"To Seattle," Kleer stated simply.
Nathan walked next to Kleer who seemed to be walking with no care for what direction he was headed or that there were methods of reaching their destination other than walking. Three others were walking several yards behind them, not wanting to interrupt Kleer's thoughts. Nathan, however, knew Kleer would need someone to talk to. "You see, everything work. No worry."
Kleer didn't even smile, though his mind was telling him to. They had been walking for nearly fifteen minutes and Nathan wasn't even sure if they were walking in the direction of Seattle, or really where Seattle was. Nathan glanced back every now and then, almost expecting those behind them to disappear but they were always there and Nathan was grateful for that. Nathan went through his options on what to say but was coming up short in courage to say them. Part of him said that Kleer should express his thoughts while the other feared that the recent events might send him over the edge. He did not want to see what Kleer was like when he was angry.
It had almost been twenty minutes when Nathan decided that something had to be said. As he opened his mouth to speak he was drowned out by the sound of a motorcycle shooting past them. Kleer didn't even glance over as the bike raced past him, only three feet away. The motorcycle sped several dozen yards away before it began to slow down, wavering about as if the driver was having trouble controlling the vehicle.
The rider removed his helmet to reveal a large mane of dark hair covering an oddly shaped face. The person seemed to have a snout that extended outward from his small face. He had no nose but only small nostrils just above his rounded mouth, much like that of a chimpanzee. His dark beady eyes were almost too small to see from that distance. Nathan recognized the creature from back at the warehouse, but didn't know his name.
Kleer continued his pace until he reached the motorcycle and stopped. Nathan could see it was the same motorcycle that they had left behind and that this Manticore bred person had brought it for them. Nathan glanced from the transgenic to Kleer who gripped the handle of the bike but didn't climb on.
"Thank you, Monk. I greatly appreciate your support," Kleer spoke but his voice lacked the emotion it usually held.
Monk grunted emphatically and pointed from himself to the bike. Kleer smiled what seemed to be a genuine smile and nodded. The simian-human hybrid's eyes lit up as he pulled the helmet back on and climbed onto the motorcycle, which was still idling. He had barely sat down when the bike shot off and wobbled into the distance. Just before Monk disappeared from sight, Nathan could swear he heard a high pitched shriek of delight.
"You understand him?" Nathan asked.
"Sometimes I do. Other times, I understand for him."
Nathan looked puzzled, "What do you mean?"
"I think he knows that I can't always understand him, so he makes it clear in his own way."
Nathan nodded and smiled hoping that the conversation would stray his thoughts at least slightly from what had just happened, "What did Cond tell you?"
Kleer glanced up at Nathan questioningly but didn't push for an answer as to how he knew about their conversation, "That there are transgenics gathering in Seattle, X-5's and X-6's. Also, that Lydecker doesn't want anything to do with us anymore."
"What did we have to do with him?"
"Cond had contacted him in hopes of a trade. Captured members of the later X series for those of us that he came across."
Nathan shook his head and his voice deepened, "Lydecker not in charge. Evil man at Manticore. Kills all of us he sees." He sighed and told himself to control his emotions as he added, "Especially us."
Kleer nodded and processed the information, "That would make sense why he doesn't care about what we are doing."
"And this Renfro?" Nathan asked.
"What about her?"
"Cond tell others that she dead."
"What?"
"Cond tell others Renfro dead."
Kleer shook his head, "No, I know what you said. I just can't believe it."
Nathan shrugged, "Believe what I say. No need question it. I hear everything he tell them."
"Them? Who were they?" Kleer asked.
"None you fight with. Others. Not see, only hear."
Kleer smiled and gave an almost playful shove to Nathan, "I knew you'd be useful to have around."
"So," Nathan started, "you not upset about Renfro?"
"No," Kleer said quickly. "She found me in the lower cells the night of the X-5 escape. Trained me to hunt down any others who escaped. I'm glad she is not alive to stare at me with her cold eyes."
Nathan nodded but had no idea exactly what Kleer was talking about. He decided that this wasn't the time to question about the unimportant details and took what information he found useful. He knew that Renfro would not be missed and that at least some of the X-5's had escaped long ago at Manticore. Nathan knew he could find out more detail at a later date.
"So what we do?" Nathan asked.
"We're going to Seattle."
Nathan nodded, "But then?"
Kleer seemed puzzled by the question, "When we get there, we will know what to do."
Nathan couldn't understand that Kleer was relying on fate to lead them to what had to be done. "What we do while we wait to know what we do?" Nathan asked, though the question puzzled him even more than what he was trying to find out about.
"With Renfro dead, the two X-5's I sent to her will be headed to Seattle. When Lydecker was searching for the X-5's, he established contacts in Seattle. I'm hoping that when the Portland police find that Renfro isn't around that they will send the X-5's to Lydecker."
"Man at Manticore will try to capture," Nathan stated matter-of-factly.
"Perhaps, but he might not know about Renfro and Lydecker's standing orders to the police departments. We will see."
Nathan nodded, "We will see. Can count on that."
"So, where were you when those psycho's were beating on me?" Kleer asked only half-serious.
"I get sword. Get others. Get Monk. You do fine on own."
"That's not the point. Two on four would have made it easier."
"Perhaps. Will never know, will we?"
Kleer glanced at Nathan. His voice was completely serious but his face held the largest, wolfish grin he had ever seen. Kleer couldn't help but smile and found himself laughing softly as they walked after Monk.
Nathan walked next to Kleer who seemed to be walking with no care for what direction he was headed or that there were methods of reaching their destination other than walking. Three others were walking several yards behind them, not wanting to interrupt Kleer's thoughts. Nathan, however, knew Kleer would need someone to talk to. "You see, everything work. No worry."
Kleer didn't even smile, though his mind was telling him to. They had been walking for nearly fifteen minutes and Nathan wasn't even sure if they were walking in the direction of Seattle, or really where Seattle was. Nathan glanced back every now and then, almost expecting those behind them to disappear but they were always there and Nathan was grateful for that. Nathan went through his options on what to say but was coming up short in courage to say them. Part of him said that Kleer should express his thoughts while the other feared that the recent events might send him over the edge. He did not want to see what Kleer was like when he was angry.
It had almost been twenty minutes when Nathan decided that something had to be said. As he opened his mouth to speak he was drowned out by the sound of a motorcycle shooting past them. Kleer didn't even glance over as the bike raced past him, only three feet away. The motorcycle sped several dozen yards away before it began to slow down, wavering about as if the driver was having trouble controlling the vehicle.
The rider removed his helmet to reveal a large mane of dark hair covering an oddly shaped face. The person seemed to have a snout that extended outward from his small face. He had no nose but only small nostrils just above his rounded mouth, much like that of a chimpanzee. His dark beady eyes were almost too small to see from that distance. Nathan recognized the creature from back at the warehouse, but didn't know his name.
Kleer continued his pace until he reached the motorcycle and stopped. Nathan could see it was the same motorcycle that they had left behind and that this Manticore bred person had brought it for them. Nathan glanced from the transgenic to Kleer who gripped the handle of the bike but didn't climb on.
"Thank you, Monk. I greatly appreciate your support," Kleer spoke but his voice lacked the emotion it usually held.
Monk grunted emphatically and pointed from himself to the bike. Kleer smiled what seemed to be a genuine smile and nodded. The simian-human hybrid's eyes lit up as he pulled the helmet back on and climbed onto the motorcycle, which was still idling. He had barely sat down when the bike shot off and wobbled into the distance. Just before Monk disappeared from sight, Nathan could swear he heard a high pitched shriek of delight.
"You understand him?" Nathan asked.
"Sometimes I do. Other times, I understand for him."
Nathan looked puzzled, "What do you mean?"
"I think he knows that I can't always understand him, so he makes it clear in his own way."
Nathan nodded and smiled hoping that the conversation would stray his thoughts at least slightly from what had just happened, "What did Cond tell you?"
Kleer glanced up at Nathan questioningly but didn't push for an answer as to how he knew about their conversation, "That there are transgenics gathering in Seattle, X-5's and X-6's. Also, that Lydecker doesn't want anything to do with us anymore."
"What did we have to do with him?"
"Cond had contacted him in hopes of a trade. Captured members of the later X series for those of us that he came across."
Nathan shook his head and his voice deepened, "Lydecker not in charge. Evil man at Manticore. Kills all of us he sees." He sighed and told himself to control his emotions as he added, "Especially us."
Kleer nodded and processed the information, "That would make sense why he doesn't care about what we are doing."
"And this Renfro?" Nathan asked.
"What about her?"
"Cond tell others that she dead."
"What?"
"Cond tell others Renfro dead."
Kleer shook his head, "No, I know what you said. I just can't believe it."
Nathan shrugged, "Believe what I say. No need question it. I hear everything he tell them."
"Them? Who were they?" Kleer asked.
"None you fight with. Others. Not see, only hear."
Kleer smiled and gave an almost playful shove to Nathan, "I knew you'd be useful to have around."
"So," Nathan started, "you not upset about Renfro?"
"No," Kleer said quickly. "She found me in the lower cells the night of the X-5 escape. Trained me to hunt down any others who escaped. I'm glad she is not alive to stare at me with her cold eyes."
Nathan nodded but had no idea exactly what Kleer was talking about. He decided that this wasn't the time to question about the unimportant details and took what information he found useful. He knew that Renfro would not be missed and that at least some of the X-5's had escaped long ago at Manticore. Nathan knew he could find out more detail at a later date.
"So what we do?" Nathan asked.
"We're going to Seattle."
Nathan nodded, "But then?"
Kleer seemed puzzled by the question, "When we get there, we will know what to do."
Nathan couldn't understand that Kleer was relying on fate to lead them to what had to be done. "What we do while we wait to know what we do?" Nathan asked, though the question puzzled him even more than what he was trying to find out about.
"With Renfro dead, the two X-5's I sent to her will be headed to Seattle. When Lydecker was searching for the X-5's, he established contacts in Seattle. I'm hoping that when the Portland police find that Renfro isn't around that they will send the X-5's to Lydecker."
"Man at Manticore will try to capture," Nathan stated matter-of-factly.
"Perhaps, but he might not know about Renfro and Lydecker's standing orders to the police departments. We will see."
Nathan nodded, "We will see. Can count on that."
"So, where were you when those psycho's were beating on me?" Kleer asked only half-serious.
"I get sword. Get others. Get Monk. You do fine on own."
"That's not the point. Two on four would have made it easier."
"Perhaps. Will never know, will we?"
Kleer glanced at Nathan. His voice was completely serious but his face held the largest, wolfish grin he had ever seen. Kleer couldn't help but smile and found himself laughing softly as they walked after Monk.
