Eradicate (Manipulate, Book 3)

Chapter 4

Basher came closer and put his hand under her elbow to help her leverage herself up.

"Are you alright?" Basher asked her. "Did you jar your arm?"

Claire rubbed her eyes and felt around for her glasses. They'd slipped down under a pillow. "I'm fine," she said, putting them on. The glasses reminded her of Akemi and that made her eyes water. The dream was still so close, and she wished so much to see Akemi's comforting words on her glasses.

She might never see that again, and as she involuntarily pictured Faal's fingers digging into Akemi's arm, her tears welled up and over. She tried to pull it in, but instead gave a stifled sob.

Basher put his arm around her shoulders and she leaned sideways against his chest, unable to stop sobbing for several minutes. "I don't want her to suffer. I can't stand to think of Faal hurting her."

"This wasn't the same dream?"

Claire winced as her bandage twisted slightly. "It started as the same dream. But then..." She froze and jerked away from him. "What do you mean the same dream? Has Nat been talking to you about my dreams?" She felt betrayed. "She knew that was personal."

"No," Basher was quick to reassure her. "Nat would never do that."

But Claire was not reassured. "Then why did you say the 'same' dream?"

He cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"Oh. I know you were watching us at the restaurant all those weeks. You must have heard me talk about the dream..." To Sage. That was the other person Claire had told about the dream, and the horrible, shameful story that started it. "But Akemi said she only showed you the important stuff!" Claire protested.

Basher shrugged. "We weren't sure what was important..."

Claire took a deep breath. "How much did you really see? During all those weeks I was at Francois' restaurant?" She'd been working up to this question for a while, but somehow she'd never gotten the nerve to ask before.

He wavered, "Some..."

"How much?"

"Well, the video was more likely to be helpful in locating the restaurant..."

"Are we talking clips or hours?"

He grimaced, but he was honest. "More like hours."

Claire closed her eyes, and perched the edge of the bed. "I guess I knew that." She found herself running back through all the conversations she'd had at the restaurant, the things she'd said to customers, to Francois, to Sage. How much had Basher seen with Sage? How much would Akemi show him?

She couldn't ask.

"I didn't think your token would open my door," Claire changed the subject abruptly, gesturing toward the door. "I thought that was the whole point of the tokens."

He smiled apologetically. "I have an override to all the human suites... as I'm the human security guy, you know. Obviously, I only use it if something is wrong."

He helped her get to her feet, and Claire nodded. She felt crumpled and sweaty and grumpy. "Okay. Well, I'm good now."

Before he got to the door, it opened and Nat entered with a smile. It was a smile Claire had come to associate with Sam, as he was the only one who made her smile like that.

"Basher?" Nat said, surprised to see him. "Is everything alright?

He nodded. "Fine, it's fine. Good night."

"Good night..."

Claire didn't appreciate the speculation in Nat's eyes as she took in Claire's rumpled state and Basher's quick retreat. "I had a nightmare," Claire said. "That's all."