Ace tried to pick her up, but a limp body can be really heavy no matter how
small the person is so he went into the shop and dragged Doohan outside.
"What are you doing? I was in the middle of something and…what the? What happened here," Doohan asked as he looked down at the girl on the ground.
"Don't ask me? She came her to kill me and the next thing I know she's on the ground."
"A pretty little thing like that is an assassin?"
"Look would you just help me get her inside?"
"You want to bring her inside? She tried to kill you."
"Well, right now she's pretty harmless, plus I took her gun."
"Have it your way. At least she's not trying to kill me."
"Just shut up and help me carry her inside."
Doohan rolled his eyes and took her legs while Ace took her by the underarms. They carried her into one of Doohan's spare rooms and put her down on the bed.
"I'll take her jacket off and you go get a wet cloth to put on her head."
"Yeah, yeah. You know you probably wouldn't go through all this trouble if it wasn't a woman."
"Are you doubting my intentions?"
"Oh no, I would never doubt you Ace," said Doohan with dripping sarcasm as he left the room.
Ace took Melody's jacket off and hung it on the back of the closet door. Then he put a blanket over her. Doohan returned with the cloth and Ace put it on her forehead.
"I'm going back to the shop, you wanna come?"
"Nah, I'm gonna sit here for a while and see if she's alright."
"How did I know you were gonna say that."
The mechanic walked out and left Spike with the mysterious assassin. After about twenty minutes she stirred and sat up, removing the cloth from her head and replacing it with her palm. She shook her head a couple of times, still not aware of her surroundings.
"What the hell happened? I feel like I was run over by a bus," she said.
"Nope. You just passed out," Ace replied.
She looked up in horror as it finally dawned on her that she failed to kill her target and was now without a weapon.
"YOU! What am I doing in here?!"
"Hey don't get pissed at me for giving you a place to rest your ungrateful ass."
"Fuck you! Where's my jacket?"
"Over there," he said as he pointed to the closet door."
"And my gun?"
"I'm afraid I'm gonna have to hang on to that for a while."
Melody tried to get up again, but she felt so woozy that she almost fell over. Ace got up and eased her back into bed.
"Easy now. You had heat stroke and are probably still a little light headed."
"Why are you helping me?"
"Why not?"
"Didn't your mother ever teach you not to answer a question with a question?"
"Fraid not."
"I can't just lay here all day."
"Look, you rest for a little bit and then when your better you can chase me all over the damned universe to kill me if need be. Just calm down."
"You're a piece of work you know that. I'm here trying to kill you and you're treating me like I'm your best friend."
"Did you want me to leave you outside?"
"No…"
"Well then could you show some appreciation? A simple thank you will do."
"Fine. Thank you," she said sarcastically.
"How sincere."
"It's that or nothing."
"Alright, I'll take what I can get."
He reached into his pocket and grabbed a pack of cigarettes and his lighter. He put one in between his lips and lit it up. Then he extended his hand toward Melody making her an offering.
"You want one?"
"Sure."
After that they sat in silence for what seemed to be forever. Melody couldn't help, but glance at Ace when he wasn't looking. As she thought before, there was something about him. She couldn't put her finger on it, but it attracted her to him nonetheless. He was kind, funny, and smart, not to mention goofy and handsome. She knew then that there would be no way she could kill him and sighed in defeat. Ace was thinking of her as well. He had only known her for a few hours, but he liked her. She was a lot different from any woman he had ever known. She was strong, confident, and smart. His mind was definitely putting in some over time on this one. What should he do? Should he let her go or maybe he should turn her into the ISSP. No, he couldn't do that and he also knew he wouldn't have the heart to kill her. Melody could no longer take the silence. He might be an enemy, but quiet was never her strong point.
"So what made you leave the syndicate?"
"A combination of things."
"Such as?"
"Have you ever wondered what happened after you kill someone?…Do you ever think about that chain of events?…Have you ever thought about how your actions affect others?…What happens their husband or wife?…What happens to the kids?…And then friends and other family. That person had a meaningful life, but then people like us ruin that life. Did you ever think about that?"
"No."
"Well then you're better suited for an assassin's life than I am. I guess my conscience just decided to throw in his two cents."
"You make it sound like I have no feelings."
"I didn't say that. I was just saying what made me leave. I couldn't rob people of their being anymore."
Melody didn't know how to reply, but Ace continued because somehow it was easy to talk to her.
"Now I'm free."
"You're not free if you're pursued all over the solar system."
"But I am free. I do what ever I want, whenever I want without taking orders from three wrinkly old men who shut themselves away from the real world."
"How do you survive? It's not like you can root yourself to a specific place."
"I catch bounties."
"You're a bounty hunter?"
"How do you think I knew who you are? There's a bounty on you for a kill you made on Jupiter."
"Yeah well, I can hold off any police or cowboys."
"I figured as much."
"What made you join the syndicate in the first place?"
"I was poor and I didn't think I could do anything else with my life. Mao Yenrai and I grew up together and we both joined because of that. We climbed through the ranks together and as Mao became more accustomed to the business end of things, I was a good shot so I rose through the levels as an assassin, soon becoming one of the best."
"I take it that's how you got your nickname."
"My father dubbed me Ace when I was young. I guess it just stuck. So how did you join?"
"I joined to spite my father. He was a top official in the syndicate and promised the elders that when he had a child he would groom them to enter the clan."
She gave a weak smile and continued.
"I always knew he wanted a son, but instead he got me and was disappointed. Once I was old enough to understand what it was that "daddy" did, I asked if I could be a member as well. He told me that the syndicate was no place for women and that I should stay away, but I secretly joined anyway around fifteen. I went through the ranks pretty quickly with out the help of my father. I was determined to show my father what I could do. The higher I went the more my father wanted to be involved. He beamed with pride I had never known and even presented me to the elders as if he was responsible for everything. He wanted them to honor and decorate me as a Class A assassin and they did, but I was later told that they were going to do that anyway, proving that I had made it on my own.
She stopped talking to him and looked in his direction. He was still listening intently and seemed interested, but it was strange to her that she could reveal all of this to a complete stranger.
"I've never told anyone about this, not even my closest friends."
"Maybe instead of killing me you should hire me as your personal psychologist"
She laughed and relaxed against her pillow. She felt safe and comfortable here with him. The more she thought about it, the more she knew she was quickly falling in love with the comical bounty hunter, but she knew this would cause problems. If she didn't kill him she would be in trouble, but she knew that she could never do it.
"What are you doing? I was in the middle of something and…what the? What happened here," Doohan asked as he looked down at the girl on the ground.
"Don't ask me? She came her to kill me and the next thing I know she's on the ground."
"A pretty little thing like that is an assassin?"
"Look would you just help me get her inside?"
"You want to bring her inside? She tried to kill you."
"Well, right now she's pretty harmless, plus I took her gun."
"Have it your way. At least she's not trying to kill me."
"Just shut up and help me carry her inside."
Doohan rolled his eyes and took her legs while Ace took her by the underarms. They carried her into one of Doohan's spare rooms and put her down on the bed.
"I'll take her jacket off and you go get a wet cloth to put on her head."
"Yeah, yeah. You know you probably wouldn't go through all this trouble if it wasn't a woman."
"Are you doubting my intentions?"
"Oh no, I would never doubt you Ace," said Doohan with dripping sarcasm as he left the room.
Ace took Melody's jacket off and hung it on the back of the closet door. Then he put a blanket over her. Doohan returned with the cloth and Ace put it on her forehead.
"I'm going back to the shop, you wanna come?"
"Nah, I'm gonna sit here for a while and see if she's alright."
"How did I know you were gonna say that."
The mechanic walked out and left Spike with the mysterious assassin. After about twenty minutes she stirred and sat up, removing the cloth from her head and replacing it with her palm. She shook her head a couple of times, still not aware of her surroundings.
"What the hell happened? I feel like I was run over by a bus," she said.
"Nope. You just passed out," Ace replied.
She looked up in horror as it finally dawned on her that she failed to kill her target and was now without a weapon.
"YOU! What am I doing in here?!"
"Hey don't get pissed at me for giving you a place to rest your ungrateful ass."
"Fuck you! Where's my jacket?"
"Over there," he said as he pointed to the closet door."
"And my gun?"
"I'm afraid I'm gonna have to hang on to that for a while."
Melody tried to get up again, but she felt so woozy that she almost fell over. Ace got up and eased her back into bed.
"Easy now. You had heat stroke and are probably still a little light headed."
"Why are you helping me?"
"Why not?"
"Didn't your mother ever teach you not to answer a question with a question?"
"Fraid not."
"I can't just lay here all day."
"Look, you rest for a little bit and then when your better you can chase me all over the damned universe to kill me if need be. Just calm down."
"You're a piece of work you know that. I'm here trying to kill you and you're treating me like I'm your best friend."
"Did you want me to leave you outside?"
"No…"
"Well then could you show some appreciation? A simple thank you will do."
"Fine. Thank you," she said sarcastically.
"How sincere."
"It's that or nothing."
"Alright, I'll take what I can get."
He reached into his pocket and grabbed a pack of cigarettes and his lighter. He put one in between his lips and lit it up. Then he extended his hand toward Melody making her an offering.
"You want one?"
"Sure."
After that they sat in silence for what seemed to be forever. Melody couldn't help, but glance at Ace when he wasn't looking. As she thought before, there was something about him. She couldn't put her finger on it, but it attracted her to him nonetheless. He was kind, funny, and smart, not to mention goofy and handsome. She knew then that there would be no way she could kill him and sighed in defeat. Ace was thinking of her as well. He had only known her for a few hours, but he liked her. She was a lot different from any woman he had ever known. She was strong, confident, and smart. His mind was definitely putting in some over time on this one. What should he do? Should he let her go or maybe he should turn her into the ISSP. No, he couldn't do that and he also knew he wouldn't have the heart to kill her. Melody could no longer take the silence. He might be an enemy, but quiet was never her strong point.
"So what made you leave the syndicate?"
"A combination of things."
"Such as?"
"Have you ever wondered what happened after you kill someone?…Do you ever think about that chain of events?…Have you ever thought about how your actions affect others?…What happens their husband or wife?…What happens to the kids?…And then friends and other family. That person had a meaningful life, but then people like us ruin that life. Did you ever think about that?"
"No."
"Well then you're better suited for an assassin's life than I am. I guess my conscience just decided to throw in his two cents."
"You make it sound like I have no feelings."
"I didn't say that. I was just saying what made me leave. I couldn't rob people of their being anymore."
Melody didn't know how to reply, but Ace continued because somehow it was easy to talk to her.
"Now I'm free."
"You're not free if you're pursued all over the solar system."
"But I am free. I do what ever I want, whenever I want without taking orders from three wrinkly old men who shut themselves away from the real world."
"How do you survive? It's not like you can root yourself to a specific place."
"I catch bounties."
"You're a bounty hunter?"
"How do you think I knew who you are? There's a bounty on you for a kill you made on Jupiter."
"Yeah well, I can hold off any police or cowboys."
"I figured as much."
"What made you join the syndicate in the first place?"
"I was poor and I didn't think I could do anything else with my life. Mao Yenrai and I grew up together and we both joined because of that. We climbed through the ranks together and as Mao became more accustomed to the business end of things, I was a good shot so I rose through the levels as an assassin, soon becoming one of the best."
"I take it that's how you got your nickname."
"My father dubbed me Ace when I was young. I guess it just stuck. So how did you join?"
"I joined to spite my father. He was a top official in the syndicate and promised the elders that when he had a child he would groom them to enter the clan."
She gave a weak smile and continued.
"I always knew he wanted a son, but instead he got me and was disappointed. Once I was old enough to understand what it was that "daddy" did, I asked if I could be a member as well. He told me that the syndicate was no place for women and that I should stay away, but I secretly joined anyway around fifteen. I went through the ranks pretty quickly with out the help of my father. I was determined to show my father what I could do. The higher I went the more my father wanted to be involved. He beamed with pride I had never known and even presented me to the elders as if he was responsible for everything. He wanted them to honor and decorate me as a Class A assassin and they did, but I was later told that they were going to do that anyway, proving that I had made it on my own.
She stopped talking to him and looked in his direction. He was still listening intently and seemed interested, but it was strange to her that she could reveal all of this to a complete stranger.
"I've never told anyone about this, not even my closest friends."
"Maybe instead of killing me you should hire me as your personal psychologist"
She laughed and relaxed against her pillow. She felt safe and comfortable here with him. The more she thought about it, the more she knew she was quickly falling in love with the comical bounty hunter, but she knew this would cause problems. If she didn't kill him she would be in trouble, but she knew that she could never do it.