Peaches

Music played softly a few feet away on my work station as I read from Garret Wild’s Dreamer’s sailing adventure in the Outlands. It was a charming story about the first Nomad’s attempts and success story of sailing the desert sand dunes of the Outlands.

Cooper had been born in the Outlands and had traveled out there every year with my sons teaching them the ways of his ancestors and taking them on the Rite of Passage in a more controlled environment and with his guidance and protection. I wondered what it was like.

The music stopped. I felt the presence of one of sons and looked up in the direction of my son to frowned at Kai and another young man with him. The other man was a corpo dressed in a black suit and with silver blue eyes. I put my book down setting it on the couch and facing them. “Kai. Who is this you’ve brought to your father’s house?”

The man did a mocking bow to me and smiled looking around the room. “It is a pleasure to finally meet you. G. E. H. model 0042M. Your son was gracious to allow me this audience with you.”

“Your an Executive or security Chief from the company then. I can’t go back with you. Cooper bought my contract.” I said frowning at him and keeping Kai in my side vision as he edged around me. “Why are you here?”

“Terry Serio. Do you know that name?” He asked.

I shook my head edging around the couch and putting distance between me and the both of them. “No. No. I’ve never heard of him. Who is he? Another G.E.H. or rival corpo?” I asked.

The man shook his head. “No one important at this stage. Just a solo hired to retrieve something taken from the company. He supposedly failed in his job but that was a lie. He found the item. He just decided to pocket the item to sell for later and put it somewhere safe until he could retrieve it again. Silverback. You must be knowledgeable about of it.”

I frowned at him. “Yes. I am. I don’t have it and whoever this Terry Serio is didn’t give it to me. I’m not lying.”

He smiled and I saw strange white glow come from his eyes that radiated a heat in them. “Oh I know your telling the truth the problem is you Silverback is inside you. It wouldn’t be wise to fight us. Your son has no choice in the matter. He owes us big and we have agreed to compensate him for his betrayal by funding his rise in Cooper’s pack.” He said calmly.

I felt a punch of invisible hit my chest and then the feeling of ice started creeping from my chest and spread all over my body. I fell to my knees as fought hard to breath.

“Just come along with Mr. Ice and me, Momma. They’ll fix you right back up with no memory about what happened and I’ll get you back to the pack safe and sound. You ain’t human so they’ll fix you up nice right and you’ll be seeing me better then all my brothers soon enough.” Kai said coming up behind me and started putting electric hand cuffs on my wrists behind my back.

I stared at Mr. Ice. I could feel my breath being stolen from my body. “Lying to my son about the Silverback isn’t going to get you-” I paused Mr. Ice brought out a laser knife. “I see. So you’ll be doing the operation here then?”

“What?! Yo. That’s not what-“

“Be silent.” Mr. Ice said calmly and Kai closed his mouth. “There is no need to worry. First I get what was promised to me and then I put your mother asleep, reprogram her and the next morning she will have no idea what is missing from her body. Easy!”

I shook my head slowly. “Lies. This will not go as easy you would like.” I said drawing power from Silverback and drawing it up to the surface around my body.

Mr. Ice nodded. “Yes. I will. It saves time. All I need is the Silverback in your chest and yes it is inside you. It was put inside you before you came out of the deep sleep before birth. He kept your secret to the end but your explosive show at the park finally revealed what was inside you from the beginning. Now this won’t take long though it will hurt a bit.” He said and proceeded to drive the knife down toward my chest.