Part 5 (1/2)

Good, Lou sent back vehemently. He waited, wondering if Theo had anything else to say. Ever since the whole thing with Sage had gone down, Theo had been a little more reticent and quiet. And snappish. But although there had been silence from his twin, now the connection was open and Lou took comfort in the familiar bond-simply the awareness that he was still there.

Lou looked at the computer screen on which he'd been writing a new program to a.n.a.lyze numerical information they'd obtained from a journal stolen from the Strangers, who were also called the Elite. The jumble of letters and numbers was, ironically, comforting to him, despite the fact that he hadn't figured out the significance of the sequences.

Now he could concentrate. Now he'd be able to set his mind to the task that he'd merely been using as an escape from fear that he was once again alone.

Elsie had died a little more than a year after the Change, trying to have their baby in a world without Pitocin, without epidurals, without emergency C-sections. A little flutter of her presence brushed over the back of his neck, beneath the silver-gray ponytail.

Where are you? he asked Theo. he asked Theo.

You won't believe me.

Where?

I'm at Brad Blizek's ranch.

Lou's eyes widened. Holy s.h.i.+t. Holy s.h.i.+t.

He could almost hear Theo's chuckle. I have to look around. More later. I have to look around. More later.

Report back ASAP with deets. I'm expecting Tony Stark's lab, you know. I'm expecting Tony Stark's lab, you know.

Me too. Later.

Brad Blizek's ranch. Sweet. Sweet. Would there be anything left of his office? With that tantalizing thought, Lou returned his attention to the computer screen, deciding then and there that if it was even half as amazing as he imagined, he was going there too. No matter what Theo said. Would there be anything left of his office? With that tantalizing thought, Lou returned his attention to the computer screen, deciding then and there that if it was even half as amazing as he imagined, he was going there too. No matter what Theo said.

”What's up with that new guy Theo?” Jen asked as she pa.s.sed Selena in the hallway from the kitchen.

”What do you mean?” Selena replied. The front of her shoulder hurt where the gangas gangas had torn into her, and there was a deep abrasion on her lower back that she'd made certain Vonnie hadn't seen. had torn into her, and there was a deep abrasion on her lower back that she'd made certain Vonnie hadn't seen.

”Well, he's not dying. And he doesn't know anyone here,” Jen replied, seemingly unaware of Selena's tone. ”Why is he here? Do you know him? Is he staying?”

Good question. Selena shrugged and then winced at the sharp twinge. ”I don't know if he's staying, but he's perfectly healthy as far as I can tell.” Selena shrugged and then winced at the sharp twinge. ”I don't know if he's staying, but he's perfectly healthy as far as I can tell.”

”He sure is,” Jen said with relish. ”Did you see that red dragon on his arm? Bang Bang.”

Selena resisted the urge to mention the even more bang bang dragon on Theo's back, and merely shrugged again-this time, more gingerly. Jen had been leading Sam on a merry chase for a while-poor sixteen-year-old Sammy was too young for the cute, if not easily distracted, twenty-three-year-old, but since she worked a lot with Selena, the proximity had contributed to what Vonnie called a big, fat Orange Crush. dragon on Theo's back, and merely shrugged again-this time, more gingerly. Jen had been leading Sam on a merry chase for a while-poor sixteen-year-old Sammy was too young for the cute, if not easily distracted, twenty-three-year-old, but since she worked a lot with Selena, the proximity had contributed to what Vonnie called a big, fat Orange Crush.

Obviously, Jen had found another, more appropriate outlet for her flirtations, if the way she peered out the window toward Frank's garden was any indication. Selena had seen Theo walk out with the elderly man some time earlier, and could pretty much a.s.sume that Frank had put him to work. Jen must have met him as she walked through the area from her home, halfway between here and the settlement of Yellow Mountain.

Selena wondered if Theo had gotten hot enough in the sun to take off his s.h.i.+rt yet, and the thought made her pause in surprise. Not the idea itself, but the fact that she'd thought thought it. Selena certainly admired a wixy male body when she happened to see one, but normally those sorts of thoughts didn't just crop up in her mind out of the blue. She was over fifty years old, for creep's sake, and her days of pa.s.sion were long behind her. Besides, having a man in her life would be too dangerous. it. Selena certainly admired a wixy male body when she happened to see one, but normally those sorts of thoughts didn't just crop up in her mind out of the blue. She was over fifty years old, for creep's sake, and her days of pa.s.sion were long behind her. Besides, having a man in her life would be too dangerous.

Aside from that, she had other things to deal with. Things that generally put a damper on anything like pa.s.sion or s.e.x.

What guy wanted to sleep with a woman who got up close and personal to zombies in order to save their souls?

”What?” asked Jen.

”Nothing,” she replied. ”I just forgot something I wanted to check on. How's Maryanna doing?”

But as Jen rattled on about the young woman, Selena couldn't quite keep her attention from the window. She wondered what his skin tone, already a rich olive color, would look like when it tanned. And she knew how sleek and muscular his back was, how it curved into square shoulders and round biceps.

”Remember?”

With a start, Selena looked at Jen. ”Uh,” she began.

”You promised,” the younger girl reminded her. ”Vonnie will be busted if you shove it off again. And my Mom and Dad are going to stay here so you can go.”

Right. Vonnie was doing her monthly storytelling gig in Yellow Mountain tonight. Everyone from the surrounding areas-about a hundred people-attended the pig roast and entertainment without fail, partly because Vonnie painted amazing pictures with her words, and partly because it was a social activity that brought them all together and gave them a rest from the daily work.

”Yes, yes, I'll be there.” She smiled, but it was a little forced.

It wasn't that she didn't want to go or to socialize, but she had to be careful about that sort of thing. She'd learned her lesson back in Sivs. And again in Crossroads. She couldn't let anyone too close, because once they found out what she did, it could get ugly.

Which was why Selena never thought of herself as alone-for she had Sam and Vonnie and Frank-but she was was lonely. She didn't have a partner. Someone whom she neither had to take care of, nor who tried to mother her to death. Just ... an equal. Someone to listen. To talk to. To laugh with. And ... other things. lonely. She didn't have a partner. Someone whom she neither had to take care of, nor who tried to mother her to death. Just ... an equal. Someone to listen. To talk to. To laugh with. And ... other things.

Someone who didn't need need anything from her. anything from her.

But maybe tonight ... maybe she'd just have fun. Drink a little wine. Relax a little.

Maybe she'd even drink a lot of wine. For some reason, her gaze wandered back to the window. She knew what would happen if she drank a lot of wine. It had been a long time ... she searched back in her mind... Three years? Four? Three years? Four?

No, good grief-Six! Six years, because it had been Sam's tenth birthday party, the last time she'd let herself relax. Have a good time. Six years, because it had been Sam's tenth birthday party, the last time she'd let herself relax. Have a good time.

No wonder she was a little tense.

And so ... maybe tonight. A night where she could just do ... what she she wanted. wanted.

Selena couldn't help glancing toward the window again. Would it be so bad to flirt a bit with a guy younger than her? Especially one who looked like Theo? Plus he wasn't from here; surely he wouldn't be around much longer anyway.

”I'm going to ask Theo if he wants to go,” Jen was saying. ”He can sit with us.”

Selena pulled her attention away, her light thoughts deflated. Right. Right. He'd fit in perfectly with the group of friends that Jen normally interacted with. Young, vibrant, and filled with energy. He'd fit in perfectly with the group of friends that Jen normally interacted with. Young, vibrant, and filled with energy.

She turned away. It had been a while since she'd felt like that.

Young. Vibrant. Filled with the joy of life.

Since he'd gotten the news that this was Brad Blizek's place, several things had occurred to Theo. Aside of the realization that there could be some awesome plans or even prototypes of some of Blizek's unmanufactured brain children (which he fairly salivated at the thought of getting his hands on), he had to believe there would be a state-of-the-art NASA-like technology setup somewhere.

Maybe even still viable.

So, as soon as he finished helping Frank with a variety of ch.o.r.es in the yard, he asked about it. And was rewarded by the old man trudging him up two flights of steps to what he said they called the arcade.

Theo was conscious of holding his breath when he entered the s.p.a.ce, and it took long moments before he expelled it.

Holy gearhead's wet dream, Batman.

It was like the Bat Cave meets Tony Stark's lab meets NASA.