The next day Calli and Kirk made a deal. Kirk settled for 93% of the profit from the scavenge. Hawk joined them, causing some consternation for Martin who stayed away from the huge mutant. The men kept their end of the bargain and for the next two days helped Calli and Hawk carefully wrap and pack all the artwork, statues, musical instruments, and recording devices. She had them all moved into the weapons room in the security wing, after the men had removed the weapons. She sealed the door. Kirk was pretty sure no one was going to be able to break that seal but he wasn't interested anyway. Calli had kept her word and left him and his men with the rest of the vault. There was enough scavenge and weapons here to keep them busy for weeks and leave them comfortably well off.
Once the items she wanted were sealed away Calli and Hawk left their latest partners in charge of the vault and departed. Kirk would leave her share of the profits at the Lelland Trading Company headquarters with Zach Lelland. He hadn't been aware until then that he had been dealing with Calli Lelland, one of the owners of the famous shipping company. Kirk accepted her offer to manage the vault which would be valuable in itself as a living or manufacturing facility once it was cleaned out. He would report to Zach Lelland. He felt he was incredibly lucky to have found, not just a non-looted vault, but a place to put down roots and make a good living.
Calli elicited from each of the men that they would never reveal what she looked like to anyone else. It had seemed a friendly request but by now the men had learned enough about the warrior to know better. She never appeared in public without her helmet. They understood why and also understood it would not be wise to violate her trust. Grunt and Martin wanted to move on with their profits anyway so it wasn't a problem for them.
Calli now had two weeks left before the Tradewind ll returned but she didn't have time to be idle. After arranging for live in help for Caleb she went over some books with Zach and Gerald and they discussed the options for placing another ship in service. They wanted to head up the west coast. Calli thought it was a good idea. The trade was going very well and they could afford to build another ship.
She went with Rose to visit Jack's mother even though she knew the old lady had never wanted her in her son's life. Rose got on quite well with her grandmother. Calli was glad for that. The family always saw she was well cared for. Jack's father had passed away a couple years ago and she was lonely without him.
She hired some men and went back to the vault to take out some of the items. Arhome was about to have a music center. The instruments were carefully packed and moved to the Lelland Bay warehouse for transport. If anyone thought about trying to steal them they didn't actually attempt it.
The trip back to the wasteland had been as uneventful as the trip out had been. Rose was bursting with stories and Calli was happy to listen to them. She had time to enjoy being a mother to her teenage daughter and Rose was happy to have her to herself for a couple of weeks.
The day after they moored at Arhome Calli donned her robes and called on Stew to take her into the wasteland. She had been gone for a while and wanted to catch up on the wasteland gossip and doings. That was best done as the innocuous Novitiate Marcella as people were wary of Calli. Hawk was just happy to head out to take care of business rounds and go to the Settlement to see his wife.
The Master of the Disciples of the One entered the bar followed by his quiet little Novitiate. They were often customers here and the barkeep greeted them heartily.
"Hey, Master Stew, Novitiate Marcella, glad to see you. You haven't been around for a while."
"I've been in the wasteland.", Stew said, smiling briefly at the man as they took a seat. Marcella, oddly, had chosen to sit with her back to the door, something she never did. Stew raised an eyebrow at her as he took the seat opposite her.
Marcella had noticed the tall mercenary sitting in the dark corner, facing the room, his back to the wall. Her usual favorite seat actually. His face was in shadow, but the form, the easy air of casual alertness, was familiar. She raised her head to look at him. She felt her breath catch momentarily as her gaze locked with his ice blue stare. She quickly looked away.
"Marcella," Stew said. "What will you have?" She ordered wasteland stew. Odder still, Stew thought. She never ate wasteland stew in bars. She always said she got enough of it in the wasteland and besides they never used enough herbs.
Stew noticed the dangerous looking mercenary in their favorite corner was watching them. That made him uneasy. Most people watching them didn't mean them any good. If the Novitiate noticed she gave no sign. She downed her beer but ate little of the stew, pushing it around on her plate. She didn't seem to notice when the mercenary rose and left the bar.
"Master,", Marcella said. "I haven't any appetite. May I be excused?"
"Of course. Are you unwell? I will escort you back to our rooms", he said.
"No, you stay here and finish your dinner. I will be fine." She rose with a soft rustle of her robes and glided from the room. Stew called over the girl to pay for their meals and quickly followed her.
Marcella slipped into the alley beside the bar. She could sense the presence of the man leaning on the wall. He stepped out and stood in front of her. Slowly he raised a hand and touched her cowl. She didn't move. With a slow motion he pushed it back and gazed into her storm grey eyes.
"I would know you anywhere.", he said huskily and pulled her to him.
Stew stopped in the mouth of the alley as he saw his boss put her arms around the man's neck, his head lower to hers in a long, passionate kiss. Well, she must know this man and he sure didn't seem to be a danger. He decided it wouldn't be necessary to wait up for her. He quietly slipped away.
The dark man pulled back to catch his breath. "So this is how you hide when you aren't behind a helmet.", he said, playfully tweaking her cowl.
"This is a good disguise for you.", she said, running her hands under the heavy leather of his jacket. "The tattoos make you look so dangerous. Why hide them under this jacket? You look good."
He laughed quietly. "Would you like to see if they're still there?", he asked suggestively.
"Hmm, yes, I would. I've been thinking about you ever since that night in the wasteland. Would you like to check me for scars?", she rejoined.
"Will I find any?", he teased.
"You won't know unless you look, will you?", she asked. "Have you a room? A novitiate of the One can't be seen making out with a mercenary in an alley, you know, or letting a man in her room. It won't seem odd if Calli's seen staying with a mercenary! Tell me where you're staying and I'll meet you there in 15 minutes."
He gave her the directions. "Fifteen minutes.", he said intently and disappeared into the darkness.
Stew had gone to his room as it would have seemed strange if he returned to the bar when his novitiate was unwell. Calli peered in at his door before going to her room to change.
"I'm going out", she said. "I don't plan on being back tonight."
"Take care, Calli.", Stew said softly. She laughed lightly.
"Oh, I will.", she said.
He answered her soft knock at once. He smiled as she slipped into his room and doffed her helmet, followed shortly by her armor. His mercenary armament was already hanging neatly in the cupboard beside the long, dark duster. They didn't bother with preliminaries as they tumbled hungrily onto his bed.
He held the small form close against him as they rested, snug and warm on this chilly night.
"Your Master saw us.", he said.
"I know. You don't have to worry about him.", she murmured.
"He surely knows what you are?", he questioned.
She laughed. "Oh, yes, he knows who I am and he's well aware I'm not a believer. I think he keeps hoping to convert me. He's a very devoted Follower. I don't understand it, but I respect him for it."
"I see.", he said, letting the subject drop. "The mercenary disguise isn't a disguise. I really am a mercenary."
"Really?", Calli said, raising up to look down at him. "You were never a Merc, were you?", she asked worriedly.
He laughed, pulling her back down to him. "No, those guys are scum. I have to freelance since I can be Called at any time. It wouldn't work if I belonged to a group, I'd have to explain my absences."
"But what if you get Called when you're on a job?", she asked curiously.
"That has happened and it's pretty hairy sometimes.", he said. " I've managed until now but I'm afraid it's going to come out who I am someday. Besides, I don't want to be a mercenary all my life. I've been putting aside some caps to start my own business. I figure if I have a shop in town I can leave whenever I need to."
"Well", Calli said. "You need to find something you really want to do that won't interfere with your Calling. You could leave whenever you needed to if you had some help. People might think you eccentric, but that's hardly odd out here."
He laughed, pulling her under him. "You should know", he grinned.
"I could help you with that.", she offered s she lightly stroked his arms.
"I don't know, it doesn't seem wise to go into business with someone I'm involved with.", he said consideringly.
"It worked with Jack", she murmured, getting distracted tracing the intricate patterns across his chest.
"Yeah, but you married him", he said. Calli didn't reply with words.
He gently stroked her arm. "Calli.", he said hesitantly.
"Yes?", she looked up at him questioningly.
"I want to see you again."
Calli studied his face. "I want to be with you again too, Sergei.", she said. "But our lives are so erratic. Do you think seeing each other is a good idea? How can we possibly arrange it?"
He turned on his side to look down at her. "Life's full of bad ideas. That never stops us does it? Let's make a date for next month. We'll figure out a place and time, and if one of us can't be there, well, we can work it out, I know we can."
"Yes, let's try.", she agreed, reaching up to pull him down to her.