Chapter 37- At the Crack of Dawn
"I have someone I want you to meet.", Jay said, addressing the pair on the couch in the living area.
Trouble looked up from where she sat by Arcade. She had finally let him up that morning after 2 days in bed. He was beginning to get annoyed at her solicitousness.
"I've set up a meeting over at the Ultra Luxe for tomorrow night. Are you up to it, Arcade?", Jay asked.
"I don't think..", Trouble began, but Arcade interrupted her.
"Sure. Why do you want us to meet him?", he asked curiously, ignoring his wife's glare.
"I'm thinking of hiring him and want your opinion. At least we'll have a nice dinner and an evening out. You're probably getting tired of this place.", he grinned, smirking at Trouble.
Arcade was moving slower than normal, and his torso was stiffened by the tight bandages still swathing his middle. They couldn't be seen under the suit he was wearing, so aside from being a little pale, he looked much the same as usual. Trouble had taken care with her appearance. She had borrowed from one of the guest rooms and looked stunning in the blood red dress with a blue satin scarf belt that matched the blue necklace she always insisted on wearing. She had pulled her hair up and fastened it with bobby pins, adding to her elegant appearance.
The strange man rose politely as they approached the table. Jay introduced him as Demetrius Stone. They studied each other warily as they acknowledged the introductions. He had the look of a hardened soldier about him. His dust brown hair was just a little long and bristles sprung from his swarthy cheeks. He wasn't handsome with a crooked nose, obviously broken at some time, and scars marking hard won battles, but he had the appeal of a confident, strong man.
Jay had chosen a corner table where they could linger over drinks and not be bothered. The meal went well with pointed small talk designed to draw out the stranger on his past and inclinations. He was smooth and articulate. Trouble got the feeling he told them just what he wanted them to know.
"Demetrius tells me there was a massacre up by the silver mines.", Jay said. "I told him you already knew about it."
"Did you?", Trouble said, frowning at him. "Why? You know we don't want to get embroiled in that, that's why we never told anyone about it. What were we supposed to do, anyway? They were already dead."
"You were there?", Demetrius asked.
"We passed through.", Arcade admitted. "We happened to come across them, and looked around to see if any of them were alive, but we sure didn't hang around. We headed on toward the mountains then."
"Why would you do that?", Demetrius asked, surprised. "Why not just take the road?"
"Didn't Jay tell you?", Arcade asked. "We were out there looking for green, swampy areas that might hold FEV. We want to try to find a cure. So we were just looking wherever we thought we might find some, usually up in the mountains. Anyway, we ended up following the mountains around because there wasn't any way up into them, so that didn't work out so well."
"Maybe that's what started the rumors then.", Demetrius said.
Trouble snorted. "You mean that nonsense I've been hearing on the radio about some 'desert angel' taking on the 'evil Legion' and killing an entire troupe all by herself? Who believes that stuff anyway? I would hope you wouldn't try that! Only an idiot would take on a Legion troupe without an army to back them up."
Demetrius laughed. "I wouldn't, that's for sure.", he agreed.
The conversation moved on to other subjects, but Trouble was watching Jay narrowly. What the hell was he up to now? Warning them that the Legion suspected them of killing their Assassins? Then why not just do that at home?
It was approaching midnight when the party finally broke up and Demetrius went on his way. The trio made their way back to the 38, the Courier observing the comings and goings on the strip as they went. He sometimes wondered if Trouble had anything to do with the death of the Frumentarius he had occasionally conferred with on the strip. He had picked up the rumors in the Legion camps that the man had been killed by a drug dealer while he was on a mission. That hadn't seemed likely to him and he was sure it didn't make sense to Caesar either.
"Care for a night cap?", Jay asked, stopping the elevator at the one time bar. They joined him in a window seat where they could see out over the desert. He poured them all a whiskey.
"What do you think of Demetrius?", he asked, sipping his whiskey.
"I'd just like to know", Trouble said "why you're thinking of hiring a Legion spy? Are you going to let him in the 38?"
Jay set down his glass, leaning back with arms crossed and raising his brows at Trouble. "What makes you think he's Legion?", he asked.
Arcade pushed his glass aside. His ribs were aching, he was cranky, and he was tired of this game his wife played with the Courier.
"Don't be an ass.", he snapped. "If Matilda says so then of course he's Legion. Now are you going to tell us what you want or do I just go on off to bed?"
"I'm thinking about hiring him for a job.", he said seriously, sitting forward. "To 'prove' his self before allowing him into the 38."
"Like you did me.", Trouble rejoined.
"Like I do all my companions.", he pointed out. "I can't just let anyone in here you know. Of course he will fail even if he does survive the job. I expect he might. He's pretty tough. I'm going to need some tough help on this job."
"You haven't said what it is.", she pointed out.
"I've been commissioned by the NCR to look for a formula in a vault over in the west mountains. I really want to get it before anyone else does. They also want me to try to find one of their scientists that went in there, but she isn't the priority. I expect the place will be overrun with mutants of some kind. From rumors in the area it's some kind of plant mutant that's tough and deadly."
"What other kind is there?", Trouble shrugged. "Sounds like fun. Count me in."
"Now wait a minute.", Arcade objected. "I don't want you to go without me."
Trouble turned to look at him. "Sorry, love.", she said simply. "You're not healed yet. You'd just get us in trouble. Why don't you work on the FEV while we're gone?"
Arcade thinned his lips grimly. He knew she was right but he didn't like her going off on a dangerous mission with Jay without him. He didn't trust Jay.
"I'm not sure it's such a good idea for you to go, Trouble.", Jay said, observing the doctor's displeasure.
"Why not?", she queried, not missing the look. "There's likely to be some unique mutagenic agents in there, or chances to gather samples. Do you have any idea what you're looking for? If you just go in there all heavy handed killing everything in sight, we could lose an important opportunity! I really think I should go."
"That's a good point.", Jay agreed. "All right then. I'm picking up Demetrius at 7:00 day after tomorrow, so you'll need to be ready to leave by 6:30. You can sleep in tomorrow though.", he grinned, knowing how much Trouble liked her late mornings.
"No problem.", she agreed. "I think I'm done in. I'm going to turn in now. You coming up soon, hon?"
"I won't be long. I just want to have another drink with Jay.", he said casually.
"You boys behave.", she said, getting up and strolling to the elevator.
Arcade watched the doors slide shut before turning to the Courier.
"You're taking Trouble into a dangerous vault of mutated creatures with a Legion spy at your back. What are you up to, Jay?", he asked suspiciously.
Jay shrugged. "If you can stop her going, go ahead. Look, Arcade, she's right. I don't know what you need and she does. I'll do my best to keep her safe. Tell you what, why don't you check out the basement lab while we're gone? I'll get you the key."
Jay knew he'd better bring Trouble back unharmed or he'd never earn the man's trust. He knew just enough about him to realize he needed that trust.
xx
Arcade yawned awake. He stretched carefully, relieving the cramped position he had been sleeping in. It was nearly dawn and his wife would have to be up and gone soon. He worked his way off the end of the bed to go to the bathroom. He studied the wounds in the mirror. He was healing nicely, but was still in pain, so he injected a stimpak near the wounds to ease the pain and help the healing along.
Even after taking a pee he still had a hard on. He watched Matilda sleeping peacefully for a minute. It seemed she was stirring, so maybe she was waking soon. He could just help that along.
He pulled down the covers, creeping onto the bed over her nude form. He gently pushed back her long, raven hair to kiss her throat, working his way down to her breast. He circled the nipple with his tongue, blowing gently on it, smiling as it stiffened. He moved to the other nipple and ran his tongue over it, nipping it lightly. Matilda made little moaning sounds, wriggling slightly. He moved on down, kissing, and stroking, tonguing her navel. He carefully moved her legs apart, watching to see if she was waking, but if she was she was pretending to still be asleep.
He very lightly pushed aside the pubic hair, running a finger up the slit with the lightest of touches. He bent to blow softly on the exposed flesh. Matlda spread her legs farther encouragingly, a sigh of pleasure escaping from her. He carefully spread her labia and ran his warm, moist tongue lightly up one side of the slit, circling her clit, encouraged by her sounds of pleasure. He ran his tongue up the other side, circling the clit the other way. She whimpered, arching her hips. He ran his tongue up the middle, lightly touching her clit, feeling her draw a quick breath. He looked up at her, his grey eyes peeking over her pubes.
"Are you sure you should be doing this?", she gasped.
"Doctor's orders. Light exercise so I don't freeze up.", he grinned, and lightly, slowly licked up her slit.
She closed her eyes and arched her head back, exposing her throat, wiggling her hips slightly. "Ohhh", she gasped as he licked at her clit until he felt her tightening, shuddering around him. He carefully sucked in the clit then released it, then again, and again, increasing the pressure and tempo of his tongue until she cried out, her legs clasping around him as she shuddered with orgasmic pleasure.
He slid up and into her, his strong thrusts quickly bringing them to completion.
"Whoa.", Matilda said, holding him against her and grinning widely. "That's some wake up call. You really know your stuff, Doc."
He laughed, giving her a sharp slap on her rump. "Time to get up. You know Jay likes to start at the crack of dawn. He's probably waiting on you."
"Hmmph.", she snorted, "Let him.", but she slid her long legs over the edge of the bed and sat up.