Ash put on her best confused face as she pondered the paper in her hand from ol’ One-Eye - because she was really confused. "What the hell is this? Raynor Sinclairr... " She read aloud the words printed on the paper. She scanned through the rest of the report. It was apparently a medical report. When she was through, she crumbled the sheet up once more and stuffed it into her pocket, no more enlightened then she was before. She sat up a bit straighter, better to watch the trading session across the room between Bliss and Caine. Justice and Shad momentarily distracted her with a small, unobtrusive ritual of their own. Shad set the lighter fluid on the floor on fire, though it looked as if it has both spontaneously combusted and dissipated on it's own. Elliott didn't even have time to turn on the sprinklers -for which Ash was immanently thankful. She couldn't hear what passed between them and she was concerned when Justice grabbed Shad's arm to steer him out of the cafeteria, but the latter gave her a look that clearly said don't worry; so she let the two go off on their own. Had she known what they discussed, the prospect of Shad joining forces with Justice and his people who weren't associated with the Freemen, she might have felt the urge to intervene. As it was, she was tired and Bliss and Caine's verbal sparring was interesting.Bliss walked up to Caine and murmured, "Evening."
"Evening, Bliss," he said, his cool gray eyes looked unblinkingly up at her.
"Mind if I sit? Need to do a little business."
"Are you sure you have permission from your master?"
"Don't need permission," she said, not yet taking offense and sat down.
"I never took you for the type to be a lackey, Bliss … but," he shrugged. "Live and learn … what can I do for you tonight?"
She leaned forward, annoyed from the confrontation with Gid and from walking away while Justice chatted him up. "First off Caine, I'm not a lackey and to continue in that vein will lose you a fairly steady customer."
"If you say so, Bliss … appearances being what they are, you will have to forgive my assumption."
"Appearances as always are deceiving," she told him as she took a slip of brown paper from her pocket. "I want one crate of my seeds, a pod and my locket back."
"I'm afraid the first two have been sold, Bliss. As for your locket … what are you offering to trade?"
"The rifle and all the ammo that came with it." She put the paper back in her pocket. "For the locket, that's it. And I'd be overpaying."
"I'm not a collateral lender, Bliss… I trade for profit."
"You'd still be making a profit and you know it. You can resell the rifle for ten times what the locket is worth." She looked disgusted.
"I have a buyer for this trinket. A gift for a certain gentleman's ... daughter." As always, he wore a genteel smile when referring to his other clientele. "She took a fond liking to it."
"And what is he offering for it?"
"More than that gun is worth … you'll understand if I keep my business statistics confidential. But... I have always wanted a pair of mirrored sunglasses..." He looked pointedly across the room to where she'd been sitting before.
Bliss chose to be dense. "Sorry, don't own any mirrored glasses."
"I think I could be persuaded to take the gun and a pair, for your locket … being the good customer you are."
"Can't trade what I don't own," she stood as she spoke. "Keep the locket, sell it. You already sold what I wanted to get back anyway."
Caine nodded, picking an imaginary piece of lint from his impeccable sleeve. "As you wish. Although… I could get more." It was casual; said as an afterthought.
"Yeah, but you can't get mine so it's of little use to me."
"Ah well..." He was so good at making it seem like he didn't care.
"Oh, and I'd take the thorn out of the locket before you sell it ... don't want miss rich b- turning into a -She — might be bad for business."
"You really are very emotional over this, Bliss ... is it really so important?" He chuckled at her vehemence.
"No, I was offering a friendly warning, free of charge even. Take out the thorn."
Now he couldn't tell if she meant that or not and he looked her up and down. "Very gracious of you, Bliss."
"Can't think of anything else I need at the moment Caine, sorry to disappoint."
"Not at all … if you change your mind about your goods, you know how to contact me."
"You sold my goods already Caine. Everything I had from home now belongs to someone else."
"True enough … but you also know I can get anything." His expression never changed. "Given enough reason, I can buy them back. And, for some reason, people seem very positive toward my offers once I make them."
"I don't have enough to cover what it would cost you to get them back."
"Oh, Bliss," he stood finally seeing she wasn't about to sit down and being a gentleman demanded it of him. "You'd be surprised at the value of what you have is worth..." He smoothed out his suit.
She quirked a brow at the neatly dressed man standing by her chair. "I have a rifle, two hand guns, some clothes and a flute, not a lot to be trading with."
"You can't be *that* naive, Bliss.."
But she was. "Speak plainly Caine, cause you know I don't trade in info or stolen goods."
"Your personal services, Bliss… I can always use good people on my team."
"I already have a job. And you don't need another gun wielding female on your team."
"Yes, so I have seen. I will reserve comment on your job, as I said I would."
How, she wondered, did it make what she did, honest forthright work, sound so dirty, when what he was trying to say, all so seductively, was so much more filthy? "I've seen you with your employees, they are better trained then I am. You say jump and they ask how high."
"A side benefit to their other duties. And do you know of anyone as well compensated for such a position?"
"I think you are being to subtle. What position? A hired gun? Lots of powerful folk pay well for that sort of work."
"I do not make my employees," what a politically correct way of putting it he had! "Jump through hoops, Bliss … they do what is needed and that is what I expect. Nothing more, nothing less."
"I don't think you'd enjoy having me as an employee. I'm way to smart mouthed."
"As you wish then, Bliss. You know how to reach me should you change your mind."
"I won't change my mind. If you have something I want I'll get together items to trade. But I'm not on the market in any capacity."
"Of course not," his sarcasm was highly evident. "I suppose your servile demeanor to the other one," meaning Justice, "...is purely for fun on your part, hmm?"
Just business Caine, just business and show."
"Isn't everything … perhaps that is the slant you should think of on my offer...after all… I am nothing if not… 'just business', hmm?"
Bliss found herself good humored despite her loss in the deal. "Yeah, but I don't trust you, 'cept for being as good as your word when it comes to a deal."
He held his hands out in a show of his openness. "I am my word … and as long as one does not try and double cross me… I have no call to do the same. But, you of all people understand best, when someone betrays you … you make sure it never happens again, yes?"
"That is the only reason I do business with you," she told him with a bright smile that held no feeling behind it. "Well, that and you never smell bad."
"Rules must be followed … an example set? Otherwise, we fall into chaos and anarchy."
"But of course."
Caine chuckled, unable to help himself. "You are a relief from some of the other various personages I encounter." His hand snaked into his inner jacket and removed the precious locket, cupping it in his palm.
"Too many boot lickers or puffed up threatening types?" Bliss spied the locket but her expression, to her credit, didn't change one iota.
"Why don't we call this a ... business incentive ... yes?" He waited for her hand to be extended.
Dutifully, she held out her hand. "A business incentive?"
"Good business is good business." His free hand reached for her's and he was pleased when she didn't shy away from him; but, her brows knit with confusion. Caine placed the locket in her palm and closed her fingers around it. "I have to keep the customers happy … well … reasonably happy, right?"
"I guess so," though she sounded not one bit sure of that. "Uhm, thank you Caine," she said, now totally confused.
"Of course." He looked uncomfortably kind and giving.
"When I have something to trade I'll be in touch," she said, pulling her hand away from his at last. he nodded his hands falling easily, so easily, into the pockets of his comfortable pants. "And I'll be sure and ditch the thorn myself." She slid the locket into her pocket and pulled out an apple, holding it out to Caine. He raised his brows and accepted the gift. "Enjoy it. It's probably one of the best apples you'll ever eat."
"I'm sure it will be," he said, and nodded -- in expression of what, she wasn't sure.
She took the canteen from her hip, popped it open then and took a swig from it. "Night to ya Caine."
"Until next time, Bliss," he smiled, his tone telling her that he knew there would always be a "next time." She nodded and turned away to move off to a table, not really watching to see if he had left or not.
====
Ed watched Ash’s concern for Shad’s sudden departure with Justice and asked her if she wanted him to follow them – for her peace of mind. She told him that it wasn’t her business what others did when they did it willingly and on their own. If he was so concerned, she told him, why didn’t he go? He said it wasn’t his business either prompting Ash to say, "You're some piece of work, Ed." She shook her head.
"That I am, Mirandahh," he answered on his way out.
"Don’t call me that," she snapped to his back. But Ed had stopped at the door as a woman in a navy blue jumpsuit and jacket entered the cafeteria past him quietly. He observed that she looked nervous even as she and Ash exchanged nods. His eyes narrowed at the blue eyed girl who slipped her hands into her pockets and eyed him in return before walked past him quickly. She sighed heavily once she was beyond the piercing glance of his gaze.
Ash muttered to nothing but the air about why she even talked to Ed - he always got her blood pressure up so. She pushed up and out of her chair determined to head to her "room" for some shut eye.
Terra came wandering into the cafeteria at about the same time Justice returned from his confab with Shad. She settled into a chair after making a cup of tea. Justice, having taken to his former seat to get a drink from his canteen, moved over to her table and greeted her softly, warmly. She was pleased to see him. Bliss, made her way across the room from them to take the furthest seat that she could from where they were clearly going to talk. Chumba came on duty, saying goodnight to Ash as she passed him in the hall and making his way toward clean up in the cafeteria, greeting everyone he saw there.
Zac once more entered the fold of a clean environment, his coat swept of dust as he entered through the sliding doors and the silent fans did their work. Ash trundled out into the lobby, hands in her deep pockets and continued on, staring at her toes. Just as Zac was entering the lobby, they very nearly collided. "Hey ... watch where you're -- Oh ..." she began and ended as she realized who it was and simply froze in place.
He tossed her a smile. "Yeah..ole one eye," he said, in his typically gravely voice as he grabbed her arm. "Gotta minute?" It didn't really seem that he'd take 'no' as an answer and Ash's smile, having been taking some time to work up to forming on her lips, faded even as he grabbed her arm.
"Uh … yeah..." She offered a bit of resistance to the drag on her body even as Zac managed to pull her into an exam room and shut the door behind them. "Geez ..." she said. He held his foot to the door to keep it closed. Ash folded her arms across her chest and glared at him. He ignored her and nodded to her pockets. Sure he probably wanted her to cooperate and pull that crumpled sheet of paper out of her pocket well he'd just have to ... blink. Blink? He was there, holding the door shut and Ash was practically on top of him, not having wanted to cooperate by moving further into the room. They suddenly both realized just *how close* they were standing one to the other.
Zac pressed himself back up against the door for just a little personal space. "You wanna back it up, doc?" Her brows knit in puzzlement, as she backed up further into the room. He methodically fished for his pack of smokes but remained quiet and so Ash just stood there before him, all closed up. She watched him pop a cig into his mouth and not light it as he nodded again to her pocket. "You treat this Sinclairr?"
"It's possible." Ash quickly retrieved the balled-up printout from her pocket.
"Wanna be more positive, doc?" His lean became relaxed against the door as he questioned her. The cigarette was tossed casually by his tongue from one corner of his mouth to the other and her eyes followed it for a bit before she looked past him to the door he leaned against. Finally, she looked down to her toes.
"The report says I did. Honestly can't remember him." It's not like I haven't treated hundreds of patients...
"Check line four..."
She did what she was told, though she was regaining her composure about it. "It's about allergies." She shook her head in frustration. "What do you want to know?"
"I want to know all his weaknesses."
Ash narrowed her eyes in sudden suspicion. "Why?"
"Know thy enemies weakness...and he shall be crushed by the whisp of a breeze," Zac quoted some long dead Legion General.
"You want to kill him," her voice rose along with her blood pressure.
He gave a simple, almost automatic nod. "Yep."
At that she crumpled up the report and threw it in the nearest trash receptacle. "You'll get no help from me."
He grabbed her arm and spun her about. "What the hell do you care? You see the dead everyday. One more crumpled paper for the trash heap." He let go of her just as fast as he had grabbed.
Her voice was tight and she remained as close as he pulled her, glaring up at him. "You don't get it. Do you know what it takes just to breath? Just to have life?"
"I don't really give a flying phlupp's ass," He pointed to his eye. "Take a close look, doc." And look she did, but there was no horror or pity in her eyes. Zac told her quietly, his teeth clenched together, "I ow this to Sinclairr. I intend to keep that trade."
A bit of pity seeped into her hard gaze. "I'm sorry," she said, though not what she was sorry for.
The cigarette was pulled and absently tossed to the ground behind her, never lit, never smoked. "Don't be sorry for me."
"Not for you. For the folks who'd give their arm for one good eye."
"Be more sorry for the boys." His voice had lowered and he pushed himself off the door and spun to grip the knob. He stared at the door and murmured, "No help?"
"You understand, don't you?" She pleaded with her voice and eyes and went back to hugging herself when his back was turned.
He nodded his head. "I do. Do you? You really want to understand?" He still hadn't turned back to look at her.
Ash chewed on her lower lip, suddenly frightened. "Yes, I do," she told him very softly.
He paused for he had taken a moment to think and the silence was almost unbearable, for both of them. But he knew inside that the decision had to made someday. Without turning he held out a hand to her. "Come with me?" Her hand was shaking as she took his, her fingers cool in his palm from the fear. As gently as a hard man could took her hand. Though the grip was still hard the intention to be soft was there. He opened the door and tugged at her.
She followed ... a bit woodenly ... and once out the door, she stopped. "Wait ... my med kit..."
He stopped, letting her go -- perhaps reluctantly -- and said, "I'll be out front," in that constant, quiet, raspy voice. With that, his one eyed stare not meeting anyone else's gaze, he slipped back out of the hospital quietly.
Ash rubbed her palm and nodded, then when he was gone she made a mad dash for the ambulance bay.
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