2027, Hengsha, Kuaigan District, The Hive
'Make that another one,' Adam told Bobby Bao and slid his once again empty glass over to the bartender, demanding a replenish.
Bobby showed an ill-concealed smirk at Adam's request, but didn't hesitate to take the order.
'You're really starting to dig these, are you?'
Adam wasn't, actually. The Golden Phoenix Sling stung like bull's piss on his tongue, leaving an awful taste of cough syrup with it; but it was the strongest drink The Hive had to offer and after the fourth refill he barely noticed the cheap note anymore.
'Just shut up and get me the drink.'
Bobby complied in amused silence and, a minute later, put a freshly mixed cocktail in front of him.
Adam impatiently removed the silly decorations and took a greedy swig of it, soothing his restlessness.
Curse his damn, rotten luck!
He should have been on his way to Montreal, to Picus's HQs meeting Eliza Cassan, right now, after he had gotten this new lead in his investigation from Tai Yong Medical's CEO, Zhao Yun Ru, earlier. But as it had turned out, his assault on the TYM institutions had caused an immediate Hengsha-wide grounding for any aircrafts attempting to depart the area. Obviously, Zhao didn't want to let him escape a second time around.
To keep her out of unnecessary trouble, he had dropped off Malik's B-EE right after she'd extracted him from the tower and decided to go underground within Kuaigan District, hitting familiar turf. He'd found The Hive, base of operations for the Tong Triad, one of the best possible hiding places to vanish amongst a crowd without running into Belltower commandos, but saw himself confronted with - at least - a night of idle waiting for Pritchard to rig a clearance to leave the city.
So, here he was, sitting at the first floor bar, doused in loud music and surrounded by partying strangers, with nothing to do other than cowardly drink himself senseless again, hands virtually bound, unable to make any difference. Right after he'd discovered...
'Hey, handsome,' a nearby, female voice disrupted his thoughts out of nowhere. 'You're American, right? Let me buy you a drink?'
Startled, Adam shot the Chinese woman approaching a reluctant glimpse; just to have his eyes instantly gotten caught by the lascivious display of her décolleté and other desirable body parts, barely covered by a tight, black and green dress.
Sudden, involuntary arousal set his blood on fire and settled heavily in his groin, making it hard to catch his next breath.
Shit, exactly the same had happened when he was facing Zhao before, leaving him vulnerable and granting her the opportunity to deceive him with her false pretenses. Except, that wasn't entirely true.
Of course, Adam had known Zhao was lying, obviously trying to protect herself. But he also had found it always difficult to raise a hand against a woman, no matter the circumstances. And her being all over him, almost intimately touching him and, by that, invading his private sphere, hadn't been helpful at all.
At some point, he had found himself frozen to immobility, struggling against a long suppressed desire threatening to overwhelm him, allowing her to work her scheme. And on top of that, the old hag hadn't been anywhere near attractive, dammit.
In very contrast to the woman next to him that moment; young, appealing and, without a doubt, eager.
Intimacy was a bitch!
'No, thanks,' he brought himself to say. 'I just had a refill.'
'Then let me buy the next one,' the Asian beauty offered, obtrusively, and leant in a bit more. 'Since I couldn't help but notice your...' Her eyes trailed all over Adam's body, boldly pausing on his lap before moving up again to re-catch his gaze. '...impressive hardware.'
Adam painstakingly had to fend off the demanding flash of lust striking him, a feral urge to just relentlessly fuck her and get it out of his system.
Shit. He really wasn't in the state of mind to deal with this particular problem right now. Especially not after he'd learned about...
'Come on,' she dared him in a soft voice, moved in even closer, revealing a plain view at her tensed nipples against the fabric of her clothes, and put a hand on his thigh, near the crotch, fondling. 'I can see you want to. Promise to make it worth your while.'
Adam hardly found himself in a position to resist anymore. There was only one way left out of this. Immediate retreat.
So, shaking her off, he suddenly rose and took a step back, not without noticing it to be much more comfortable to stand straight up, than sit hunched down.
'Really, thanks, but no thanks,' he hoarsely tried to acknowledge her attempt, as well as her assets; and after three more pounding heartbeats of hesitation he finally managed to turn his back and flee her presence, leaving his drink behind and ignoring her throwing resentful curses after him.
Outside The Hive, breathing in Lower Hengsha's chill evening air, Adam tried to cool himself down.
Did he really just frantically escape an attractive woman's direct approach while having nothing better to do - at all - for the next imminent hours?
There was a new low for him.
Shit!
He even was aware his instant panic didn't have anything to do with the fact that he had found out Megan could still be alive, earlier today. He knew she was nothing more but a welcome excuse to avoid facing what was really going on.
True, Megan had been an important part of his personal life for a long time and it would be a plain lie to say her presumed loss didn't torment him; but Adam had spent the last six months to cope with her death, and their relationship had already been dead long before that.
Yes, they had been maintaining a sexual affair after the break-up, and yes, his last intimate encounter with her had taken place the night before the attack.
She had been anxious about her upcoming presentation, asking him out for a drink, being oddly reserved at first. But after the second Vodka Martini she had started to let herself go, and her demeanor became rather predatory. They barely made it through Adam's apartment door later, already being all over each other, before they simply fucked their brains out all night long. He'd had her against the hallway wall, in his bed, under the shower and in his bed again; and again, and again...
Adam shook his head to clear his mind.
No, Megan wasn't the problem. Alive or not, she was a pleasant, but past memory; a sexual relief, like he was to her, like several other women Adam occasionally had dated before the attack; yet, never after. Not since he'd been left for dead; not since his modification. And not because of lack of opportunity.
No, the problem was this cursed body of his. A body broken and artificially rebuilt, turned into a weapon, not even half human anymore. What pleasure could he hope to give like this; what pleasure could he hope to gain?
He even had refrained from releasing his tension manually; he didn't dare to. He had witnessed these hands break too many things in mindless rage.
How could he consider touch a woman like that?
Adam stopped in his tracks and tried to swallow down the lump of fear strangling his throat.
Enough! He really had no leisure to spare on this shit right now!
When he finally felt adequately calmed down to have a look up and around, he found himself across the main entrance to Hung Hua Hotel, two corners away from The Hive.
How, the hell, did he get here and - most importantly - why?
Sure, he had thought about renting a room for him alone, crashing for the night, earlier, but that didn't explain why his feet subconsciously had dragged him right in front of Hengsha's most famous brothel of all places.
Sonuvabitch!
What now?
Crashing, yet or later? Or not at all?
The next moment he noticed an appealing scent of roasted garlic in the air and remembered he hadn't eaten all day. Yeah, a nice Chow Mein stalling his decision seemed to be a good idea.
So, he followed the appetizing smell past Hung Hua's main floor to a food stall at the end of Tiantang Road; located between a stairwell leading right, a level down, and another one, straight ahead, leading a level up, next to a passage to Youzhao District.
Adam headed for the deserted counter, took a seat and ordered a dish of fried noodles with pork in soy sauce, along with a beer to wash the meal down.
The young cook immediately got to work, mixing and adding ingredients into his wok, while Adam already opened the can of beer and lit a smoke, impatiently trying to kill time in wait for his food.
He just had his third sip of the Chinese brew when he heard a sudden ruckus behind.
A woman and a guy approaching, heatedly yelling at each other. She, of obvious Chinese origin, but a fluent English speaking, defensive; he, an English native, intrusive.
'No!' she fought him off. 'I said, no! Leave me alone, already!'
'You still have to learn who you're dealing with, eh, little cunt?'
'No! Get off of me!'
Adam clenched his teeth and couldn't help but have a glimpse over his shoulder, just to see the guy grabbing the woman's arm and drawing a gun on her.
Fuck!
Why? Why, the hell, did he always have to let himself get dragged into this kind of mess?
He really should know better... but apparently, he didn't.
'Hey!' Adam growled loud enough for both of them to hear and rose from his seat, turning, hand already under the coat and at the grip of the Zenith holstered in his back, releasing the safety lock, ready to hollow that bastard's skull if necessary. 'The lady said "no". Simple enough to understand even for a halfwit like you, I'd guess.'
The quarrel instantly stopped dead at the unexpected intervention and both of them, facing him, stared over in sudden amazement from across the street.
During those few precious seconds, as time seemed to freeze, Adam tried to assess the guy's response in advance, considering every possible outcome of the situation from getting the gun pointed at up to his opponent taking the girl hostage. He didn't reckon, however, the other to bail.
'This isn't over, bitch,' the guy hissed at the woman, let go of her arm and surprisingly ran off through the near passageway.
Lucky break.
The next moment, Adam saw the girl collapse, staggering, trying to stay upright on unsteady legs, and was at her side in a heartbeat, supporting her by grabbing her shoulders.
'I'm alright...' she whispered in response, yet still in shock and trembling all over.
Like hell, she was.
'Come on, sit for a while,' Adam suggested and, when she didn't resist, gently led her back to the counter and pushed her down at one of the seats before he ordered another beer from the baffled cook.
The guy automatically complied and passed over a can, which Adam opened and pressed into the girl's shaky hands. It took her a few seconds until she realized the cooled brew, then brought it to her lips and gulped it down in long swigs.
Adam quietly watched her drink, not without noticing that she was kind of cute. Wavy, auburn hair framed a gentle face, spilling down to her shoulders; her physique of shorter height, but pleasantly curved beneath comfortable clothes.
'Thanks,' she finally said, put the can down and, for the first time, raised her dark, almond eyes at Adam, full of concern. 'I'm sorry you got involved in this. But, really, thank you.'
Yep, cute she was. Dammit!
'Don't mention it,' Adam cleared his throat and focused on something more pressing. 'What about him? Will you be alright or is he going to be a problem?'
He motioned over to the passageway where her attacker had disappeared to.
She started, pondering, and seemed a bit at a loss.
'I... don't know, to be honest. He is, was, a customer, a regular of mine.'
Of course... she had to be a Working Girl of all people, most likely coming straight from Hung Hua.
'But he began to act more and more dominating over time, demanded I quit my job and be there for him, exclusively. I got him banned from Hung Hua.' She shot a nervous glimpse over to the passageway and grabbed her own arms, rubbing them in self-comfort. 'I didn't think he would ambush me with a gun.'
Adam felt an urge to console her in some way, but couldn't remember how that was to be performed, exactly, when her eyes suddenly went wide in realization of something.
'Oh god, he knows where I live.'
Great.
'I suppose your building isn't properly secured,' Adam assumed, already knowing the answer, being familiar with the general safety standards of Lower Hengsha.
The girl nodded, confirming.
'What about the authorities? Can you get them to help?'
'You mean Belltower?' Her lips twitched into a wry smile. 'He's working for Belltower.'
Oh...
'Any friends you could stay with?' Adam still tried to veer the responsibility off of himself.
'For how long?' she pointed out, uncompromising. 'And I'm not going to move either. I've worked too hard for that apartment.'
Recalling her attacker's last statement, Adam knew this was far from over, indeed. And apparently, moving her out of harm's way wasn't an option; so the harm had to be put out of her way, instead.
Adam shot another glance at the girl. She was still shivering and hugging herself, but didn't even ask for assistance; which compelled him the more to not just walk out on her.
'Do you have any idea where to find him?'
'Right now? No. He should be at work tomorrow, though.'
Tomorrow wasn't good enough. By then Adam hopefully would be on his way to Canada. And finding the guy all by himself, without any backup, amidst all of Hengsha would prove to be a very futile attempt. It also would still leave the girl in danger this night. Just fucking perfect.
So, there wasn't much of a choice left.
Adam cleared his throat once again.
'This may be an inappropriate suggestion, and I'll most certainly leave Hengsha tomorrow, but I can offer to escort you home and keep an eye on your apartment tonight. If he doesn't show, I'll try to find him until I have to take off.'
The girl raised her brown eyes back at him, wide in surprise and scrutinizing.
'I couldn't possibly accept,' she refused. 'I already got you dragged into this mess.'
'Yeah,' Adam agreed, not without a tang of irony. 'But that was my call to make. Now I have to see it through, don't I?'
'I couldn't even pay you.'
'No need,' Adam declined.
Now she was eyeing him once more, thoroughly from tip to toe.
'I could... repay you otherwise,' she hinted at her profession and caused Adam's guts to clench.
He was dreading that kind of proposal since he had learned she was a prostitute.
'Really, there's no need for any compensation,' he reassured, voice rough.
She looked obviously puzzled, arching an eyebrow.
'You're a strange fellow. I've never met a guy who would reject the opportunity of a free fuck.'
You don't say.
Then she put on a sassy smile.
'At least you don't look dangerous; well, in fact, you do, but not in a wicked way.'
Comforting.
'Alright,' she finally agreed. 'I accept your offer under one condition.'
'And what would that be?'
'I insist on paying for your dinner. It's the least I can do.' She gave him a wink. 'I'm Xiang Ye Hua, by the way.'
Adam heavily had to swallow at the lump stuck in his throat. She was way too cute; and all of this was just a bad idea.
'Jensen. Adam Jensen.'
'Nice to meet you, Adam.'
Her perky demeanor made him even more uneasy than he felt already.
He was so going to regret this...
They ordered another dish of fried noodles, two shares of spring rolls and several cans of beer to go, before he finally accompanied her home.
2027, Hengsha, Youzhao District, Downtown Apartments
The safety measures at Downtown Apartments were as poor as expected, Adam realized examining the electronic lock at Ye Hua's place, while she was changing somewhere inside.
'I could tweak the security level by one or two degrees, if that's ok with you,' he offered when he caught a glimpse of her returning to the living room.
'Sure,' she approved and stepped into the light, her sudden, plain sight of view taking Adam's next breath away.
She had casually put her hair up, held by two long needles which suspiciously resembled lacquered chopsticks, and wore just a sleeveless shirt over a pair of comfortable cotton shorts, not in the slightest aware of how sexy she looked.
Damn you, woman. How can you be so ordinarily beautiful?
Adam forced himself to fixate his attention back on the safety lock, intent on hacking the console. But distracted as he was it took him longer than usual to capture hub after hub of the original protocol, break it up into its components and re-encode a more complex routine to the best of his knowledge.
He only managed to raise the security level by one degree, though. Certainly, Pritchard would have done a far better job at this, but since he was unavailable, working on that departure clearance, Adam's effort had to suffice here.
Meanwhile, Ye Hua had set up dishes for dinner; a shared dinner, Adam noticed when he entered the living room. There were two sets of plates and glasses present on the cocktail table.
'Erm, I didn't mean to invade your privacy,' he tried to prevent her from opening a second can of beer. 'I'll eat someplace else.'
She started, turned and, with a crack, ripped the can open, tilting a brow.
'Where, silly? In the hallway? Did you mean to sleep there, too?'
Adam didn't respond. That was exactly what he had meant to do. Well, sleep was out of question, obviously, but...
'You've got to be kidding me,' Ye Hua burst out reading his expression, put the beer down and rushed over to grab him by the arm and slam the door shut in his back.
'Damn, are you modest,' she scolded away, hauling him over to the couch. 'Get in here. Really, you're offering to help out a complete stranger, demanding nothing in return; the least you can do is let me make you comfortable.'
Not realizing she was doing quite the opposite, she reached for the collar of his coat and resolutely stripped it off his shoulders, leaving him somewhat naked, only dressed in his protective vest, arms bare, before she pushed him down into the cushions.
Adam didn't resist. He knew, she was right to some point, and, therefore, couldn't think of a polite way to decline her hospitality. So he quietly watched her pour the beer for him and, then, slump into the nearby comfy chair, sitting on one leg crossed and reaching for her own meal.
Adam didn't know what else to do than follow her example. He couldn't possibly just jump up and run off, could he?
They ate in awkward silence for a while.
'So, what do you do when you're not saving the damsel in distress?' she eventually launched the inevitable conversation, for what Adam was almost glad by now.
'Corporate security,' he still gave a reserved answer. She didn't have to know the identity of his employer, nor his position at Sarif.
'Really?' she wondered. 'You don't strike me as the mercenary type.'
Adam actually had never thought of it that way, but it was basically true. He did sell his skills for profit, in fact.
'As what kind of type do I strike you, then?'
'More like a champion of justice,' she grinned, teasing. 'Perhaps a cop, or something like that.'
'I've been a cop... once.'
'I see,' she said, her grin slowly fading. 'What happened?'
'I've made a decision my superiors didn't approve of.'
Adam's detached response effectively put an end to her prying any further.
'I see,' she repeated instead and fell silent again, nibbling on her food.
'Aren't you gonna ask me anything?' Though she tried to hide it, there was a hint of impatience concealed in her voice.
'Do you want me to?'
Adam dared a look at her, just to regret it the same moment.
The neckline of her shirt had slipped somewhere between her breasts, revealing an alluring view at soft skin and pleasant curves beneath the fabric, while she sat one leg cocked, the other crossed under, nestled in her chair.
Damn, woman...
'Aren't you curious?'
'About what?' Adam broke off, swallowed hard and focused on rationality. 'How you became a Working Girl? Why you're doing this? Or how you did end up with a guy like him?'
Ye Hua kept quiet and he suddenly felt remorse for his invasive words.
'I'm sorry, it... I've probably seen it all,' he made an attempt to explain, still avoiding her eyes. 'Good reasons, bad reasons. It doesn't matter. The struggle is real. It's a tough world and everybody is trying to survive on their own terms. I'm no one to judge.'
Nobody was, as a matter of fact. Right and wrong was something everyone had to figure out for themselves.
'Then why do this?' He saw her gesturing, compassing the whole room, him and her, their situation.
Because he could. Because it was the right thing to do.
He didn't answer.
She didn't ask anymore.
After a while Adam saw her shifting in her chair, putting the food down, emptying her beer and, finally, rising.
'I'm going to sleep now.' Her voice was surprisingly tender, warm, caring. 'You're welcome to join, the bed is big enough for two.'
Yeah, he had noticed the large futon at the other side of the room.
'But I'm guessing you'll prefer the couch. It's very comfortable to sleep on. Blanket and pillow are there. Oh, and help yourself with everything you want.'
For a moment Adam was afraid she was hinting at her profession again, but then saw her pointing at a bottle of whisky instead which had, for some reason, eluded Adam's attention up until now.
Right, his bad, misinterpreting.
The whisky was a somewhat relieving view, though.
'Good night,' Ye Hua gently retired and turned off the light except for a cozy lamp by the table.
In the remaining twilight Adam could only hear her bare feet's patter on the floor, followed by the rustling whisper of her sheets, when she slipped under and made herself comfortable.
Adam's chest tightened, painfully in urge to join her, share her warmth, embrace her softness, trigger her lust.
Then why don't you, idiot?
Because... you don't fuck the damsel being in distress. It's just plain wrong.
Adam took a calming breath. It didn't work. So he reached out for the whisky and poured himself a drink.
Half the bottle later he finally decided to get some rest, too, took off boots and gun, retracted the glasses into his skull and grabbed for the pillow, stuffing it in his neck, laying down.
Adam's slumber didn't last for a whole hour until he was awake again. Though Ye Hua had been right about this couch being comfortable to lie on, his body armor proved to be very uncomfortable to lie in. There was some seam chafing his back the whole day already, driving him crazy.
Great, here you got a multi-million dollar body and end up suffering from sore skin.
He thought about taking the protective vest off, but hesitated for, literally, bare facts.
Oh, come on, she's sound asleep, by now. What the hell...
Adam shed his doubts and opened the latches, stripped off the armor and put it aside before he leant back into the pillow again.
Still, rest remained to stay out of reach.
Damn his fast-paced metabolism.
Letting his eyes roam, he surveyed the room he hadn't paid much attention to before. Most of the furnishing was kept in classic Chinese style, cheap, but atmospheric. Painted folding screens, splayed fans depicting artful landscapes, a tea set next to several books, jovial Buddha figurines. All in all homey.
No wonder Ye Hua didn't want to move.
Adam shot a glimpse at the door, activating his SMART vision. No movement, not even in the hallway.
Fuck, and the night was still lasting for several hours.
A smoke.
Adam wondered if there was a place he could have a smoke without disturbing Ye Hua's sleep, when he caught sight of the sliding door behind the couch, leading out to a small balcony.
That should do if he opened the door a crack.
So he poured another drink, got up and sat on the floor next to the window, slid it open a hand's width and lit a smoke.
A gentle breeze instantly blew over his skin, cooling, and Adam inhaled Lower Hengsha's night air together with the burned tobacco. Cigarettes still taste best at night.
Outside, oblivious of the late hour, the city didn't rest either. There were people chatting in the distance, laughing, brawling, music playing; and the narrow streets were illuminated by towering advertisement panels, all under the sprawling roof of Upper Hengsha blocking out the sky.
Adam shot another glance at the door. Still nothing.
Damn, that's what he hated the most. The wait.
Ever since David had called him in, canceling his sick leave three days ago, Adam hadn't allowed himself much freedom to idle away. He had enjoyed the rush of a fight, had relished the suspense of infiltration, focusing only on the next target. Even on the long flight to China he'd slept only a few hours, using most of his time to make himself familiar with Hengsha's customs and locations.
But now he was tied down again, with nothing else to do than wait, and think.
He only hoped Malik was alright and Pritchard could keep her safe. Adam didn't want to see her in trouble. No matter how tough and professional at her job she was, she had revealed a certain fragility facing the resolve of her friend's murder today. Though, her nasty revenge on the bastard had been admittedly badass.
Surely, she was fine. She had to be.
Pritchard had his hands full of his own, anyway. Leaving only as much as a hint of what he was challenging, he'd practically cut Adam off earlier. 'Do you remember what I've told you about loopholes? I need to create one. Now let me get to work.' And gone he was; with nothing for Adam to do.
Nothing than wait...
He leant his head against the frame and took a drag from the smoke, mind spinning.
There had been a time when he thought things couldn't get any worse, back when he quit the force. Yet, here he was, crippled in any fashion one could possibly think of and mocked by a TYM billboard advertising augmentation from across the corner.
Improve your life.
Yeah, up yours, too!
All the improvement that's shown so far was a lot of trouble, a chafed back and a buttload of sexual frustration.
Fuck.
A quiet rustle from behind jerked him back to focus, recalling he was not alone.
Tensing, Adam held his breath, in wait for Ye Hua to steady down; yet the rustling wasn't followed by silence but a sudden patter of bare feet on the floor, drawing near.
He could sense her approach tingling in his back before he felt the bed-warmth radiating her close by, wafting across his skin - his very naked skin, he suddenly realized.
'Aren't you gonna sleep, at all?' Her voice was barely a whisper in the dark, her immediate proximity unsettling.
'I did,' Adam managed a response, throat dry and rasp, but didn't dare look up at her. 'For a little while. Don't mind me, go back to sleep yourself. Sorry for waking you.'
'You didn't.'
The next thing he felt was her hand on his shoulder, light as a breeze, brushing the edge of his collar bone.
He stiffened, closed his eyes and fought the turmoil twisting his guts.
'Don't.' He wanted to shrug her off, but couldn't move. 'I told you, you don't have to.'
'And what if I want to?' she said, gentle as her touch, trailing her fingertips up his neck into his hairline.
Adam failed to suppress the shudder surging through his body, struggling for breath.
'You're trembling,' she noted, somewhat confused. 'What's wrong?'
Pulling back she stepped into his field of view, puzzlement written on her face.
'What are you fighting? You're not gay.'
It was more a statement than a question, but Adam felt the urge to clarify.
'No... That's not... It's... I just... haven't been with anyone since...' He tilted his shoulders to point out the alteration.
A single, barely noticeable nod showed her understanding before she lowered herself in front of him on the floor, leaning against the opposite window frame, watching.
'How long has it been?'
Assuming she was asking about the transition rather than his sexual history Adam just answered.
'Six months.'
Instead of a response she let her eyes roam over his bare chest, the scarred skin, the bolts of metal penetrating his flesh, analyzing.
'I take it wasn't an accident,' she deduced. 'It happened in the line of duty, then?'
Adam kept silent, but she read him, regardless.
'Back when you were a cop? No... No, this is more recent. At your corporate employment.'
Adam still didn't confirm her assumption, every word of hers tearing open a wound he was desperately trying to repress.
'Security, you said,' she tore even deeper, observing. 'There was an assault? And you were there to safeguard. But the invading force was too powerful and you got injured. You... 've been dying.'
Suddenly choking on her discovery she paused a moment while Adam was to relive six months of agony in a single instant; a muzzle put to his head, a trigger pulled.
'They saved your life,' she eventually concluded, freezing Adam's agitation on the spot.
'I didn't ask for this,' he spoke the one thought that was left remaining on his mind.
'To be alive?'
Adam started.
'No...'
'But you feel... dehumanized?'
Yes.
A strange wave of relief washed over him, leaving only exhaustion behind. Damn, he was so fucking tired of all this.
He didn't notice Ye Hua leaning closer until she was on her fours, arms supporting between his cocked legs.
Her sudden nearness set his blood on fire once more.
'I think you are very much human,' she whispered, as Adam couldn't help but take in her warm, vibrant scent, her immediate presence; the features of her face half drowned in the shadows of the darkened room, half illuminated by the city's lights from outside the window.
She slid even closer, coming to a halt sitting on her heels right between Adam's legs. And reaching out for his arm, she softly trailed her fingers over the nanoscale skin of the prosthetic.
Though every fiber of his being was screaming for an instant escape he found himself unable to move an inch, stunned, petrified, yet tensely shivering beneath her touch.
'Do you feel that?' she asked without pausing her movement.
He painfully did.
Taking his bewildered silence for an answer she took his hand into hers, leading it down to her hip placing it right where the loose end of her shirt met with the waistband of her shorts.
'Do you feel that?'
Adam had to swallow hard against the lump jamming his throat, his body raving from the long suppressed desire, blood boiling, heart pounding.
'And that?'
She continued to guide the artificial fingers beneath the fabric of her shirt, upwards, letting him follow the tender shape of her waist, the softness of her skin, up until he reached the firm curves of her bare breast.
Fear, astonishment, lust, panic, all at once descended on him, blending together, terrifying and intoxicating at the same time.
'See,' Ye Hua noted gently, cocking her head while fixating Adam's groin with an endearing smile. 'Very much human, after all.'
Adam gave out a faint moan of resignation, as she rose slowly, not letting go of his hand, and pulled him up to his feet. He didn't resist; he doubted he was even able to.
Surrendering, he let her drag him over to the bed where she pushed him down into the pillows, climbing after and atop of him. There, she began to remove his pants with nimble fingers, carefully freeing him from his confinement, before she took off the remaining pieces of her own clothes.
Still not fully processing what was happening, Adam just watched and took in the simple beauty of her unveiled body hovering above him, only covered in an interplay of shadow and light.
He wanted her. Badly.
She flashed him a knowing smile, reached down between her legs and raised him upwards to met her lips, kissing him; and by lowering herself onto his lap, eventually swallowing him up whole.
Adam briefly felt his surroundings fade away, overwhelmed by the pure sensation of flesh meeting flesh. She felt amazingly good; warm, smooth and welcoming; and when she started to roll her hips, Adam finally gave in and let nature take over.
Instinctively straining his back he answered her motion, met her pace, wanting more, as she dug her nails into his waist, inflicting sweet pain and sighing with delight at that.
She was very skilled at what she was doing, slowly riding him into oblivion; but it still wasn't enough. There was yet more to give, more to gain. He had to retake control.
So he stopped short the next moment, barely stifling his lust, and grabbed the surprised girl, rolling her over, switching positions. She smiled upon the change, buried her hands in his hair and readily wound her legs around his waist, while he took up and transcended her former rhythm.
Animated by the passionate moans he was invoking, he let go of any restraint, probably fucking her harder than was appropriate. But she didn't seem to mind; in fact she rather enjoyed it, clawing her nails into his neck and meowing her pleasure away.
When he finally climaxed, a long desired wave of relief washed over his mind and body, took along agony and tension, leaving him blank, but somewhat whole.
Sleep came never as easy as it did after.
Adam didn't even remember dozing off when he woke up later, comfortably lying between the sheets, Ye Hua next to him, still slumbering. A check with his cerebral clock revealed the night was just about halfway over, so there was time for another nap. He shifted into a sideways position, head resting on his arm and with clear view on the girl sleeping beside him, watching her.
He had been right, regretting coming here.
The hint of an amused smirk twitched over his lips and, following an impulse, he reached out for her and let the tip of his finger gently run down shoulder and arm, eliciting a faint sigh.
The next moment, though, he heard a very different sound, further away. A muffled thump by the door. And not for the first time, he now realized. It had woken him.
Suddenly alert he jerked up, activating the SMART vision, and discovered, indeed, three shapes standing out there in the hallway, obviously tampering with the electronic lock.
Close call, dammit.
Pulled back into focus by the surge of adrenaline rushing through his veins, he grabbed for Ye Hua's shoulder, stirring her awake, beckoning to keep quiet and stay put, before he rolled out of bed and slipped back into his pants.
Clever as she was, Ye Hua complied, just quickly put on some clothes herself, while Adam already headed to the door, took position right next to it and examined his opponents through the solid wall.
Two of them were augmented, he noticed, one cranially, one physically, military grade, but dated; and they were arguing in low voices with each other.
Adam turned the volume up to listen in.
'-'s taking so long?' The physically enhanced one impatiently demanded to know. 'I'm not keeping you out of prison for nothing. So do your fucking job!'
This one had to be the Belltower guy. Obviously crooked, too. Would be a pleasure to take him down.
'You said this was a simple hack. Well, it's not. So shut the fuck up and let me work.' The hacker one shot back, before he continued his attempt to hack the console. 'I almost have it... Wait. There.'
The door unlocked and got pushed open with caution.
From the corner of his eye Adam could see Ye Hua flinch, but she stayed quiet, only hiding further beneath the sheets.
The Belltower guy was the first one to step through the door, gun drawn, vigilant, his two lackeys following just a pace behind. This was almost too easy.
As soon as he was within sight, Adam grabbed for Belltower's shooting hand and jerked him into the room, tripping him up at that, before he took care of the other two, knocking their heads together, taking them out.
Belltower was just about to recover, frantically looking for the unexpected opponent to point his semi-automatic at, when Adam already turned to face him, closing in and snatching the 10mm out of the weak augmented fingers. Dropping the gun where he stood, he yanked the perplexed guy up, twisted his arm behind his back and shoved him over to the door, deliberately running him into the wall next to it.
'Fuck! What-' Belltower began to curse away, failing in his efforts to struggle free; but caught his breath the moment he glimpsed Ye Hua warily approaching. 'Ye Hua, you dirty, little who-'
Finishing his statement got violently interrupted by Adam slamming his face into the wall and further drowned by the torrent of blood sloshing out of his mangled nose.
'I'm sorry, your mouth was making strange noises. You were saying...?'
'You're so going to regret this, shithead,' Belltower snuffled, finally directing his aggression at Adam. 'You've no idea who you're dealing with. I'm-'
'I don't care who or what you are, cabron,' Adam cut him off, tightening his hold and forcing the guy to tiptoe in avoidance of the increasing pain. 'If you value your shitty existence at all, you gonna bail, forget about the girl and disappear for good. If you don't...,' Adam pointedly added even more pressure to his grip. 'If I ever catch as much as a whisper of you showing up again, I'm going to find you and I will put an end to you, effectively, you get me?'
Belltower wheezed heavily in Adam's wristlock, only barely keeping his composure, yet still chose defiance as the best course of action.
'You'll never get through with this.'
'You think?' Adam leant in closer and lowered his voice to a threatening growl. 'I just need to tip off the Harvesters, letting them know where to find your corpse, and they'll be selling your body parts before your blood cools out.'
Mentioning the Harvesters finally broke the guy's attitude, as Adam could feel him crumple in his grip and starting to tremble, while he was obviously imaging the worst outcome of this confrontation possible.
'Do we have an understanding?' Adam pressed for affirmation; and his captive couldn't acknowledge anymore keenly as far as Adam allowed him the freedom to.
'Good.' Peeling him off the wall Adam turned Belltower to face Ye Hua, keeping him upright by the wristlock.
'You tell him, too.'
At first she seemed to be quite at a loss, unsure how to react, then her air slowly darkened, her eyes went grim and when she finally spoke her voice was firm with resentment.
'I don't ever want to see your face again!'
'Make sure to remember that,' Adam hissed a final warning, twirled the guy around and shoved him out of the still open door. 'Now get lost.'
Tripping over his unconscious lackeys blocking the doorway Belltower stumbled ahead, shot a last panic-stricken glimpse over his shoulder and, ultimately, turned tail.
'Holy shit!' Ye Hua gave vent to her tension after he was gone. 'That was intense.'
She had no idea.
It's been a lot of fun, though.
'Do you really think he won't be back?' she uttered her worries still, slowly coming a few steps closer.
'Yeah, I'm pretty sure,' Adam stopped her in her tracks by drawing her attention to the fresh, yellow trickles on the floor, everyplace Belltower had been standing recently. 'Sorry about that.'
To his surprise she was neither angry nor grossed out, but suddenly burst into a laughter teeming with relief.
'I'll be damned,' she chuckled away, then pointed at the two henchmen stacked on her door sill. 'What about them?'
'They'll be fine,' Adam assured, remembering his job wasn't finished yet, and went over to clear the thugs out of the way. 'They're gonna come to, eventually, leaving with a nasty headache.'
Grabbing each of them by the scruff of their necks, Adam dragged the two out of the apartment and placed them against a wall in the adjacent hallway, creating an impression of just a couple of drunks being asleep.
When he returned, Ye Hua was already cleaning up the mess Belltower had left behind; not without discovering another certain remainder.
'And what about that?' she hold the dropped gun out to him, quizzically, and came to her feet.
Adam took the semiauto out of her hands and removed the magazine as well as the life round from the chamber, before he had a closer look at it. She was a Beretta APX10, kept in good condition; and when Adam turned her over, he could see why. The serial markings had been erased, making it quite difficult to track the weapon down.
'Could I...' Ye Hua spoke up again, giving him a beseeching look. '... keep it?'
Puzzled by the unexpected request, Adam met her eyes, yet remained silent, waiting for her to explain.
She appeared insecure now, hugging herself like she did before, rubbing her arms, while she shot reluctant glimpses all over the scene of events.
'That bastard broke into my home,' she finally made her point and raised her eyes back at him. 'I don't know what would've happened if you hadn't been here. I don't even want to think about it. But most of all, I don't ever want to feel that powerless again.'
Adam understood all too well.
'Do you know how to handle these?' he asked, flipping the 10mm around, holding it out to her, butt first.
'No,' she shook her head, taking the gun. 'But you can show me. I'm a quick study.'
He had no doubt she was.
So, Adam taught her everything there was to know about operating a semiauto; taught her how to treat the ammo, how to dis- and reassemble the weapon, clean it, care for it. He showed her the proper grip on a firearm, accurate stance, aiming.
And when he was satisfied with her progress, he decided to show her some additional tricks for disarming and outmaneuvering an opponent as well. Not without them being all over each other again, at some point, and inevitably going in for round two.
The short, white noise signaling an incoming Infolink connection disrupted Adam's sleep, stirring him wide awake.
'Jensen,' Pritchard's voice immediately followed, while Adam made a quick time check. It was already past dawn.
'Yeah, gimme a sec.'
Ye Hua was still asleep and since he didn't want to wake her, Adam carefully rolled out of bed and slipped into his pants, before he receded into the seclusion of the bathroom.
'What've you got for me?' he asked for the update, closing the door.
'What I have,' the snarky voice responded, 'is a way for you out of that shithole. After I've finally managed to get through they caught on to me fast, but I was able to leave a protocol which will mask Malik's B-EE as one of their own transports. The executable window is tight, though. You've got less than twenty minutes to make it up to the landing pad in Kuaigan District. Malik will pick you up, so you better get moving, now.'
'I will,' Adam reassured, not without regretting he had to rush off so fast. But it was probably for the best this way.
If there were just something more he could...
'Pritchard,' he pursued that notion. 'You got a lock on my location?'
'Of course, I do,' the hacker strained his answer. 'You think I'm just an overpaid tool?'
Adam chose to neglect the remark.
'Do me a favor and put a security detail on this place.'
'What? Wait, why?' A suspicious tone mixed into Pritchard's voice. 'Jensen, are you with a girl?'
'What the hell does that matter?' Adam felt a way too familiar annoyance resurfacing.
'You're not even denying?' Pritchard was getting himself all worked up. 'I can't believe it. I'm busting my ass all night long to get you out of there, almost having my hardware fried in the process, while you are enjoying yourself with a woman. And now you want me to slave even more, stalking your little tramp, on top of that?'
Adam's anger barely had a chance of rising when he noticed the heavy exhaustion showing through Pritchard's rant.
'Just do this for me, Francis. Pretty please?'
'Alright, alright, just stop groveling. It's giving me the creeps.'
Worked like a charm, though.
Adam found the trace of an amused grin twitching his lips. It's been a while, but it felt good.
'You owe me, Jensen.'
'Yeah, whatever.'
With Pritchard cutting off, Adam returned to the living room, where he quickly put on boots, vest, arms and coat, before he hesitated once more, having a last pondering look at the still sleeping Ye Hua.
No, there wasn't anything more he could do for her.
Suddenly, the Beretta lying on the cocktail table caught his attention and after a moment of consideration he took out two clips of his own 10mm ammo, placing them beside the gun. It also didn't take him long to find pen and paper to write a short note.
Don't hesitate to pull the trigger. It may safe your life.
Below he added his contact. Just in case.
Then he finally turned and left the place to meet up with Malik.
