*Chapter 7*
Karma's eyes popped open seconds after cold water hit her face. She coughed, sputtered, and then ran her tongue over her wet lips.
"That woke her up."
Disoriented, she heard a man's voice above her. The pounding in her head brought her to full consciousness. That potted plant had given her one hell of a headache.
Karma blinked as a knife stabbed into her right thigh. A burning pain overwhelmed her. To stop from calling out, she bit her tongue.
Male laughter assaulted her ears. She looked around through a blur of water and blood.
Quickly, she assessed she was in a small room tied to a chair. Her father had taught her to push everything away. She needed to concentrate. Karma breathed through the burning sensation. The holsters on her thighs had been cut off. Her wrists were tied tight with a thick rope. Not good. She tried to think around the hammering at her temples.
Without looking, she gathered that her legs were similarly tied to both legs of the metal chair. She flexed to test the strength of the rope. It was solid.
Again, not good.
The room was all old tan-colored tiles and harsh light. A deep-gray marble countertop dominated the wall to the right. If she carefully turned her head, she would be able to see a door behind her left shoulder. There was nothing else in the room, but the two men in front of her, a bucket, and a metal cabinet.
As she took in her new surroundings, Karma recognized the man named Charlie. She'd seen him in the greenhouse. Charlie was tall with wide-set eyes. He had a mop of uncombed shaggy brown hair. The man next to him was much shorter with a bald head and crooked lips. Both men didn't look like much, but in this circumstance, every warning bell went off in her body.
This wasn't going to be pretty, but she kept her head calm as her father taught her.
Charlie edged closer with a giddy expression on his face. The look was disturbing. His eyes shone, and his breath smelled like onions.
"What's the stuff you got there?" The short bald man posed the question.
These two would've been humorous if it weren't for the fact she was in such a dire state.
"Gears gave this to me to give to Boss-Mac, and I forgot, but now I thought we'd use it. It's stuff to make someone not able to move. I was thinking if we gave her this, then we could untie her and put her on the counter while we wait."
"What for?" Shorty asked, but Karma knew the answer.
"You're dumb, Josh. If we give it to her, then we can do her before Boss-Mac gets here. He was shot, so I figure it'll take him a while 'til he's fixed up." Charlie fished a needle out of the drawer in the cabinet. He produced three identical glass containers from his pocket and set them on the counter, side by side.
Charlie swore at the three matching bottles. He held them up one by one, but they all looked the same.
"What's wrong now?" Josh gave her a quick appraising glance.
Karma could tell Josh was warming up to the idea of having sex with her. She tried to come up with a plan. If only her head would cooperate.
"I don't know which one is the drug that makes you not move 'round. One of these messes with your head and..." Again, Charlie held them up, but there was no point. Each bottle was darkened glass, the same size, and shape. "...one of them's Gears' Goo."
"Gears' Goo," Josh snickered. "Doc gets so pissed when you call it that."
Karma ignored Josh's remark and instead looked at the floor. She saw one of her guns was still in the holster kicked partway under her chair. If she could get out of here, then she could accomplish her hit. She did a quick evaluation of her injuries and considered where her target might be.
"Just give 'em all to her. Who cares what the other ones do?" Josh dropped his shoulder and regarded her. "He says I'm dumb."
"What if doing that kills her?" Charlie asked.
"Who cares?" Josh snatched one of the bottles from Charlie. "If she dies, then we shoot her and tell Boss-Mac she tried to get away." Josh filled the needle using the bottle he held. He handed the syringe back to Charlie.
Karma's forehead hurt. She didn't relish what she was about to do, but she didn't have a lot of options.
Charlie moved closer. She waited until she had an opening. When his head was bent directly in front of her face, she made her move. With as much power and energy, as she could muster, Karma head-butted him. She used her forehead to slam into the side of his head with a swift hit. Her head screamed in agony.
"Damn-it!" Josh roared as Charlie's cheek bounced off her lap. He rolled to the floor unconscious.
Dizzy, Karma's stomach turned, but it worked. Well done, she congratulated herself.
Her eyes flickered over Josh. There was no time to think. She had to come up with what to do with him next. She needed to think fast. Idiot number two was dense, but she was through underestimating people.
Karma reviewed her options. She could hit the next guy the same way. If he bent over her, it would be another opening. The idea of slamming her head around anymore didn't appeal to her, but she would have to do something.
She tested the rope again. These guys might be stupid, but they could tie a good knot. Unfortunately, standing up and swinging her chair was out of the picture. Her seat appeared to be bolted to the floor. Plus, she didn't know if her injured thigh could take the pressure.
Josh picked up the needle from where it fell. His hands shook. His lips pressed into a grim line. She didn't like the way his swiftly moving eyes jumped around the room.
She was lightheaded, but she didn't have time to wait for the dizziness to pass. Her brain wasn't working. Karma was running out of time. Before a new plan presented itself, Josh backhanded her.
The room spun. Blood filled her mouth. Her right eye felt like it was going to pop out of its socket. Her whole head shrieked as a groan escaped her lips.
"That's what I thought." Spittle flew out of Josh's mouth as the needle pierced the back of her arm.
While her vertigo began to subside, she waited to see if she would become immobilized. Nothing yet. Everything was the same as always. Thanking her lucky stars, she moved her shoulder slightly. She wasn't paralyzed. What did he say about the other one? Her head would be messed up? Her thoughts were crystal clear as far as she could tell. It could've been the other drug, Gears' Goo. She had no idea what Gears' Goo even was.
Waiting a few more minutes, she begged her brain to offer a way to escape. Slowly an idea took shape.
Happy her luck was changing; Karma slumped in her chair and closed her eyes. Now, if this guy was as brainless as she figured, then he would untie her and set her on the counter. That would be perfect. That position would give her the best chance to kill him. She hoped her luck would hold out that long.
"That's right!" Josh screeched in celebration.
Keeping herself calm, she stayed slumped in her seat. She didn't move even when his knife scraped across the cut on her thigh. The blade was excruciating, but she managed to stay motionless.
Worried he might discover her deception, she held her breath. The feel of the weapon was lost on her due to the throbbing in her head. Her brain was foggy. She dug deep into her willpower. She stayed still with her eyes half-closed. Just untie me. Josh pulled at her bodysuit along her legs.
The large knife started at her knee. His hands tried to rip at the durable fabric. He sawed back and forth, struggling to slice through the sturdy material. Josh was pulling so hard it would've lifted her from the chair if she were not tied. She let her head relax against her shoulders. Below her belly button, the cloth finally started to give. Cool air caressed her unprotected skin. Her underwear was exposed, but he paused in his efforts and didn't cut them off.
Opening her eyes slightly, Karma watched Josh move the empty water bucket out of his way. The slimeball kicked at his friend to make sure that the other man was out cold. Satisfied that Charlie wasn't going to get up, Josh freed his erection from his pants.
While he stood close to her, he started to stroke his hardening member. He stared at her and touched himself. Karma kept as still as possible to seem completely nonthreatening. Just untie one leg, she screamed in her head. She tensed to keep herself from shifting away from his repulsive gestures.
"What's going on, Josh?" The words came from behind her left shoulder. Karma was alarmed. She hadn't heard anyone enter the room.
"Boss-Mac. I thought you'd be gone for a while." The man next to her chair jumped.
"I can see that." She heard a deep voice.
A tall, beautifully muscled male came into view a second later. He was like a hero out of a book. He walked in as if he owned everything and everyone around him. She sighed dreamily. His red hair was the color of flames. He stepped in front of her with a quick, confident stride. Karma had to tip her head all the way back to take in all of him. There was a sexual allure about him that made her think of dirty fantasies.
Karma floated. If she didn't know better, she would've said she'd been up all night drinking. Her tongue passed over her dry lips. She needed water.
Trying to gather her thoughts, she realized they were scattered. What was she doing here? Why was she tied up? Who was this sexy man?
Karma was thinking about Red Hair naked. Hot nights, soft sheets, and the smell of sex in the air. She needed to think about a different topic. Her eyes squeezed shut. She was supposed to do something by 1:05 a.m. The time was important. What did she need to do?
Karma worked to pry her eyes open and demand an explanation. She struggled to lift her eyelids all the way. Only a slit of light came through. Maybe her one eye was swelling shut. Now that she wanted to pay attention, it was all too much work. Inside of her was the demand to rest. Maybe she'd been tired of all this for a long time now. Whatever this was, she wanted no part of it. All she wanted was a bed with Red Hair. Sleep, skin, and warm blankets.
When she finally pried her eyes open, she saw another guy next to Red Hair. When had he come in? This guy was skinny, with glasses too large for his face. Red Hair and Mr. Glasses were watching the man in front of her. The other guy shoved his small penis into his pants. There was an uncomfortable silence. She needed to get her head together. If she got untied, then she could get to the greenhouse and... plant flowers? Karma listed all the things people did in a greenhouse. None of them seemed pressing. Why did the time keep popping up in her head? What happened at 1:05 a.m.?
"Were you planning on having sex with her?" Red Hair acted like this was the most boring topic ever, but on some level, Karma thought he might be seeing something no one else could see.
"No, I wasn't. Honest, Boss-Mac."
"You're lying. Was Charlie going to do that as well?" Again, Red Hair spoke like he didn't care, but in her gut, she knew he did. There was a weird element to the way he talked. His voice was as cold as surface ice.
"It was all Charlie. He got some stuff to knock her out, and then he was going to do her, but she head-butted him and knocked him out cold. I wasn't doing nothing here. 'Sides, she's a piece of shit, so it doesn't matter what we do with her."
The Boss-Mac, as Josh called him, curled his lip in disgust. Karma could tell Red Hair didn't like what Josh had to say in defense of his actions.
Red Hair motioned to Charlie on the floor. "Gears, take a look at Charlie."
Mr. Glasses, who was apparently named Gears, did as he was asked. He knelt, checked over Charlie, and then nodded to Boss-Mac.
"He's out, but alive," Gears announced as he stood.
After he'd straightened, Gears came closer to her. She thought she should make some grand action to fight him. He was an enemy, right? The more she thought about it, the more nothing came to her. Maybe they were her friends. Gears flashed a light in her eyes from a small penlight that he produced from his pocket.
"What do you think, Gears?" Red Hair asked.
"She's not unconscious and these cuts are new," Gears replied.
"I can't believe how dumb you two are." Red Hair turned to Josh. "She was probably waiting for you to cut her loose so she could make her move." Red Hair ran his hand through his hair. "You know our policies on this base. You knew the rules when you signed on with my father. I'm sick of this. I'm done with both of you. You and Charlie get off my base."
"But, Boss-Mac, I didn't do nothing, really," Josh pointed at her.
"I don't trust you. You and Charlie will be escorted off the base as soon as you collect your personal items."
"But your dad said—"
"I know you were both hired by my father, but I don't care what he said. You won't live on my water bases." Red Hair sounded final. Karma didn't think there was any way he would change his mind.
"I didn't barely touch her," Josh argued. "She's still wearing underwear."
Karma looked to her lap. What he said was true but Red Hair looked unconvinced. His voice was as tough as concrete.
"If you were willing to do this kind of shit to anyone for any reason, you can't stay here, and I'll not recommend you for any other base either. Get out of my sight."
Red Hair took out a handheld device that looked like a cross between a cell phone and radio. He kept his eyes on Josh and muttered into the speaker. Gears stood to her right. He stared at her like she might do a trick. She wasn't in the mood to do cartwheels.
"What do you mean Ken is coming to my location now? I thought he was testing a new weapon."
Karma couldn't hear what the person on the other end of the radio responded, but from the look on Red Hair's face, he didn't like the conversation.
"He doesn't know where I am," Red Hair barked into the speaker.
As she glanced around, she realized Josh was pissed. He glared at her like something was her fault. A muffled response could be heard on the radio. Red Hair spoke again.
"When you see him, tell him to get to room one-eleven now. I have a couple of assholes I need to be thrown out immediately."
Karma got the idea that no one around her was happy with the situation. She couldn't remember why. Everything was hazy. The weight of Josh's eyes made her squirm. Gears looked upset. He played with his glasses. Everything appeared like it was moving in slow motion. Her right eye was almost completely swollen shut. The swelling made it hard for her to see much of the room. Both of her eyes refused to open all the way.
Right as she was about to comment, there was a loud thud behind her. It sounded exactly like a door had been thrown open.
"There you are, Ken. I need—" Red Hair didn't get the last of his words out. Since everything was in slow motion, she watched through a fog as a huge man lunged at Josh. She didn't recognize the man. Because her eye was swollen shut, he was merely a blur. Red Hair and Gears rushed past her. Together they shoved Josh and the stranger apart.
Karma closed her eyes for what she thought was only a second, but when she opened them again, the scene had changed. Gears and the stranger were out of her sight. In front of her were only Red Hair and Josh.
"Put the gun down, Ken. I handled it," Red Hair stepped to the right of her chair.
As soon as Red Hair turned his back, Karma got a clear look at Josh. He came up directly behind Red Hair with a knife raised. The blade was aimed at the center of Red Hair's back.
"Behind you!" she called automatically. Her arms stiffened against the ropes in her response to save him. He turned just in time.
Red Hair knocked the knife out of Josh's hand. The blade hit the floor. He swung one fist forward while using his other hand to block. The crunch of bone hitting bone filled the air. Blood spurted out of Josh's nose. A crimson stream ran down his lips. He stumbled backward. Red Hair knocked the other man out, and he crumpled to the floor.
As soon as the altercation was over, Red Hair barked out orders to tie up both men.
"Ken, you need to calm the hell down. Take a walk." Red Hair removed a rope from one of the drawers in the metal cabinet. He tossed a length to Gears. The two of them tied up the unconscious men on the floor.
All the noise and excitement scared her. Now that the ordeal was over, she shut her eyes as if she could pretend the violence never happened. She wanted no part of this. No more blood. When she opened her eyes again, Gears hovered over her. She felt like a bug under a microscope.
"That was close." Gears' eyes went from her to Red Hair. "God was looking out for you."
When Red Hair didn't answer him, he pulled out his flashlight again.
"Not God," Red Hair exhaled.
"Fine, not God. How about this woman was looking out for you, then?" Gears chuckled, but Red Hair's expression turned stony. The sharp angles of his face seemed harder somehow.
"Tied up assassins don't call out warnings to people who have captured them. What's wrong with her, Gears?" Red Hair folded his arms over his massive chest. The muscles flexed under his shirt. Karma enjoyed the way the light hit his strong features. He was menacing and lovely, all at the same time. Behind her, she could hear someone leaving and the door thumped shut.
Gears shrugged. He bent over to look at the cuts on her right thigh.
"I need to clean these cuts and close them. Cleanliness is next to godliness," Gears said in an off-handed way. "Josh said 'gave her stuff,' but I don't know what they did exactly. I'm examining her."
Gears swabbed her cuts with a cotton ball. After a few minutes, he glanced up at Red Hair again.
"Is Ken coming back to take care of Josh and Charlie?"
"He'll do it after we're done here. He's hot-headed, but he gets the job done. I don't know what his problem is, but he'll cool off. He never did like those two. My dad hired them long ago at a different base, so I gave them a chance. I think Ken was angry I kept them."
Karma was momentarily distracted by the conversation. She barely noticed as Gears ran his hands down her arms. His fingers were soft as they smoothed over her flesh.
"Hey, Mac, check this out."
So, Red Hair was named Mac? Karma wanted to giggle.
"Your name is Mac? That's silly," she murmured. "Like mac and cheese? That's noodles in a box. I had them once." She slurred her words. They hung around her ears in a mist.
Mac and Gears both looked at her. She stared into Mac's eyes. They were a delightful shade of green. She thought about a pot of grass she had when she was younger. His eyes were the same color. Thick green grass, back when the sun could melt the snow.
"What's going on?" Mac leaned closer.
"I think one of them gave her my memory drug."
"Why do you say that?"
"I looked at the bottles set on the table. One of them is RCC100. I can tell because it's a cream, not a liquid. The other one is the drug that keeps you immobilized for 24 hours. That drug has a scratch on the cap. I assumed that was the stuff Josh was referring to. When he said that, I saw the bottle wasn't tampered with so I didn't worry about it. But look here." Gears pointed to the floor. "There's an empty bottle. The only other thing he had on him is the memory drug. The container is empty. You can see where the needle entered here." Gears' fingers tugged on her arm.
"First, why didn't you label them? Second, what does the memory drug do exactly?"
"I lost my label maker."
"I'll get you a new one." Mac took a deep breath. "And the drug?"
"It erases your memories." Gears pressed his finger to his mouth as if he might vomit. His eyes widened. He looked like a guilty puppy that just crapped on his master's bed. Karma should be more concerned about losing her memories, but she wasn't. Caring about anything was way too difficult right now.
"Damn it. We need to know why she's here." Mac paced and then stopped in front of her chair. "First, we'll reverse it." Mac seemed to take charge. She accepted that. He was assertive. The confidence was sexy. "What do we give her to get her memories back? I want her exactly the way she was before."
Mac ran his hands through his hair. The red locks stood up on end. She liked it.
"I don't have anything for reversing it." Gears cringed like giving up that piece of information physically hurt him.
"Tell me you're screwing with me."
"I'm sorry, Mac."
"Why'd you create a drug like that? What's it for?" Mac's hands clenched into fists.
"I invented it because I heard on the news about elderly people who were having a hard time living in the NEDs. They couldn't stand being underground because they could still remember what it was like to live on the surface. I thought it would help some people transition. Look, it's still being worked on. I haven't perfected it. It's my first sample." Gears sounded defensive. Karma wanted to agree with him. Mac should back off. Helping old people was noble.
"I'm not placing all the blame on you. I know you work on your drugs in stages. Tell me how it works." Mac gave a sharp nod.
Karma let some of the tension ease from her shoulders. Mac could deal with whatever came his way. They were working this out, so she would sit back and let him problem-solve.
"If it helps, it doesn't seem permanent. I haven't tested it on humans yet, so I don't really know, but the rats I gave it to, most appeared to get their memories back over time. Some of them forgot how to do the maze for only a few days. Some forgot for months, and some for a few hours. Some rats didn't seem to change all, but then again, you can't ask rats how they feel."
"You're telling me you don't know what'll happen?"
When both men leaned closer to her, Karma tilted her head away. Their eyes were roving all over her. Their bodies were tipped as if waiting for her to speak. Were these men waiting for her to answer a major question? She actually wanted to help, but she didn't know-how.
She stared back.
"I don't know exactly what'll happen, but I should tell you, some rats died."
Gears' eyes skidded to the floor. Karma saw waves of pity before he turned away. She wanted to tell him she'd live. Gears probably didn't know her well. If he did, he would know she was strong. She always bounced back. Her father always said she had luck to spare. Flashes of her father popped in her head and then vanished just as quickly.
"I'm bigger than a rat... so I probably won't die." When she spoke both men stilled. Their eyes widened. One of Mac's eyebrows rose.
Stop looking at me like that. It wasn't like she had two heads. She was about to demand they let her be, but the words became jumbled in her head. Why couldn't she keep her thoughts straight?
"What's your name?" Mac asked softly. "It's okay. Just tell me."
Taking in the whole room, she realized the area wasn't familiar. Two men were passed out on the floor. How did they get there?
"Karma," she answered automatically. She knew her name. What an odd question.
Gears looked at the man with red hair and raised his eyebrows. A clear, silent question passed between them.
"The answer is the truth and a lie. It must be a name people call her, but it isn't her real name."
"Like when I go by Gears instead of Adam. It's a nickname or a code name?"
"Right." Mac focused on her again. "Why are you here?"
"Because..." Why was she here? It was hard to remember. Her shoulders dropped. She didn't want to talk anymore. She wanted a glass of water.
Her eyes dropped to her lap. Blood was smeared along her legs. A large gash was etched into the front of her thigh. How did that happen? The redhead in front of her snapped his fingers. Had they met before? She studied his handsome features. Maybe she should know him. She merely needed a moment to think. If everyone would be quiet for a second.
"Why are you here?" His voice was no longer soft and coaxing. He had an urgent note in his burr. If she could think hard, the answer would come.
"My brother's a loser." She smiled. Her amusement didn't last long. Pain radiated over her face. Running her tongue over her lips, she tasted the coppery taint of blood. For some reason, that didn't bother her. In fact, right now, nothing bothered her. She would've been happy to sit in this chair forever. She didn't have anywhere to go.
"I don't think this is going to work." The man in front of her moved to her side. He took off his glasses to rub them on this shirt.
"What she said is true, but I don't know what it means. It could be code." He sighed. "Gears, how long before she won't remember anything?"
"I told you, they were rats!"
"Right. Look at me, Karma," Mac spoke in a stern voice. She focused on his face. She decided she liked his strong jaw, high cheekbones, and his slightly crooked nose. Thick red eyebrows curved above his green eyes. She wanted to run her fingers through his crazy mane of hair. If she could, she would pull his head closer and drink him in.
Thinking of his strong arms and the muscles beneath his shirt, she had the urge to push up the fabric and lick his skin
"Listen," he repeated sternly. "Why are you here?"
She wanted to tell him whatever he needed to know, but the problem was she didn't know what to say. She didn't know what he was asking.
Exhausted, she said the only thing that popped into her head.
"It's just my luck?"
***
Hey all! Thanks for reading. Any thoughts on this book are welcome. I am just so happy to be here sharing with you all. I hope you have a safe holiday!
Cheers! ~C.M.~