Retired

Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Soon we were coming into the lights of the city. I turned southward and started a slow circle of the city. There on the south side was what I was looking for. This town used to have a mass transit system. The underground trains had been shut down for years, but the tunnels were still there.

I flew into the mouth of the tunnel and headed for the center of town. There were no active sensors down here any more. The city had shut them down to save money. That was fine with me. I landed the vehicle on the platform just outside of the controller office for the subway. This long abandoned office was about to become our bedroom for the night.

I got us out of the car and led her into the office. Once there, I pulled a warmer unit out of one of the bags and placed it on the floor. Then I pulled out a couple sleeping bags and compact pillows. "This is home until either help arrives or I win. You might as well lie down and get warm. I will try to get us some food."

She chuckled lightly. "I will take an earth lobster and rib eye steak with roasted vegetables. I think a proxima punch to drink would go well with that."

I chuckled as I headed out to find us dinner. Something about the men trying to kill us had struck me as funny. These had not been terrorists. They were professionals. That left the mob or a duke I had pissed off. The mob tried to work behind the scenes. The open confrontation and taking over the city was not their style. That left a duke.

I found an access hatch and moved up the ladder. The city above was quiet. No one was on the streets at all. That was not good. That meant there were enough men to force a curfew on the populace. I moved from building to building, keeping in the shadows. I found the sandwich shop and moved to the back door. It was only a few seconds work to break in and move to the kitchen. I made a couple large sandwiches and wrapped them in paper.

I moved back to my access hatch and slipped in. As I was closing the hatch I saw a patrol pass on the street at the end of the alley. When I did I started cursing under my breath. I recognized one of the men. He was the leader of Duchess Daria's personal guard.

I quietly closed the hatch and climbed down the ladder. Lizell was almost asleep when I got back to our little camp. I extended the sandwich and a cold drink out to her. "Sorry, I had no idea what kind of sandwich you would want."

"It is perfect, Drake. I am so hungry I could eat the ass end of an angry bull while he was still alive."

I smiled, as I unwrapped my sandwich. I took a bite and the roast beef was good in my mouth. "If you want to eat one of those, you will have to catch it yourself."

"Is this what your life was like? Were you always on the run and trying to keep someone alive?"

"Sometimes. Other times, it was months of boredom broken by weeks of monotony."

She laughed at the remark. "Was your life in the military that boring?"

I grimaced. "Yes because I'd prefer not to think about the moments that weren't so boring."

She looked down. After a moment a silence, she spoke again. "Sorry about asking that."

I waved my hand. "No, no. It's fine. That's why I retired. I wanted to remember parts of my life that weren't boring, but did not involve a gun in my hand." 

She nodded. She was about to say something but got interupted by a loud sound. She looked at me quizzically. "Did you just burp?"

I laughed. "I may hav-"

I was interrupted by a very loud belch.  I stared at her for a while. Not even marines could compete with her. "Well then." I said.

Lizell's laugh echoed around the chamber. "Don't try to win a war you've already lost."

"I never knew I entered a war zone." I countered, a small smile lifting the corners of my mouth upward. "We should get some sleep too. We've got a big day ahead."

She nodded. "This may sound strange, but would you hold me while I sleep? I just want to feel secure." In the dim light, I could barely make out her cheeks matching the color of her hair.

"I was going to ask you to hold me and make me feel safe."

She laughed out loud. "I think I am more dangerous to you than our hunters are."

We finished our meal and she spread the sleeping bags. Then she zipped them together and climbed in.

I climbed in behind her and put my arms around her. Her red hair was in my face as she laid her head on my arm. I could literally feel her relax.