's not like Hope. She's never been exposed to the nanobots. I don't know how she'd even know about the blue...unless...."
"Unless what?" Bud snapped.
"Sid. Unless he....Hope, could Sid somehow take Marie...do....well, take her into it?"
"Sid can do anything," she said. "He is the blue. But the blue he took me with him to was a blue that came into my mind. Maybe he took Marie's mind in there, into his blue?"
"I bet he took Decimus and Meridius there. He certainly did something that affected their minds. But I have no idea what he did that's caused Marie to be so upset. She seemed like a very stable, in control sort of woman to me, but now...."
"So what
are we gonna do about it?" Alex asked, not fully understanding
exactly what could have happened to the girl. It all still
sounded like the science-fiction, mumbo-jumbo, magic shit that
Myra used to do.
"What can
we do," Terry replied, "but wait and see? Perhaps whatever Sid
has done to Marie will wear off soon enough. If he did in
fact...um... take her into the blue... as he did with you, Hope,
well... you managed to come back to us, both figuratively and
literally. Perhaps the same will happen for Marie."
"Oh, that
poor girl," Dee sighed. "Damn Sid anyway! How can he be so
cruel?!"
"I do not remember blue," Decimus was saying to Meridius.
"You wouldn't," Caroline sighed. "That's part of it. He can take away your memory of that, too."
"I try so hard to remember past opening the pouch with your icon in it, Caroline, but I find nothing there." Meridius was looking at her with sadness in his eyes. "I have the memory of loving you as though you were with me always, a love that has no point of beginning but just is.
It would be enough for me but that you remember more. I wish to be the Maximus that you have loved, but I truly do not know that I am."
"Or I. I feel just the same," Decimus nodded. "I, too, wish to be the Maximus of your heart."
Caroline looked at Dee. "Cruelty? Sid has had much practice."
"I do not remember blue," Decimus was saying to Meridius.
"You wouldn't," Caroline sighed. "That's part of it. He can take away your memory of that, too."
"I try so hard to remember past opening the pouch with your icon in it, Caroline, but I find nothing there." Meridius was looking at her with sadness in his eyes. "I have the memory of loving you as though you were with me always, a love that has no point of beginning but just is.
It would be enough for me but that you remember more. I wish to be the Maximus that you have loved, but I truly do not know that I am."
"Or I. I feel just the same," Decimus nodded. "I, too, wish to be the Maximus of your heart."
Caroline looked at Dee. "Cruelty? Sid has had much practice."
Gayle's
heart sank, realizing just how very much pain Sid had caused all
of them. She hadn't understood the full depth of his cruelty,
the lasting effects it had on all of these people. She could
only imagine what it must have been like for each of them to be
pulled from the only life they knew and to be plopped down here
in this one... in some of their cases, centuries later... just
to be sadistically tortured again and again by one of their own
for no apparent reason other than his own twisted amusement. She
wondered about the life Alex had given up, about who he was
before he came to be in this world. It pained her to think he
might have been taken away from a family.
"I fear
Sid is only getting started," Terry commented. "His capacity to
inflict pain and suffering on all of us has intensified and
certainly knows no bounds. He's proven that time and time
again."
"So
that's our lot in life then?" Alex asked. "Being Sid's
playthings? We're here simply for his fucking amusement? Well I
ain't ready to just roll over and play dead. No sir, not me!
I've done that long enough and I'm sick of of just...surviving."
"Ah, Alex," Sid said as he carried his limp form behind the blue house and sat him, rump-end down, in an aluminum garbage can. "You should be happier with merely surviving. Really, you should." He stepped back, admiring his little piece of performance art. Alex's lower legs and his
arms dangled most fetchingly over the edges of the can. His head hung way back, chin pointing at the sky. Stooping, he picked up a banana peel and arranged it atop Alex's forehead. Studied it, gave it a slight turn, and then was gone.
"Ah, Alex," Sid said as he carried his limp form behind the blue house and sat him, rump-end down, in an aluminum garbage can. "You should be happier with merely surviving. Really, you should." He stepped back, admiring his little piece of performance art. Alex's lower legs and his
arms dangled most fetchingly over the edges of the can. His head hung way back, chin pointing at the sky. Stooping, he picked up a banana peel and arranged it atop Alex's forehead. Studied it, gave it a slight turn, and then was gone.
"Alex?"
Gayle blinked, looking at the empty space beside her where Alex
had just been sitting. "Oh no! He's...he's gone!"
"Dammit,
Sid!" John growled, jumping up off his chair. "C'mon," he told
Lachlan, Cort and the twins, "let's go find where's he's dumped
him."
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