chapter 27
TEAM 2, YEAR: 2016
Time Remaining: 148 Days
Riley easily kept pace with Owen as he raced to put as much distance between themselves and the scene of the attack. He finally stopped when they reached the safety of a large group of people outside a busy pizza joint. Hungry customers spilled outside the restaurant and overflowed onto the sidewalk. The people in line watched Riley and Owen with curiosity, but Owen paid them no attention. He felt nauseous, though he was unsure if the sensation stemmed from what he had just experienced or the malodorous fumes from a nearby sewer grate mixing with the aromatic scent of hot cheese and freshly-baked bread.
“Are you alright?” Owen forced out the words as his chest heaved and burned. He had watched her get strangled twice, tased, have her arms wrenched and pinned behind her by a giant of a man, plus whatever else he missed while he fought his own battles. He wanted to hug her but instead, he pulled her out from under the restaurant’s awning and into the street light to look her over.
“Owen, I’m fine.” She felt the skin where she had been tased and found raised bumps where the electronic immobilizer’s probes had pierced her skin.
“Jesus,” breathed Owen, looking at the reddened and swelling puncture marks.
Riley saw two matching holes in her shirt and the ragged threads had begun to fray. “Shit. I really liked this shirt.”
Even in the dim light Owen could see the muscle definition of her side and lower back as she lifted her shirt. He knelt down to get a better look at the marks. The handlebar of a bike zipping down the sidewalk nearly clipped the back of his head as it sped by, but Owen was too focused to notice.
“Riley, I’m so sorry. We should never have walked through that dark patch. That was a really bad call on my part. You could have been killed.”
Riley let out a quick laugh and shook her head as she pulled her shirt back down. “It’s fine.” Seeing his concern, she took his hand and looked up at him meaningfully. “Really. It was nothing.”
He led her farther down the sidewalk, putting distance between the busy restaurant and its interested onlookers. “How can you say that was nothing? You were tased for Christ’s sake!”
“We’re trained for this kind of stuff. It was really you that saved the day. You’re a quick draw with that thing. Excellent aim.”
Owen felt placated in some way, but he could not put his finger on exactly why. Perhaps because he felt overcome by guilt for how she could have been seriously injured or worse.
“We need to call the cops,” said Owen. He pulled his cell phone from his back pocket.
Riley took the phone from him and shook her head. “No. No police.”
“How can you say that? You were just swarmed by eleven men!”
“Nah, it was only nine. The other two went after you. Besides, how are you going to explain that cute little manoeuvre where you tossed that guy in the river? Also, I don’t need anyone poking into my identity any more than they already have.”
Owen locked eyes with Riley for several long moments, frowned, then said nothing. He knew she was right. “Fine.” He sighed heavily and looked her over again to make sure she was okay. He felt a desperate need to do something positive or productive to make up for the fact he had led them into an ambush. He saw blood on the collar of her shirt. He pulled the fabric back to find a large gash running from the base of her neck, across her collarbone and onto her shoulder.
“Shit, Riley, you’re bleeding!”
Riley reached up to feel the severity of the cut on her collarbone and searing pain ripped from her shoulder, down her upper arm to her elbow. The length of the laceration made up for its shallowness, but the gash bothered her far less than the pain in her shoulder. The pain felt very similar to the time she tore her rotator cuff in a field training exercise several years back. Superficial skin wounds took much less time to heal than soft tissue damage, and she worried that with no MediScanner, she had no choice but to let it heal naturally.
Owen checked his pockets for a tissue and found a napkin with The Beach printed on it. He began blotting up the blood.
“Owen, don’t worry about it. It’s nothing,” she said. She took the napkin from him and folded it in half, blood side in.
Owen snatched the serviette from her hand. “Damn it, Riley, you don’t have to be so damn tough all the time. Let me take care of you for one freaking minute.” He continued to blot up the blood. “How’re your shoulders?”
“Pretty sore actually.” She rolled both her shoulders and flinched at the pain stabbing her right shoulder. As she massaged her shoulder with her left hand, she mulled over Owen’s response, shocked by his outburst. It was the first time she had ever seen him short-tempered.
“Let’s go back to the hotel so we can ice your shoulder and figure out what we want to do with that gash. ”
“You know, you’re one to talk. You should see this cut on your cheek,” said Riley. She reached up and felt the skin around it to get a sense of how deep it was.
“We make a pretty good team,” he said. He flinched as she gently touched his swelling cheek. “I get hit in the face while you drop twelve guys.”
“It was standard combat stuff. No biggie. And there were eleven, but you got two of them.”
The street lights accentuated her cheekbones and her pupils were dilated wide from the night’s darkness. She was so beautiful and so capable. Alarmingly resilient. Owen wondered what happened in her past that made being swarmed and attacked at gunpoint seem as mundane as morning traffic. He eyed her suspiciously. “What exactly is it that you do, Riley?”
Several times now, Owen had asked Riley and Finn about their jobs in 2097, but his questions were always deflected. He knew they worked together “in the field,” but other than that, straight answers were few and far between.
Back at the hotel, Owen marched Riley straight into his bathroom. Despite her protests, he insisted she sit atop the vanity beside the sink so he could get a closer look at the gash. Owen wet a facecloth and blotted at the cut.
“I’m pretty sure that needs stitches.”
Riley grabbed the round mirror attached to the wall by a scissor bracket and positioned it to see better. The cut spanned the width of the mirror—it was longer than she had thought. “Hmm, you’re probably right. But I’ve got something better than stitches.” She pushed the mirror back against the wall and slid off the counter.
Riley went through the door that adjoined their rooms and with her good arm, awkwardly changed into her favourite surfer shorts and a fitted, white racer-back tank top. She reached up to pull one of her bags off the top shelf in the closet and her shoulder roared in pain. She inhaled sharply as the bag fell to the ground and she swore under her breath. Cursing the destroyed MediScanner, she dug around inside the bag and retrieved a small white bottle with an eye-dropper lid. She left the bag on the ground and returned to Owen’s room.
“Well, I guess it’s back to old-fashioned medicine.” She tossed him the bottle.
Owen caught the bottle, but his eyes remained fixed on Riley as she leaned over the dresser to examine the massive cut in the mirror. He had never met a woman built quite like her; her muscles were toned and well-defined without being excessive. She had more muscle definition in her broad, tanned shoulders than most men at the gym did. Becoming aware he had been staring, he looked down at the bottle she had tossed him. LiquiStitch. Now with faster healing properties! Heal most cuts in 24 hours or less with NO SCARS!
“I think you’re going to have to lie down,” he said, motioning to the bed, “so I can fix you up.”
Riley snickered. “Wow. You’re a real ladies’ man. Does that work on all the women in 2016?”
Riley lay on the nearest bed and stared at the ceiling feeling ridiculous. She had been taking care of herself for years, and this incident was nothing she could not overcome on her own. However, she knew her independence could be ego-crushing to some men, and while Owen had never c
ome across as a man whose ego needed stroking, it seemed to be important to him that he help her.
Owen kneeled beside the bed to dab at the wound again with the facecloth and caught a hint of her floral perfume. He liked the irony of how the delicate scent contrasted her personality—the flowery, frilly fragrance contradicted her tough exterior. She was uniquely beautiful and unlike any woman he had ever met. Her intelligence and depth were only two of the many layers that intrigued him and he wanted to get to know them all. But he knew in a few months when his contribution to the project was complete, she would be gone. He pushed the thought from his mind. She had never shown any sign of interest in him beyond work and friendship. In addition, Riley possessed a hard-core, professional dedication, and becoming involved with a co-worker was probably just as bad an idea in 2097 as it was in 2016.
Owen read the instructions printed on the LiquiStitch bottle. According to the label, her cut exceeded the recommended size appropriate for LiquiStitch and fell into the “See your physician” category. Knowing Riley’s fervent no hospital policy, any LiquiStitch-alternative short of her own needle and thread would not be entertained. He unscrewed the eyedropper lid and squeezed the tip to load the glass tube. Starting at the edge of the cut on her neck, he squeezed little drops of the thick, clear goo onto the cut. Like a magic zipper, the skin cinched back together leaving a swollen, raw line in its wake.
“Are you sure you don’t want to call the police about this? I mean, that group of thugs could target other people. We really need to report it.”
Riley looked thoughtful for a moment. “That’s true. We don’t need anyone else getting attacked, or worse. We could leave an anonymous tip. At least that way they know to watch the area.”
“That’s a fair compromise,” said Owen, as he continued squeezing little droplets on what remained of the cut. “So, I thought you got feelings when bad things were going to happen?”
“I don’t get feelings every time. Especially if my mind is focused on something else.” She could feel his warm breath on her neck and the sensation sent a shiver down her spine. Owen’s protectiveness and the care he took in patching her wounds made her feel special and cared for in a way she had not felt in recent memory. At the realization she was not unique, and that he would do the same for anyone, her heart fell slightly, which took her by surprise.
Owen leaned back to admire his handiwork. “I think you’re almost good as new.” He screwed the top back on the bottle and flipped it on its side to read the instructions again. Riley tried to sit up. Owen smiled, placed his hand on her shoulder to stop her from sitting up. “Don’t even think about it. You have to lie still for ten minutes to maximize the healing quality.” He set the bottle on the nightstand and grabbed the key card for the door. “I noticed a payphone down the block. I’m going call in our anonymous tip and I don’t want it to be traced back to the hotel.”
She regretted being so stubborn when he was taking such good care of her so she lay back and stared resignedly at the ceiling. After what seemed like only minutes, she heard him fumbling at the door with his key card. Owen came in carrying two insulated paper cups and an ice bucket under one arm.
“How’s my patient?” he asked.
“Impatient.” Riley smiled, sat up and leaned against the headboard and took the cup he held out to her. She watched as steam issued through the hole in the lid and smelled the chocolaty aroma. “Hot chocolate?”
Owen nodded. “I thought you might need it to balance this out.” He held up the ice-filled bucket and gave it a little shake. He poured some of the ice into a hand towel and folded it up. “Alright. Slide over.” Riley slid over to the centre of the bed and he sat down beside her. He wrapped his arm around her and held the makeshift ice pack on her injured shoulder. She sat stiffly.
“I’m not incompetent, you know,” said Riley. “I could have done all this.”
Owen smiled and said nothing. Instead, he grabbed the remote off the nightstand and turned on the TV. He flipped through the channels and saw Star Wars: A New Hope had just started.
“Perfect! Tell me you’ve heard of Star Wars?” Owen watched her shake her head. “That is a tragedy. This is cinematic gold.” Riley laughed, and Owen felt her rigid posture beside him soften.
As they watched the movie, Owen took great care in explaining the film to make sure none of the subtle details were lost on her. However, long before Darth Vader tried to finish off Luke as they flew around the Death Star, she had fallen asleep, curled up in his arm with her head on his shoulder.
Time Remaining: 148 Days
Riley awoke the next morning to find herself still in last night’s clothing. She could feel Owen breathing gently on the back of her neck and found his arm wrapped around her waist. She glanced at her watch and saw her alarm would soon go off. Not wanting to disturb him, she gently moved his arm and sat up on the edge of the bed. Reaching up to reset her ponytail, she winced at the pain and stiffness in her shoulders.
She stood and looked back at Owen, fully-clothed and peaceful. He looked the opposite of how she felt—naked and conflicted. Somewhere along the way, his genuineness, warmth and caring had broken through her barriers. Riley, used to feeling nothing but the need to work longer and harder, found that Owen had an effect on her that no man had ever had. She could not put her finger on it exactly other than to say that he made her feel softer, warmer. Her job made her confident and fearless, but ironically, her feelings for Owen made her feel out of control and conflicted. She had successfully avoided romantic feelings for years. Now that a few had returned, so did the memories of why she shut them away. Her past relationships left scars, carved deep by hurt and betrayal. Only after learning to rely solely on herself had she become truly happy. But something about Owen was different. She felt like she could be herself around him, that she could trust him. Her job had conditioned her radar to be on alert twenty-four/seven and for the first time in years, she felt comfortable enough to let her guard down and let Owen take care of her.
Riley returned to her room after hitting the hotel’s gym. Her legs felt thick from the half marathon she ran on the treadmill in an attempt to sweat out her feelings for Owen. No sooner had the door to her room closed behind her when she heard a knock on the door that joined her room to Finn’s.
“Uh, Rile?”
Riley heard the muffled voice through the door and opened it to see Finn’s door still closed. “Finn?”
“Yeah, I’m not feeling so hot this morning. I don’t think I’m going to be able to leave this hotel room for a while. I’ll catch up with you later. Is that okay?”
Riley chuckled. “Serves you right for pigging out last night.”
“You can get all your I-told-you-so’s in later. I gotta go,” said Finn, with urgency in his voice.
Riley heard a door open and close in Finn’s room and decided that now was a good time to turn on the TV, radio or anything that would make a lot of noise.
With a fresh pot of coffee brewing, Riley and Owen picked up where they left off the previous day, which seemed like a week ago after the harrowing events of the night before.
Even with three ray guns, the zeno rays could not neutralize the Elevanium fast enough. Riley wondered if the low height of the excavated ceiling would reflect some of the rays back onto the Elevanium, but not having the ability to test this and prove it with certainty left her feeling uneasy. There was no room for finger-crossing in this operation; it had to be right the first time or the whole operation would fail.
Owen suspected he could roughly ballpark the amount of ray energy being reflected, but would need to determine the rough composition of the rock surrounding the Elevanium deposit. It was an avenue worth exploring, but it was not something he felt confident enough to stake the future of the planet on.
Riley and Owen pored through hundreds of electronic documents and videos that Riley had brought with her on her CI. Three hours passed like molasses in the winter as they reviewed news clippin
gs, internal reports and industry magazines on mining in that area. The information they sought was fifty years old by Riley’s standards, and most of the documentation was long gone. Later in the afternoon, Owen popped a bag of microwave popcorn and they watched countless news stories and documentaries on the Elevanium discovery and other related news reports.
At the end of the day, they had learned only that the shape of the Elevanium deposit resembled a rugby ball. One industry magazine mentioned offhandedly that the nickel ore in the area had proven to be abnormally abundant, though no reports specified the average composition. The answers they found only led to more questions.
During dinner, Finn still looked green around the gills. Riley and Owen could tell he was still hurting when he ordered only a bowl of chicken noodle soup. He took several sips and pushed the bowl away, unable to even look at it. Only after Finn questioned the cut on Owen’s cheek, Riley and Owen remembered to recount the events of the night before. Finn’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“Truthfully, it was freaking scary at the time but looking back, you didn’t miss much,” said Owen. “Riley dropped about four guys in a matter of seconds. That has to be a record of some kind.”
“You should have seen the look on that little guy’s face when he started glowing and flew into the air. He screamed like a little girl when Owen dumped him in the river. Great aim, by the way, Owe.”
Owen appreciated her attempt at playing up his role. “It was all Riley. If it had just been me, I’d’ve been cut up into little pieces and thrown into the river.” He laughed at his words but his stomach flip-flopped knowing it was true.
Riley looked thoughtful for a moment. “You know, there was something weird about that attack, though. I’d forgotten until just now. Owen, do you remember one of the guys saying, ‘He said she’d be hard to take down.’ Who’s this ‘he?’”
Owen shook his head. “I heard a lot of things. The most noticeable being the sound of my heart pounding in my ears, but I don’t remember hearing anything like that. Are you sure you heard him correctly? The whole thing was utter madness.”
Finn leaned in, his expression grave. “Are you serious? Rile, are guys stalking you at the gym or something?” Finn knew Riley spent just about as much time in the gym as he did sleeping; she was in phenomenal shape and he knew how hard she worked for it. Between a body like hers and the long hours she spent working out, she would definitely stand out from the average gym rats.
“I thought about that, and no. There’s only a few regulars at the office gym, and, well, no one’s ever in the hotel gym.”
All three fell silent in thought. Owen wondered if they were contemplating the supposed Elevanium curse. After all, in less than two months, he had nearly been hit by a bus, his house had been intentionally blown up and now he could add getting jumped to that list. It was enough to make him wonder if he should be putting some thought into the curse.