"Lex, quit fussing." Siva gave him an exasperated look over her cup of tea.
The sheriff paused in his hovering to give her an offended look. "I do not fuss."
"Well, Lex, you're late going back work because you've refilled Siva's cup twice and Siva hasn't been able to seat herself in almost two weeks, which coincidentally, is how long you've been coming home for lunch since you declared the offerings at the market and casino dog food, was it?. If that isn't fussing, then what would you call it?" Ebony queried, her eyes twinkling.
"I'd call it showing concern for my wife, but since she apparently doesn't appreciate it, I'll be on my way." He walked out of the café.
"Wait, Lex!" Siva put her cup down and ran after him, catching him by the fountain..
He turned, holding her shoulders. "Siva, you shouldn't be running! What if you had fallen? You could have hurt yourself and the baby…" She silenced him by the simple means of a kiss. Several seconds later, he lifted his head, his face bemused.
Siva stepped back from him. "You should go, you're late."
He nodded, and headed to the entrance of the mall, stopping and turning just inside. "I haven't forgotten what I was saying you know. Promise me you'll be careful?"
She nodded, blowing him a kiss. He made a catching motion, but didn't smile as he gave her a once over before exiting the mall.
Siva watched after him, spinning when voice spoke behind her. "You must be losing your touch. Time was when you could render a guy insensible for at least an hour."
"Ebony! You startled me." She pressed a hand against her racing heart. "You were watching us?" She frowned at her sister.
The younger girl held up her hands, palms facing outwards. "No need to get excited. I followed you to make sure you didn't fall or anything and then I didn't want to interrupt…"
"What is with everyone? I'm not a piece of china; I'm not going to break you know." Siva huffed, brushing past Ebony and heading back towards the café.
"Where are you going?" Ebony called after her.
"To help Amber with the laundry. At least she treats me like a grown-up." Siva's voice was fading as she got farther away.
"Since when have you been able to do laundry?" Ebony called after her, and laughed at the rude gesture she received.
The tall blond leaned back in his chair hands raised in the air, stretching his spine, twisting side to side to the accompaniment of several loud pops. He turned his side to side as well, then up and down, working out the kinks. He had been in this chair for several hours now, going over reports, hard-copies as well as files on the computer. He was still no closer to an answer, however. He couldn't find any useful information on the elusive Maravaj tribe, for lack of a better word. Ellie's time limit was almost up and he still didn't have anything to go on.
Maybe she was right. Perhaps the Technos weren't enough to stop them and the City should be worried and cautious. Ellie was pretty passionate about her opinions and a more than competent reporter. Maybe he should let her run the story so that everyone could be informed and make their own decision. He stared into space, considering this. But what if people panicked and chaos ensued? Things were just about back to normal after the last attack, no need to borrow trouble. He shook his head. He still had a couple of days, and information wasn't going to just jump out at him. He rubbed the back of his neck, and sighing, picked up another report and began skimming the pages.
"Come on Brady, we have to get these things to the laundry room and help out Amber like the schedule says. You have your basket?" The little girl nodded, holding up her small Easter basket filled with doll's clothes and chattering to her mother. "Okay, let's go." She carried the basket on her hip and Brady trailed behind her. As they passed the stairs, they came upon Jack coming down.
"Trudy, here let me help you with that." He jumped down the remaining steps, taking the basket from her and walking with her. "Laundry day, huh; I should go get my and Ebony's stuff and help you out. I'm certainly not doing much else around here."
She beamed at him. "That's a great idea, Jack. It's about time some of you men-folk got in touch with you inner domesticate." She nudged him with her elbow, then laughed when Brady repeated her in her own little way, saying, "Mesket, mesket, mesket!"
Jack joined in the laughter, ducking his head. "I guess I know my place, now don't I? Even the pre-schooler is telling me."
They were still laughing when they walked into the laundry room, where Siva greeted them. "Hey guys, you're just in time. Just add that to the piles over there." She pointed to a long line of clothing piles on the floor.
"Siva, what are you doing here? I mean, I thought it was my turn to help Amber with the laundry." Trudy gave the other girl a bewildered look.
The braided-haired girl smiled back. "It is. I just felt like helping out. And there is no danger to me or to baby, washing clothes. Well other than the fumes from Lex's socks that is."
The two girls shared a chuckle and understanding looks, completely missing Jack's stiffened form, frozen half-way to the piles of clothing. In fact, they didn't notice him until Brady's chatter raised in volume when her initial cries of "Mesket" got no response from him.
Amber scooped her up into her arms, pressing a kiss to the little girl's cheek. "Now Brady, why are you calling Jack, 'Musket' was it?" She gave Trudy a questioning glance.
"She means domesticate. She heard me praising Jack for getting in touch with his latent housewife."
"Oh really? So you're an enlightened male, are you, Jack?" Siva asked.
"Yeah Jack, are you the rare house-broken male?" Amber's eyes sparkled.
Like a deer in headlights, Jack stood still, facing Amber, not speaking. She stared back, unblinkingly meeting his eyes. "It's you, you did this, why, why did you do this?" Her voice shook with intensity, and she held Brady so tightly that the little girl cried out, breaking the spell.
Trudy rushed over to the blonde, pulling her daughter from her. "Amb—Amber, let her go; you're holding her too tightly."
Amber blinked rapidly then released the distressed girl. "Oh my goodness, I don't know what came over me. I'm so sorry, Brady, Trudy."
"It's alright, Amber. It happens to all of us. Why don't you just have a lay-down and Siva, Jack and I will finish up here?" The purple-haired girl spoke soothingly to her friend.
Amber smiled brightly at her. "You know, I think I will. Bray always did like afternoon naps. You'll tell him where I am if he comes in?"
"Sure thing, Amb. Siva will just walk with you and bring back any clothing we may have over-looked, right Siva?" She made eye contact with Siva and the other girl nodded, coming over and looping her arm with Amber's.
"Come on, Amber. I think I saw Pride's blanket hanging on a chair in his room. We have to make sure it gets washed today."
"Yes we do. Let's go get it." Amber headed out, pulling Siva with her.
Trudy watched them leave, then turned back to Jack. "You can put that down you know." She pointed to the basket he was still holding.
"Uh, right." He flushed, dropping the basket by the nearest pile.
She smiled. "Why Jack, you're blushing. I guess some things never change." Her smile slipped. "And some things do. Isn't it so sad about Amber? Some days she's perfectly fine, lucid, and then others she's full-throttle in La-La Land." She shook her head. "It had seemed she was getting better, but she seems to have regressed of late. I guess these attacks must be getting to her. What do you think?"
"I—I think, I think I hear Ebony calling me. I gotta go." He turned and practically ran out of the room.
Trudy hugged her daughter close, nuzzling her. "The poor dear. He's really upset about Amber. I don't blame him at all."
The night-sky hung cloudless and clear, the light from the incandescent moon and brightly sparkling skies making it almost too easy for the figures in black who move quickly yet stealthily, bodies hugging the buildings for cover. One, two, three units, moving as one, despite their disparate locations, their concentrations totally focused on the missions they were on.
Three leaders circled their right forearms twice then jerked their arms forward, index finger pointing forward. It was a go. The soldiers entered their respective buildings, depositing charges in strategic places, wiring them up, then exited, running back the way they had come. When the three units were once again one large group, the leaders met, counting down, depressing their detonators in almost perfect unison.
Like Independence Day celebrations of old, explosions lit up the sky, coloring it gold, orange, red and black; the colors of flame and smoke. Before the first scream rang out or the first siren sounded, the soldiers were gone, disappearing like they came, dark whispers on the wind.
"What is it? What's happening?" Mouse stood in the middle of the hallway, hands over her ears to block out the screeching alarms. Her head swiveled back and forth as the males of the mall raced past her to the main entrance. Pride stopped, bending down to speak to her.
"We're going to find out. Until then, why don't you go to go with Trudy?" He pointed behind Mouse. "I'm sure a big, brave girl like you can help little Brady not be scared, right?" She looked at him, then nodded, walking over to the mother and child, taking the hand of the crying Brady.
With one look back, Pride too ran down the hallway, arriving downstairs just as Jack was raising the grill, Jay at the ready with his laser.
"Come in, nice and easy. No sudden movements or you'll get shot." The blonde general's voice was firm, authoritative.
A small whimper came from outside, and then they stepped inside. No one spoke. They just couldn't. Of all the people they could have expected to be outside the mall, these two weren't even 999,998th on the list. A young man and woman both covered in soot and scratches, the woman held delicately in the man's arms.
Jay finally broke the silence, asking the question that was uppermost on everyone's minds. "Ram, Java, what the hell are you doing here?"