Sky Pirates of the Rio Grande - Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Mr. Henry sat down slowly, his face unreadable.  He glanced at Gray and then nodded.  "All right then, have it your way."  He waved Mr. Wilson away.  "Go on, James, I shall see to this."

Wilson looked unhappy, but he nodded and stepped out, shutting the doors harder than he had to.  Eden looked down at the mess of papers on the floor and was glad they were nothing important - she'd only brought them because without papers she would have looked even more out of place.

She glanced up at Agent Gray and flushed, felt her face getting hot even as her heart beat faster.  He was so much more handsome than he looked in photographs, his smile was so charming and easy.  He let her hand go and stepped away, looked at her expectantly.

With a start, she turned back to the Director, tried to organize her thoughts.  "Yes, sir.  Well.  I wanted to see you, when it was convenient of course, as I have no wish to disrupt your important duties... ."  She trailed off in the face of Mr. Henry's unforgiving stare, then pushed on.

"Well, to be blunt, sir, I would like to volunteer for the mission to find El Dorado and the coding machine."  She held her breath.

To his credit, perhaps, Agent Gray only laughed a little bit, covering his mouth with his flesh hand.  Director Henry didn't even blink.  He folded his hands on the desk in front of him, looking like everyone's nightmare of the disapproving schoolmaster.

"Miss..."

"Kane, sir," she said.

He frowned.  "Kane... wait, Praetorius' assistant?"

"Er, well," Eden knotted her fingers together.  "Housekeeper, sir.  But I did help him organize his papers before... before Blue Mountain sir."  In fact she had organized his entire laboratory in a kind of frenzy in the aftermath of the experiment - the experiment she could never tell anyone about.

"Hmm, yes."  Henry looked at her coldly.  "And what do you know about the mission at hand?"  His tone made it plain that he was pointing out that she was not supposed to know anything about it whatsoever.

"Well, sir," she said carefully.  "I catalogue documents of all kinds sir.  I know the sky corsairs have begun to use a coding device and that--"

"What kind of coding device?" he interrupted.

"Well," she stammered.  "For the Dark Aetheric transmitter."

"And what would you know about the Dark Aetheric transmitter?"  His voice was frosty.

"Ah, er, well... not much," she lied.  In fact, she could build one with her eyes closed, but that was part of what she couldn't tell them about.  "I just know it allows communication over long distances?  I think?"  She added the fake uncertainty in increasing panic as his face grew darker.

"So," the Director said dangerously.  "You admit to possessing knowledge of classified, secret information which you should not have access to, and in return you ask to be given a field assignment?"

"Ah, well."  Put like that, it sounded ridiculous.  How could she tell him about her months trapped in the sub-basements, about the crazed manner of her coworkers, about how working with hazardous artifacts did things to people over time?  How could she make him understand her longing to do something more, to make a difference?  She could do this - she was maybe the only person who could.

Her shoulders sagged and she sighed.  She could never tell him the reason why she was the best person for this mission.  Never in a million years.  "I just want to - to help the Institution sir.  I feel I have . . . more to contribute."

Agent Gray broke the cold silence that followed with his warm, gentle laugh.  "Oh dear, Miss Kane."  He shook his head.  "I must admit I admire your fortitude in making such a suggestion, but I am afraid you are out of your depth, my dear."

Eden cast her eyes down, unable to look at either of them, her cheeks flaming with embarrassment.  Gray tapped his metal fingers together and looked at her.

"Have you any experience with fieldwork, Miss Kane?" he said.

"Well, no, not really," she said.

"Any skill with firearms or other weapons?"

She sighed a little.  "No."

"Are you a scientist or engineer?"

"No."

"Have you ever, in fact, been in a dangerous situation at all?" he said.

"I lived in Gettysburg," she said.  "I was there for the battle."

"Well, then," he said.  "You know how terrible real violence is then."

Eden wasn't sure what to say to that.  "Er, yes, sir."

He waved his metal hand at her.  "Oh please, dear, don't feel compelled to call me 'sir', it's so formal."  He looked her up and down in a way that made her heart flutter a bit.

"Sorry s--" Eden winced.  "Ah, sorry, then."

"Miss Kane," Mr. Henry said, steepling his fingers together.  "What you want is for me to assign you to carry out an extremely dangerous and terribly important mission.  You admit you have no experience in field work, no skills of any particular nature that would make you suited for such an undertaking, and yet still you stand here making this ridiculous request of me?"  He shook his head as if trying to shake off a chill.  "No, no, we have wasted far too much time on this already."

"But sir--"

"No.  This is going to be a tremendously dangerous mission young lady.  It will entail travel across the most forbidding and hostile terrain in the territories of the thirty-seven states and beyond them.  It will mean dealing with savages, cutthroats, anarchists and outlaws of all sorts.  It is not a mission for a clerk or a woman."  Mr. Henry stood up and pointed a finger at her.  "Now kindly get back to your work while you still have it to return to."

Eden bit back angry words, feeling her face turn red.  There was nothing to say.  She took a breath, let it out again and dropped her eyes.  "Yes, sir.  Sorry, sir."  She stooped, feeling humiliated beyond words, and gathered up the scattered papers as best she could.  Her face burned as she opened one of the big double doors and slipped into the outer office.  Wilson glared at her from behind his desk and she ducked her head, not wanting to say anything to him.  She just wanted to be gone back to her hidden corner of the sub-basements.

She hurried out to the hall and summoned the lift, tried to shuffle the papers into something resembling a stack while she waited.  The elevator cable clacked and rattled in the shaft and she shifted from foot to foot, impatient.

A hand took her arm just above the elbow and she jumped, almost dropped the papers again.  Agent Gray smiled and stepped back.  "I'm so sorry, Miss Kane.  I didn't mean to startle you."

"Oh, that's - that's quite all right Mr. Gray.  I'm sorry to have troubled you."  He was so very tall and good-looking.  It made her blush even more furiously.

"Nonsense, nonsense.  I'm glad to get away from old Henry. He can be such a frightful bore at times, don't you think?"

She stifled a laugh that was almost a bark.  She had, of course, heard people say all sorts of dreadfully rude things about the Director, but always in a hushed tone, as if they feared he might hear them.  "I . . . well--"

"You know, I like that you came right out and asked him for what you want.  It shows drive and initiative - two traits that are absolutely necessary for a field agent.  I think there might be a place for you on this mission after all."  The elevator chimed and the doors slid open.  He gestured her inside.  "Why don't you come to my office and we can discuss it?"

---

He led her to a small, rather dusty office on the second floor, with just a desk and two chairs with sheets over them.  Against the wall was a similarly draped couch, and he pulled off the dustcloth with a flourish.

"Here we are," he said.  "Make yourself comfortable."

She looked around, surprised that one of Department L's most celebrated agents would have such a small, poorly-kept office.  There was a dour-looking portrait of Mr. Henry on one wall, and the desk was almost devoid of features, with only an inkwell and a small blotter on it next to the jar of sand.

Eden sat down, feeling overwhelmed.  Was he really going to invite her to accompany him?  She imagined a grand romantic adventure across the nation: airships crossing the sweeping vistas of the West, the wide plains of grass with purple-shadowed mountains in the distance.  They encountered dangers untold and overcame them all together.  She saved his life, and as they stood at the bow of the magnificent airship he turned to her and their lips--

"Ah," he said, rummaging in a cabinet.  "Here we are.  Knew this had to be here someplace."  He came back to her with a pair of glasses and a decanter of something amber-colored.  He poured them both a drink and handed her one, clinked his glass against hers as he sat down.  "To adventure."

She eyed the glass uncertainly - she really didn't drink, though she was certainly not a teetotaler.  He was looking at her expectantly and she took a small sip, managed not to cough as the powerful liquor burned her tongue and seared down her throat.  She had to bite her lip to keep from showing her discomfort.

He drank again, taking a generous swallow and smiling.  "Ah, now.  That's the demon rum and no mistake."  He raised an eyebrow and she steeled herself, took another, larger drink.  She swallowed fast, hoping it would burn less that way, but she could not control the fit of coughing that overtook her and he had to take the glass away to keep her from spilling it.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," she said, her voice hoarse.  "I am not accustomed to such strong drink, is all."  She was almost crimson with embarrassment.  The drink made her throat burn and seemed to light a fire in her belly.  Her face felt hot and she desperately wanted to undo her collar but didn't dare.

"Nonsense, my dear, it's actually quite fetching to see a lady who acts like a lady."  He leaned closer to her.  "And yet you want to go on this dangerous mission.  Why?"

Now she finally had someone to listen to her, and she just felt embarrassed.  "Well I just... well, I don't necessarily want to go on a dangerous mission, but I want to do more for the Institution."

"Indeed," he said.  He was looking intently at her in a way that made her feel even warmer.  It was disconcerting.  "Go on."

"Well, I've been stuck down in Artifacts for over a year, collating records, organizing papers, cataloging items... it's just not very exciting.  It's dreadfully tedious really.  I'm so bored down there."  She covered her mouth, feeling like she was overstepping herself, but he smiled reassuringly.

"You feel lonely?" he said.

"I - w-well, I suppose.  I've been on my own since the war.  I got separated from my family and never found them again."  She ducked her head.  "I think they must be dead."

"That's terrible," he said.  "Eden, you said your name was Eden?"

"Yes."

"That's beautiful," he said.  "A very pretty name."

"Oh I always thought it was silly myself.  'Eden Bubastis Kane' - it's so overwrought.  I always wanted to be called Eleanor or Beulah.  Something less elaborate."

He leaned his arm on the back of the sofa and his fingers toyed lightly with the stray hairs that had come free from her coiffure.  She wanted to pull away but didn't.  He was looking right into her eyes with his very blue ones, as if she were the only woman in the world.  Agent Gray was here with her, listening to her!  He wanted her to come with him on a mission!  It made her dizzy to think about it.

"It's beautiful, you are beautiful.  That's a very important quality for a field agent.  You must be able to distract others with your beauty.  Lull them, enchant them... seduce them."

"I--"  her head felt light.  It was the liquor, it had to be.

He kissed her.  His hand slipped around to cradle the back of her neck drawing her in, and he kissed her deeply and passionately.  Eden had never been really kissed, and she froze like a hare as his tongue slid into her mouth, exploring her lips and then caressing her tongue.  She relaxed as he pulled her in, his kisses trailing over her cheek and then down the side of her jaw to her neck.  His quick fingers had her collar loose and he kissed her bare neck, nipped it lightly and she shivered all over.

"Agent Gray," she gasped, clutching at him.  His hands slid over her body, down to her waist and then to her legs.  He began to draw her skirts up inch by inch, until she could feel her stockings uncovered by his hands.  She opened her mouth to protest but he silenced her with another kiss.  Her heart was pounding and she felt dizzy.  What was happening?  What was he going to do?  Oh God, what was she going to do?

"Agent Gray," she said, pulling away from him.  "I thought we were going to - to discuss the mission."

"Later, my lovely, later.  Not now."  He leaned in to kiss her again and she flashed on the dime novel - weak and sentimental woman's heart.

"No, now!"  She sat up and pushed him off.  She caught her breath and scooted away from him.  "If you expect to be able to - to take liberties with me, well."  She folded her arms across her chest.  "I shall have you know that I am no Jezebel, sir.  If you truly intend to allow me to accompany you in the field, then it shall not be as simply a - a doxy!"

He rolled his eyes.  "Oh dear Lord.  Girl, you must put aside foolish ideas--"

"Foolish?" She stood up, breathing fast, and suddenly every small tic and motion of his face and body fell into place from the moment she first saw him.  The freakish, experimental part of her brain read him, decoded him like a page of hieroglyphs, and she jumped to her feet, her skirt falling back into place.

"You!" she said, suddenly furious.  "You didn't want to hear what I had to say, you didn't want to discuss the mission with me!  You just thought I was pretty and you wanted to - to tumble me!"  She looked around her.  "Is this - this isn't even your office, is it?"

He shrugged, a relaxed smile on his face.  "I had to take you somewhere.  I don't have an office, I spend too much time in the field."  He sat back.  "Calm down, dear girl.  There's no cause to shout."

"No cause?  You were just lying to take advantage of me!"

"So I was," he lifted an eyebrow.  "I guarantee you would have had a fabulous time.  You still could.  I don't have to leave until tonight."

Her eyes narrowed and she understood at that one moment why cats spit when they are angry.  "You think for one moment that I would--"

"Come, girl.  Sit back down and we'll have ourselves a time.  I'll put in a good word with Joseph for you and you might get a promotion, otherwise--" he shrugged.  "You might never get out of that basement."

"Are you threatening me, Agent Gray?"

He shook his head.  "No, but after that performance today I doubt Joe thinks much of you.  Come on," he patted his lap.  "Give me a reason to change his mind."

Eden yearned for something large and preferably explosive to hit him with.  "Not if you were the last man in the world, you swine."

"Swine!  Well."  He fished a cigarette case from his jacket and opened it, procured a stick and tucked it in his mouth.  She backed away a bit as he lit it with a spark of electricity between two of his metal fingers.  It crackled and the ozone smell was unnerving.  "Keep doing things your way, pretty."  He looked smug.  "Let me know how it works out for you."

Eden smoothed her dress and hair down, a terrible and grand idea forming in her brain in every terrifying detail.  She leaned down and looked him in the face.  "I'll do just that," she said, and then she stalked out of the office, slamming the door shut behind her.

Continued in Chapter 3...

---