One. #3
The staff all gone for the day, she sat in her office doing the paperwork Marrian needed her to do. Working on for an hour or two she barely heard the back door open. Having made sure to lock herself in, no one should be walking in.
Listening for sounds of footsteps, there were none.
For a moment she thought her mind was playing tricks. Going back to work. Then a shadow moved in the periphery of her eyesight. Looking up she found she had a guest after all, standing in her office doorway.
“You know you make no noise. It’s a little disconcerting. I thought I was hearing things. Good to know I’m not going crazy.”
Lifting a takeout bag, he stared at her. “I brought dinner.”
Sitting back. “So you did.” Smiling as he then lifted the other bag. There were now two large takeout bags. It looked like a lot of food. Chinese. Her favourite. “We expecting company?”
“No. Cyborg.”
Closing out her desk PID. The office Personal Independence Device placing it to one side she waved him in. “Thank you smells good. Take a seat. How's the wounds?”
“Good all repaired.”
“So quickly?” He gave a nod. The bags on the desk he took out plates, knives, forks and spoons, napkins unloading the different containers of goodies down on the desk and two bottles of water. He’d thought of everything.
“Did you get the person you were after?” She asked passing a plate to him taking the other, in return he passed her container after container of food.
Both of them loading up their plates they started eating, passing her a bottle of water. “Thanks.” The food taking over it was good. Nearly half her food gone before he started talking again.
“You refused my gift. Sent it back.”
“I did.” She told him between bites. “It was too much and causing my bank to have an epileptic fit. They wanted me to explain the payment which I could not do. It came anonymously so couldn’t verify that it wasn’t credit laundering. They wanted to report it to the right parties,
and I’d have investigators up my ass, stopping me working, closing me down. So had to send it back but thank you for the offer.”
“You think it was too much for the life of a Cyborg?”
Frowning she picked at her food. “I didn’t save your life you did that yourself. I just came in at the end. There isn’t a price on that. Every life is precious.” Continuing to enjoy her food. Both of them talking between bites. The banter back and forth.
“You didn’t report my coming here for treatment.”
“No. We both know treating you as I did was against the law. I’d have done it for anyone but still, I’m not a Doctor. Telling them would have flagged up a shit storm and as I do not know who might be involved, I thought it best not to.”
“I thank you for that.”
“You’re welcome.” Finishing her meal she picked at the prawn crackers and prawn balls while her guest refilled his plate and continued eating. “Did you get the man you were after?” He hadn’t answered her before.
“Yes. He’s in custody. We are investigating.”
“Why did he target you? Can you say?” Sitting back she was full, drinking a little water.
“He did not target me directly but all of our team. I was the one that blew. Others have been injured and recovered. At the time I was the only one still mobile.”
“But they are recovered now?” He gave us a nod. “I’m glad to hear it.”
“I still wish to thank you.”
“You have, you brought dinner.”
“Something more substantial.”
“I already explained credits come with scrutiny.”
“Then, something else. A donated extension. Better equipment. More staff. You tell me what and I’ll process the credits another way.”
Stacking up the empty containers she sighed. “Unless it’s crystal clear where it comes from, questions will be raised.”
“I can do that.”
“You can legitimately have it in the open?”
“We can infiltrate anything. Create anything to look right if we have to but hiding a million credits was never going to be possible. So we didn’t try.”
“Then why send so much, less would have been fine.”
“I gave what I thought I was worth. What I thought you could use. What was important to me. I have more credits than I could ever need.”
“I see. Well it was very generous of you. But dinner is enough.”
She couldn’t get over the size of him. Not that he was trying to intimidate her. He was making pains not to crowd her. One of the largest men she’d ever seen. Then again he wasn’t a man.
Not just tall but broad. That brooding look.
Dark longish hair and eyes. He was quite the package.
She knew firsthand from tending him he was all muscle.
Very sure he could make someone very happy.
But she knew that Cyborgs didn’t really mix with humans.
In fact, she’d never heard of them mixing with humans at all.
She needed to remember circumstance had bought him to her door, nothing more. He wasn’t really here for her at all. The fact that he’d taken this step was most unusual.
“No. It is not.” He told her pulling her from her thoughts. “Tell me what you want. I will enjoy giving it to you. If not credits, then what? A night being fucked?”