Chương 151

No one met them at the Pioneer. Willa entered the lobby code on the keypad, and the glass doors unlocked and slid apart. They hurried inside. The narrow lobby had pale stone walls. No one else was there. A touchscreen displayed a welcome message. Savannah pointed above the elevator.

"Camera."

"I know," Willa said.

"But we are not in the system and this building knows nothing about us." Willa entered the elevator code. The elevator chimed and opened, and they stepped inside. In the mirrored elevator, Louis saw their dirty clothes, bruises, dried blood, and exhausted faces. Maeve turned her swollen face away from the reflection.

"It's so quiet," Cherish whispered.

"Good." Gladice leaned against the wall.

"I'm tired of loud." The elevator opened on the fourteenth floor. The carpet muffled their footsteps. Unit 1401 was at the end of the hall, with black metal numbers beside a keypad. A small indicator glowed above the keys. Willa typed the code. The lock chimed, and she pushed the door open. Warm light came on by itself. The apartment looked untouched. Pale wood covered the floor. A gray loveseat and glass table faced floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Columbus, while a narrow kitchen ran along the opposite wall.

A queen bed stood against one wall, made with white sheets and gray pillows. A tablet was mounted near the entrance beside a thermostat display that read seventy-two degrees. The blinds rose halfway by themselves.

"Fuck me," Gladice said. She dropped her backpack on the floor.

"We are too dirty for this." They entered cautiously. Angelique closed the door behind them, and the lock clicked into place. Willa went straight to the control panel. Savannah opened the closet while Gladice looked beneath the bed. Louis stood in the middle of the studio, suddenly aware of how exhausted he was. His clothes were stiff with dirt, his hair clung to his scalp, and his skin itched.

"I need to call my father," Donya said.

"Do it," Louis said. She sat at the table and dialed. She did not turn on the speaker this time.

"Baba, it's me... Yes, we are safe... In Columbus..." Maeve went to the bathroom and closed the door. Cherish stood at the window with both hands against the glass, looking down at the city.

"We're in a temporary apartment... We need clothes. Clean clothes for everyone. Basic things. Underwear, socks, pants, shirts, coats if you can... Yes... I know... It is... It is very important... Can you also send my bank card and ID?... Thank you, Baba... I love you too." She hung up. Her hand trembled as she set the phone down.

"He will arrange delivery. We can have them by evening."

"That's fast," Savannah said.

"Money moves fast," Angelique said.

"Even in the Alliance." Maeve screamed in the bathroom. Louis crossed the room, threw open the bathroom door, and raised his pistol halfway. She stood half-turned toward him beside the toilet, her trousers and underwear around her knees. Her face had gone pale. Water ran down her bare buttocks and between her thighs. A thin jet sprayed upward from the bidet nozzle inside the toilet bowl. She stared at him, then at the toilet.

"What the hell is this thing doing?" she shouted.

"It's cleaning." Louis lowered the gun and called to the others.

"Nothing to worry about!"

"It's fucking spraying me!" He stepped into the bathroom and found the controls on the wall. He pressed the stop button. The spray stopped, and the motor went quiet. His eyes dropped between her legs. He caught a glimpse of her dark copper pubic hair. He felt a throb in his cock and looked away before it became obvious.

"You are supposed to sit down when you use it," he said. She grabbed a piece of toilet paper and wiped herself. Her hands were shaking.

"Why the fuck would I sit on something that might spray water up my ass?"

"It does not spray if you just sit." He shook his head.

"It's for cleaning you." Maeve stared at him.

"Why would anyone want that?"

"For hygiene," he said.

"It is fucking weird." Her cheeks were red.

"Get out!" Louis backed out and closed the door. He turned to find Angelique trying not to laugh. Gladice had already burst out laughing.

"Mae-Mae doesn't like modern toilets!" Gladice yelled.

"Shut up!" Maeve yelled back. Cherish looked confused.

"Is she alright?"

"She's fine. Just a cultural misunderstanding," Angelique said.

"She will adapt." Gladice snorted.

"Or break it." Willa shook her head. Savannah laughed. Cherish looked around.

"So what happened?" Donya smiled at Cherish.

"Maeve met a smart toilet." Cherish looked even more confused.

"What's a smart toilet?" Willa looked away from the control panel.

"A toilet that cleans you with water." Cherish's eyes widened.

"Washes you? Where?"

"Where you think?" Gladice grinned. Cherish's cheeks flushed. Louis smiled. He went to the window and stood beside her. She turned to the window, looking down at the city again. He followed her gaze.

"They are all so clean and busy," she said.

"The cars, the buildings, the people."

"This is the Alliance," Louis said.

"They like order."

"Is it like this in the Dominion?"

"No," he said.

"The Dominion is... more chilled." She looked up at him.

"What is chilled?"

"Relaxed."

"Oh." She nodded.

"It sounds nice."

"It can be." He looked out at the skyline and the traffic below. He still did not feel safe, but he felt closer to it.

"We will get there."

"I want to see it." She pressed her forehead against the glass.

"I want to see everything." This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"You will."

"I believe you." She turned toward him without moving away from the window.

"Because you are Louis." He smiled, and she smiled back. She leaned her shoulder against his arm. He put an arm around her. She moved closer, her body warm against his side. Savannah walked to his other side.

"So, y'all just gonna stand by the window?" Savannah asked. Louis put an arm around her too.

"We are appreciating the view."

"I see," Savannah said.

"And what about me? Don't I get some appreciation?"

"Of course," he said, kissing her cheek.

"You get lots." She laughed.

"Lots of what?"

"Lots of this." He kissed her again.

"And this." He slid his hand down her back and squeezed her ass. She leaned against him.

"Better." Cherish looked from him to Savannah.

"Louis… may I kiss you?"

"Of course," he said. She turned to face him and raised her hands to the sides of his face. Her fingers trembled. He pressed his lips to hers. Her lips were soft and hesitant. He deepened the kiss, and her lips parted. Her tongue met his, clumsy but eager. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer. She responded with a soft sound, melting into him. Her arms tightened around his neck. He kissed her until she was breathless. When he pulled back, her eyes were bright, and her lips were swollen.

"Wow," she whispered.

"I like that."

"I do too," he said.

"I like you." Gladice cleared her throat.

"Yet another woman falls under the Collins charm." Angelique laughed.

"What can I say? He's good at it." Donya watched them and flushed.

"Louis, can we talk?"

"Sure." He let go of Cherish. Donya led him to the small kitchen.

"You've felt distant, Louis. Since Charleston, we have not… connected." Louis put a hand on her cheek.

"I'm sorry. I was caught up in everything."

"I understand. But I miss… us." She looked into his eyes.

"Do you still want me?" He leaned in and kissed her, one hand on the small of her back, pulling her against him. He slid his other hand up her back to her neck, his fingers tangling in her hair. She responded, her body soft against him. He broke the kiss.

"Is that a good enough answer?" She smiled.

"Almost." Maeve came out of the bathroom. She had washed her face. She saw Louis and Donya and stopped.

"Who gets the first shower?" she asked.

"Me." Gladice stood up.

"I stink the most." She looked at Louis.

"You can keep doing that, or you can join me."

"Don't you ever stop?" Maeve asked. Gladice laughed.

"No. Why would I?" She went to the bathroom and closed the door. Donya looked at Louis.

"So?"

"So what?" Louis asked.

"Join her, or stay with me?"

"I think I will stay with you," he said.

"We should rest."

"Nobody gets on the bed before showering." Willa pointed at the white sheets.

"I mean it."

"You are not the boss of me," Savannah said.

"I am today," Willa said.

"I found this place."

"Fine," Savannah said.

"The floor it is." Louis smiled at Willa.

"I like you bossy." Willa smiled back.

"Good. Because I will be very bossy until we are safe." Donya looked at Louis.

"We can sit on the couch. It's fine." They went to the couch and sat down. Angelique sat on the other side of Louis. She glanced at him, then at Donya. She leaned her head against Louis's shoulder.

"I'm tired," she said.

"We all are," Louis said.

"Are you okay with all this?"

"All what?"

"Me and Cherish, me and the others." Angelique sighed.

"It's a complicated feeling, I guess. Part of me wants to keep you all to myself. But I also love the family we've become. Look at us, Louis. We survived a helicopter crash. We escaped the communists and cannibals. We made it across the border." Donya nodded.

"It is a miracle, truly. Allah has brought us together for a reason."

"Don't start with your Allah, Donya," Savannah said, sitting in a nearby armchair.

"We got here because we were smart and tough."

"I'm not saying you weren't," Donya said.

"But I also believe in divine guidance." Savannah rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, well, I believe in my gun and my money." Willa came over from the kitchen with three bottles of water.

"Believe what you want. Just stay hydrated." She passed them around. Louis opened a bottle and drank.

"Thank you, Willa. Can I call you Willy?" Willa laughed.

"No. You can't. It reminds me of the jeep in Jurassic Park."

"Jurassic Park?" Cherish asked.

"Can we go there too?" Angelique laughed.

"Maybe next year, Cherry. But for now, we need to get to Chicago."

"How do we do that?" Maeve asked.

"We can take a bus, or a train," Donya said.

"But we need IDs. Mine is still on the way."

"Then we wait," Louis said.

"We are safe here for now. We can rest."

"Agreed," Angelique said.

"Sometimes the best action is inaction." Savannah sighed.

"Fine. But I'm gonna clean my pistol. I suggest y'all do the same." She took her M9 from her waistband, field-stripped it on a napkin, and began to clean it with a small brush. Willa came over to watch her.

"Never seen a gun taken apart?" Savannah asked.

"No," Willa said.

"We don't have guns in New England."

"Yeah, I forgot. Y'all are all enlightened and shit."

"We prefer safe and civilized." Willa watched Savannah clean the barrel.

"Can you teach me?" Savannah looked at her, surprised.

"You want to learn how to shoot?"

"Maybe I should. Since I've been shot at many times this week." Louis looked away from them to Donya.

"Ever thought about learning to shoot?" Donya shook her head.

"No. It's not for me."

"It is a useful skill, even if you don't like it," Louis said.

"I understand, Louis. But I would rather rely on my faith." Angelique laughed.

"Your faith won't stop a bullet, Donya."

"But haven't you seen how it saved us?" Donya asked.

"Every step we took, Allah was with us." She wrapped both of her arms around Louis's arm.

"And Louis is His instrument. He guided us through the wilderness, through danger and despair." Louis smiled.

"If you say so, Donya."

"I do say so." She squeezed his arm.

"He has a plan for us. For you, and for me." Angelique rolled her eyes.

"I think I like you better when you are silent, Donya."

"I think you are just jealous, Angelique." Donya stuck her tongue out at Angelique.

"Because now I am closer to Louis than you think." Angelique sighed.

"Whatever. I'm too tired for this." Maeve leaned against the wall.

"You people are exhausting."

"Welcome to the family," Gladice said, walking out of the bathroom naked, drying her hair with a towel.

"It's never a dull moment with us." She crossed the room and tossed the towel onto Louis's head before she jumped onto the bed and lay back with her legs apart. Louis pulled the towel off and stared at her pussy in the bright light. Her hair had grown back in a dark triangle above her puffy lips. His cock throbbed again. Gladice tested the mattress with her hips.

"This bed is amazing. Willa, you are a goddess."

"I know," Willa said. Cherish made a small sound and looked away. Savannah shook her head. Maeve stared at Gladice for a moment, then turned to the window with a slight flush on her cheeks.

"You're just going to sleep like that? In front of everyone?" Maeve asked.

"Why not?" Gladice rolled over and propped herself up on one elbow.

"I like sleeping naked. Besides, it's not like we have clean pajamas."

"She's right," Angelique said.

"We might as well get comfortable." Cherish looked at Louis, her cheeks pink.

"Do you… do you all sleep naked?"

"Not all the time," Angelique said.

"But sometimes."

"You cannot be serious," Cherish whispered. Savannah sighed.

"Get over it, Cherry. We're past the point of modesty here. You wanna shower next?" Cherish hesitated.

"I guess."

"Go on." Savannah nodded toward the bathroom.

"You'll feel better." Cherish looked around.

"Is everyone really going to... be naked?"

"Just the one in the bed," Gladice shifted under the blanket.

"The rest of you can be as prudish as you want. I'm going to sleep." Cherish looked at the bathroom door, then at the clothes she was still wearing.

"Okay."

"Good." Donya nodded.

"You deserve some rest." Cherish went to the bathroom and closed the door. The water started again.

"You wanna join her?" Gladice said from the bed. Louis imagined Cherish standing naked under the warm spray, water running over her breasts and down between her legs. He imagined washing her, his hands sliding over her wet skin, her nipples hardening against his palms. His cock swelled in his pants. But he kept his expression neutral.

"I think she needs to relax," he said. Gladice laughed.

"She's a little shy, isn't she?"

"She's not used to this," Angelique said.

"None of us are. Not really."

"Speak for yourself." Gladice rolled over.

"I feel right at home." Savannah shook her head.

"One of a kind, you are." Gladice didn't answer. A few seconds later, her breathing became slow and even. Savannah smiled faintly and kept cleaning her pistol. Maeve sat down on the floor by the window and hugged her knees. Louis left the couch and went to her.

"You okay?" He sat down beside her.

"Yeah." Maeve looked at him.

"It's just… a lot."

"I get it." She looked away.

"Gladice… she's so…"

"Herself?" Louis offered.

"Yeah." Maeve nodded.

"I've never met anyone like her. Or any of you." She paused.

"You're all so… comfortable. With yourselves. With each other."

"We've been through a lot together."

"Still." Maeve looked down.

"You all belong together. I don't know if I can fit in."

"You already have."

"Do I?" Maeve looked at him, her eyes searching.

"Or are you just being nice because I saved your ass?" Louis leaned closer.

"I'm not that nice, Maeve. If I didn't want you here, I would say so." She kept looking at him. He saw the doubt in her eyes.

"Do you want to hear a story?" he asked.

"What story?"

"About how I pursued Angelique." Maeve hesitated, then nodded.

"I met her at the reception of my father appointing her father as the new foreign minister. She was bored, and I was smitten. There was another guy called Malcolm trying to flirt with her. Son of the Minister of Finance. I didn't like him. So before we departed for Texas, I asked my mother to remove him from the guest list of the delegation." Maeve raised an eyebrow.

"Your mother did that for you?"

"Yes." Louis smiled.

"She's the Minister of Culture. She enjoys a little drama as long as it's tasteful." Angelique laughed from the couch.

"I told you, he's a schemer." Maeve looked from Angelique back to Louis.

"Did it work?"

"I thought it did. We spent the next days in Texas and New Orleans until we were kidnapped."

"That's not a story," Maeve said.

"No." Louis kept looking at her.

"My point is, I'd remove those I dislike from my life." Maeve looked at her hands.

"I am not one of them, then?"

"No. You're not." Maeve smiled a little.

"Good to know." Louis reached out and put one arm around her shoulders.

"You're safe with us." Maeve hesitated, then leaned her head against him. She felt tense, but she didn't pull away. He held her. She smelled of sweat and dried blood. He closed his eyes and leaned his head against hers. The water from the shower continued to run in the bathroom. The sound became more distant as sleep began to take hold.