They did turn east. Passing quickly through a mountain pass, they
traveled hard for two days straight. Stopping only for gas and quick
breaks. Teli had never seen a huge city; her family had not had the means
to travel far. Now she and Zane passed road signs to San Francisco in the
fading afternoon light and the trademarks of a city grew by the minute.
The first thing Zane did when they entered the city was to trade in the motorcycle for some cash, two thirds of which he gave to Teli. When she protested, he just gave her a stern look and moved on. They passed quickly through the bustling streets. People crowed the sidewalks and bunched into little shops and market stalls. Faded ads still covered the sides of the old building and a fresh coat of whitewash or of spray paint covered many walls. The colors of the people and the city fascinated Teli, for they glistened and pulsed with a life of their own, so different from her little Nevada town.
Zane seemed to blend right into the fluid crowd, becoming a part of it rather then an observer or stranger to it. Teli guessed his skill at this came from his many years on the run. She mimicked his motions and his new non-soldierly attitude and found herself acting much like she would have had she been visiting here with her own family. Teli observed, with a measure of delight, that due to her many years as a 'normal' human, she blended quite naturally. Too naturally.
Caught off guard, Teli felt herself swept into a narrow alley off the street. To prove a point, she found herself thrown against a hard brick wall before she could even react. "Just because you can blend in does not mean you can let your guard down." Zane snapped in her ear, warning and disappointment rang in his tone. Teli immediately responded to the reprimand, standing up straight and looking Zane in the eye. It was true, she had let her guard down, but she was still none too happy about having to have a guard up at all. 'I wish I could just be normal. Be home. Not have to have my stupid guard up 24-7!' Teli thought. Zane suddenly seemed to soften.
"Teli, I know this is hard for you. But you can't deny who you are. You've been doing very well, keep it up. Remember what you are and what would happen should they catch you." He seemed to be reading her thoughts again, but Teli knew he was only trying to help. Well, he was right, and Teli knew it. She nodded gravely and after a moment they drifted back into the crowd.
"Here we are." Zane said a few minutes later. They had reached what appeared to be a cheep, run down motel. Teli looked at him quizzically. Zane almost chuckled at her expression.
"Yes, Teli. We are staying here. I'm sorry it won't be more. to your liking ma'am." He teased, letting the instructor attitude drop for a moment. "You didn't think we'd be traveling in luxury now did you?" Teli smiled and shook her head as they went in.
"Can I help you?" The desk lady asked in a bored tone. Zane smiled a charming smile that nearly knocked Teli off her feet in surprise. 'He can be charming?! Where did that come from?' Teli though, almost laughing.
"Yes ma'am. We'd like a double room for the next two nights." Zane said in a warm and polite voice, the smile still on his face. 'Next two nights?' Teli though, puzzled. The lady started to warm to the smile, even shot a quick grin in Zane's direction as she started processing the information. 'He's good.' Teli thought with a grin, 'or she's easy.' Her mind countered.
"One small request ma'am?" Zane asked tentatively. The lady did not smile at that. 'Good one Zane.' Teli thought. The lady peered over her thick-rimmed glasses and raised an eyebrow.
"Could we get a room on the top floor? My niece hasn't seen the city yet and you've got a pretty good view." Zane asked, as politely as possible. The lady let her eyebrow drop and glanced at the computer.
"Yeah, I guess I can do that." She replied and finished filling out the info.
Once in their small double room Zane did something unexpected. He walked to the window, opened it, jumped up onto the sill and leapt up and out. 'Oh good lord!' Teli thought, 'what on earth is he doing?' She followed, jumping up onto the roof with little difficulty.
The setting sun glared in Teli's eyes as she looked for Zane. She found him crouched by one of the three chimney-like structures. He carefully pried a brick out of place, which plopped into his lap just as Teli crouched down beside him. She watched, curious, as Zane began to chip away at the brick. Pretty soon the top layer broke off, reviling a hollow center. Inside was a tiny computer chip. Zane pocketed the chip, replaced the brick and motioned to Teli to return to the room.
Once inside, Zane pulled what looked like a palm-pilot from the days of old out of his pack. He slipped the chip into the back and turned the thing on. An encoded message blinked on the screen.
"What is it?" Teli asked, puzzled, as she stared over his shoulder.
"Instructions." Zane answered, his eyes scanning the little screen. "I'm to meet Max in two days, this tells me when and where." Teli guessed that wasn't all it told him, but her ears perked up at the name, which had previously only been spoken once and so she was distracted.
"So, where do we go?" Teli ask, excited.
"Not 'we,' I'm going alone. You're going to learn to travel on your own." The words chilled Teli. 'Alone, in this city?' The human part of her asked. 'I can do it, I was designed to survive.' The soldier part replied. Zane was looking at her, waiting for a response. Teli finally nodded and sat down heavily on one of the beds.
"Tomorrow I'll be showing you the ropes and giving you your instructions. Then I have to leave. We'll meet again at the destination." Zane said before he too sat down on the opposite bed. "Now, let's get some sleep, it'll be a long day tomorrow." With that said, he flipped off the light.
Teli waited until Zane's breathing had evened out before she rose to go to her bag. She slowly pulled out her journal and sat down at the flimsy desk to write.
**** Dear Angel,
San Francisco is a beautiful city. I love all the energy and all the colors. I can see why people like you, and me, would be drawn to such a city; it is very easy to blend into the crowds. I think I could spend a long time here and not get bored. But it doesn't look like I'm going to have that opportunity.
It frightens me a little that Zane will be leaving me on my own. It's such a big place and I've never traveled much. But I know I can do whatever it is you and he wish of me. I just hope I don't run into much trouble on the way. If all I have to do is get from one place to another without getting caught I think I'll manage. Let me guess, easier said then done? That's what I thought. Well, Zane trained me well. Or reminded me well, whichever way you'd like to think of it.
I hope I'll be seeing you soon. Zane mentioned your name today - Max. At least, that's what I've guessed from the 'MG.' Any news of my brother? Well, goodnight for now, here's to meeting you soon.
--Teli
The first thing Zane did when they entered the city was to trade in the motorcycle for some cash, two thirds of which he gave to Teli. When she protested, he just gave her a stern look and moved on. They passed quickly through the bustling streets. People crowed the sidewalks and bunched into little shops and market stalls. Faded ads still covered the sides of the old building and a fresh coat of whitewash or of spray paint covered many walls. The colors of the people and the city fascinated Teli, for they glistened and pulsed with a life of their own, so different from her little Nevada town.
Zane seemed to blend right into the fluid crowd, becoming a part of it rather then an observer or stranger to it. Teli guessed his skill at this came from his many years on the run. She mimicked his motions and his new non-soldierly attitude and found herself acting much like she would have had she been visiting here with her own family. Teli observed, with a measure of delight, that due to her many years as a 'normal' human, she blended quite naturally. Too naturally.
Caught off guard, Teli felt herself swept into a narrow alley off the street. To prove a point, she found herself thrown against a hard brick wall before she could even react. "Just because you can blend in does not mean you can let your guard down." Zane snapped in her ear, warning and disappointment rang in his tone. Teli immediately responded to the reprimand, standing up straight and looking Zane in the eye. It was true, she had let her guard down, but she was still none too happy about having to have a guard up at all. 'I wish I could just be normal. Be home. Not have to have my stupid guard up 24-7!' Teli thought. Zane suddenly seemed to soften.
"Teli, I know this is hard for you. But you can't deny who you are. You've been doing very well, keep it up. Remember what you are and what would happen should they catch you." He seemed to be reading her thoughts again, but Teli knew he was only trying to help. Well, he was right, and Teli knew it. She nodded gravely and after a moment they drifted back into the crowd.
"Here we are." Zane said a few minutes later. They had reached what appeared to be a cheep, run down motel. Teli looked at him quizzically. Zane almost chuckled at her expression.
"Yes, Teli. We are staying here. I'm sorry it won't be more. to your liking ma'am." He teased, letting the instructor attitude drop for a moment. "You didn't think we'd be traveling in luxury now did you?" Teli smiled and shook her head as they went in.
"Can I help you?" The desk lady asked in a bored tone. Zane smiled a charming smile that nearly knocked Teli off her feet in surprise. 'He can be charming?! Where did that come from?' Teli though, almost laughing.
"Yes ma'am. We'd like a double room for the next two nights." Zane said in a warm and polite voice, the smile still on his face. 'Next two nights?' Teli though, puzzled. The lady started to warm to the smile, even shot a quick grin in Zane's direction as she started processing the information. 'He's good.' Teli thought with a grin, 'or she's easy.' Her mind countered.
"One small request ma'am?" Zane asked tentatively. The lady did not smile at that. 'Good one Zane.' Teli thought. The lady peered over her thick-rimmed glasses and raised an eyebrow.
"Could we get a room on the top floor? My niece hasn't seen the city yet and you've got a pretty good view." Zane asked, as politely as possible. The lady let her eyebrow drop and glanced at the computer.
"Yeah, I guess I can do that." She replied and finished filling out the info.
Once in their small double room Zane did something unexpected. He walked to the window, opened it, jumped up onto the sill and leapt up and out. 'Oh good lord!' Teli thought, 'what on earth is he doing?' She followed, jumping up onto the roof with little difficulty.
The setting sun glared in Teli's eyes as she looked for Zane. She found him crouched by one of the three chimney-like structures. He carefully pried a brick out of place, which plopped into his lap just as Teli crouched down beside him. She watched, curious, as Zane began to chip away at the brick. Pretty soon the top layer broke off, reviling a hollow center. Inside was a tiny computer chip. Zane pocketed the chip, replaced the brick and motioned to Teli to return to the room.
Once inside, Zane pulled what looked like a palm-pilot from the days of old out of his pack. He slipped the chip into the back and turned the thing on. An encoded message blinked on the screen.
"What is it?" Teli asked, puzzled, as she stared over his shoulder.
"Instructions." Zane answered, his eyes scanning the little screen. "I'm to meet Max in two days, this tells me when and where." Teli guessed that wasn't all it told him, but her ears perked up at the name, which had previously only been spoken once and so she was distracted.
"So, where do we go?" Teli ask, excited.
"Not 'we,' I'm going alone. You're going to learn to travel on your own." The words chilled Teli. 'Alone, in this city?' The human part of her asked. 'I can do it, I was designed to survive.' The soldier part replied. Zane was looking at her, waiting for a response. Teli finally nodded and sat down heavily on one of the beds.
"Tomorrow I'll be showing you the ropes and giving you your instructions. Then I have to leave. We'll meet again at the destination." Zane said before he too sat down on the opposite bed. "Now, let's get some sleep, it'll be a long day tomorrow." With that said, he flipped off the light.
Teli waited until Zane's breathing had evened out before she rose to go to her bag. She slowly pulled out her journal and sat down at the flimsy desk to write.
**** Dear Angel,
San Francisco is a beautiful city. I love all the energy and all the colors. I can see why people like you, and me, would be drawn to such a city; it is very easy to blend into the crowds. I think I could spend a long time here and not get bored. But it doesn't look like I'm going to have that opportunity.
It frightens me a little that Zane will be leaving me on my own. It's such a big place and I've never traveled much. But I know I can do whatever it is you and he wish of me. I just hope I don't run into much trouble on the way. If all I have to do is get from one place to another without getting caught I think I'll manage. Let me guess, easier said then done? That's what I thought. Well, Zane trained me well. Or reminded me well, whichever way you'd like to think of it.
I hope I'll be seeing you soon. Zane mentioned your name today - Max. At least, that's what I've guessed from the 'MG.' Any news of my brother? Well, goodnight for now, here's to meeting you soon.
--Teli