Wild Thing (52 page)

Harmon waved a dismissive hand.  'With his shields temporarily down, disrupting his concentration and knocking him unconscious was our only hope.'

'I agree with you, Alex.  I even predict the investigators will come to the same conclusion.  The key issue, however, is that your ward broke into a secure-'  At Harmon's reaction, he held up his hand.  'Very well, she didn't break in, but she illegally operated Shanahan's equipment.  For the purpose of releasing
Godsson.
  That is the issue: she freed
Godsson
.  You remember, she in fact suggested we should do so during the debrief.  And then was expressly forbidden from doing so.  You recall the moment?'

Harmon's look said he very clearly did.

'And in your professional opinion would you say it was at that moment she made up her mind to break him free?'

Harmon pursed his lips, not wanting to answer, but he himself had already come to that conclusion some time ago.  In hindsight, he should have realized what her question had meant.  'Yes.'

'Look, Alex, she
is
only seventeen so I imagine, especially considering that no one wishes this incident to become public, she's likely to get away with a short custodial sentence.  It may not even go through the court system – unless you wish to push for that?  No, I didn't think so.'

Harmon could see where this was headed, however, and he cut to the chase.  'You want us to leave.'  It was a statement, not a question.

But for the second time this morning, Sanders surprised him.

'Not immediately.

'I sincerely believe Sara is unlikely to attempt a second “rescue” in the
near
future.  Nor do I think Brian, assuming he is allowed to retain his position, is likely to fall for the same trick twice, hmm?'

Sanders watched Harmon, wondering how he'd felt at discovering his ward had seduced Shanahan, and winced inwardly at the reaction he read.  Nor did he relish what he had to say next.

'As for your own position: you do know Godsson best – better than anyone alive.  In addition, the whole magical aspect to this latest adventure your young ward has just put us all through
is
rather baffling.  So I think, although I may be jumping the gun here, that you should begin going through your notes and preparing for a handover to a successor.  That will be my recommendation to the Investigating Committee.  But let me be quite clear, Alex: I have already begun looking for a suitable candidate for your replacement. It will take some months, however.  My
belief
is that you will apply your best professional efforts to assist us in that transition.  And my
hope
is that you will be willing to do so.

'There are big changes ahead for you, and especially for Sara.  I'm sure the remaining time will be useful for you and her both.'

Harmon nodded, numb.  He had expected it, but still the words shocked.

Sanders spread his hands.  'I'm sorry, Alex.  That's the best I can do.'

'I understand.  Is there anything else?'

'Ah, there is one small thing.  Yes.  Sara mentioned seeing a red flare at the outer Barrier, before she and Godsson were attacked.  Any thoughts?'

'A
red
flare?  Hmm.  A monochrome reaction suggests a very narrow span of “interests” in whatever was probing.'  He frowned at the Director.  'I assume it
was
merely a probe?  Nothing actually penetrated, did it?'

'A physical breach?  You know as well as I, the Ward's reaction would have been quite different.  But all the same, we've checked what we could.  An extensive search of the grounds has found nothing.  No sign of disturbance; no tracks.  Nor outside.  Although from what Sara said, the “testing” of our defenses would have been near the front gate, possibly on the road itself.  So we wouldn't expect to find tracks.'

What a change in attitude,
Harmon thought. 
He's taken Leeth's solitary report seriously enough to have the entire grounds searched.
  But aloud, he simply said 'I could ask Godsson if he noticed it; if he has any suggestion.'  Knowing Godsson however, he was just as likely to nod knowingly and look pleased.  'Though in the circumstances, it may be better for
you
to ask him than me.'

Sanders nodded wryly.

'If that's all?' Harmon asked.  But at the door he paused, and turned back.  'When Godsson was preparing to take Sara… you were just bluffing about the nuclear device, weren't you?'

'Of course, Alex.  Of course.  I just needed to say
something
, to break his concentration.'

Harmon stared at the kindly professor for long seconds.  It was all the answer he was going to get, though, he saw.

At least now he knew what lay ahead.  There would be no more surprises.

Chapter 60 

Harmon's, Sara's and Shanahan's first meal together following her latest escapade could have been more than awkward: given that she had very nearly managed to kill both herself and Shanahan's beloved Faith;
after
first seducing Shanahan to set the whole disaster in motion.

Harmon had almost felt sorry for the man: knowing he'd been
used
like that.  The hurt which Shanahan felt, showed clearly on his face.  Harmon could only imagine what Shanahan must be feeling: guilt, shame, betrayal, chagrin.

It only slowly dawned on Harmon that he didn't
need
to imagine how Shanahan felt.

It was Leeth who spoke first, in the end.  As if scarcely aware of anything wrong.  She'd simply gone straight to Shanahan, hugged him around the shoulders and squeezed in beside him on the bench seat.  'Sorry for tricking you,' she said, patting him on the thigh.

Shanahan looked panicked, his eyes fixed on her guardian, clearly fully aware that Harmon, or Sara, could choose to bring criminal charges.  With that thought, Harmon realized he too was once again in exactly the same position.

And it would take only one careless remark from Leeth to expose that fact.

'
Tricking?
  Sure, and that's one word for it.'  He looked at a loss as to how to proceed, even meeting Harmon's eye as if asking for help.  'What you did was very wrong.'

'But you enjoyed it!  And so did I.  And it was the only way I could think of to rescue Godsson.'

Both Shanahan and Harmon froze, then shared a look.  But it was Harmon who responded.  'And do you think he
still
needs rescuing, Sara?'

Her chin thrust out.  'I promised Professor Sanders I wouldn't try to rescue Godsson again.'

'Because you know now that he was quite happy to kill you, and even tried to stop me reviving you.  Yes?'

She waved the comment away.  'But Godsson was right! 
She
might have come back when you healed me.  But since she didn't, and me and Godsson really truly killed Her properly this time,
now
we could let him free.  Why can't we?  What laws has he broken, anyway?'

'Dear sweet Mary Mother of God,' breathed Shanahan in horror.  'Sara girl, yeh can't be serious!'

She rounded on him.  '
Why?  Why
are we keeping him locked away in that tiny little cell?  He's saved everybody in the whole world,
twice
now, and we keep him locked up!  That's horrid, and cruel!'

The two men just stared at her.

'And all you can all say is, it's ’coz he's mad and he'll hurt people!'

Her uncle made a noise.  'Sara: he killed you!'

She turned back to him.  '’Coz he
had to!
  But now he doesn't have to, so we should let him out!'

'Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.'  Shanahan clutched his forehead.

'You
promised
, Sara.'

She slammed back in her chair.  'Yeah.'

'And you intend to keep that promise, don't you?'  Harmon leaned forward, not even trying to disguise his casting of the mindmeld this time.

'Yes.'  She scowled furiously back at him, while Shanahan continued his quiet stream of praying and swearing.

At least the awkwardness regarding her seduction of Shanahan had fallen into its correct perspective.

But as days passed and it seemed Sara truly did plan to honor her promise, things somehow settled back into a semblance of normality.

Though Harmon knew the sands were running out.

Tonight, Leeth sat opposite Harmon in the cafeteria, waiting impatiently for the others to enter and join them for the evening meal.

For his part, Harmon was musing on the recent events, and on how strange it was that it had brought them all closer together. 
Perhaps we're
all
feeling a little vulnerable and uncertain
, he thought. 
With one exception, naturally
.

For once, though, Leeth was not explaining why Godsson should be released.  Instead, she was trying, again, to enlist her uncle's support in convincing the security officer that Faith needed some serious attention for her cybernetic systems.  She was so wrapped up in her earnest exposition she wasn't even aware that Harmon wasn't paying attention.

Until she stopped talking mid-sentence, tilting her head and slowly pivoting around in her chair to face the entryway.  'That's not Dr Simmons's
or
Professor Sanders's footsteps with Mr Shanahan!'

So Harmon had a few seconds of warning when Brian Shanahan entered the cafeteria with a stranger in tow.

'Ooh, he's cute, Keepie!'  Leeth half-whispered.  The newcomer was tall, she saw, taller than her uncle or Mr Shanahan, and looked very fit.  Broad shoulders, deep brown eyes and strong, dark eyebrows that lifted appreciatively as he spied her in turn.  A strong jaw, stubbled with a five o'clock shadow.  His hands looked large and strong and firm, too.  'Who's
he
, Uncle?'

From Keepie to Uncle in two seconds
, Harmon thought.  'I don't know, Sara.'

She spun back around, and he recognized her annoyed frown as acceptance of the need to use her “baby” name.  Harmon was no longer quite sure what lay ahead for them both.  Leeth had thrown her huge spanner into the intricate gears of all his plans, but they had both intuited that it might well involve some… fluidity of official identity.

'Alex, Sara,' the security officer said.  'This is Jackson Stark, mechatronics specialist.  Jackson, this is Dr Alex Harmon, and his ward, Sara.'

Jackson shook hands with them both before casually seating himself beside Sara. 
Fast worker
, Harmon thought.

'Mechatronics?  Can
you
fix Faith?' Leeth asked, grasping the newcomer's forearm excitedly.

And we see her increased demonstrativeness is not reserved solely for me
.  For some reason, Harmon felt a mild irritation.  As if he were jealous.  But Leeth was still chattering.

'Jackson Stark.  That's a cool name: you sound like a secret agent!  Or a trid star – you're good-looking enough to do action movies.  Do you know martial arts?  I have a Wing Chun-'

'Sara.  Perhaps limit yourself to three questions at a time for the poor fellow?'

Jackson chuckled and placed one hand over Sara's two, which still gripped his forearm.  He patted them reassuringly, but then left his hand covering them.

'That's all right, I don't mind.  I guess you don't get that many visitors, eh?  But to answer your first question, Sara, yeah, fixing Faith is within my skill set.  I'm a bit of a dogsbody, to tell the truth.'

Sara pulled her hands free suddenly, leaning away.  'Oh.'  She looked uncomfortable.  'Um, you don't look- uh, I mean, really?  What, um, parts…?'

Harmon took pity on her before she could embarrass herself further.  'He means he's a jack-of-all-trades, Sara, not that he's altered his DNA.  That is true, I assume, Mr Stark?'

'Yup, I'm one hundred percent human,' he grinned down at Sara as he thumped his chest.

He
literally
thumped his chest
.  It made Harmon want to punch him.

'Oh.  So will you be doing anything besides healing Faith's robot parts while you're here, um, Mr Stark?' she asked.

'Call me Jax, Sara.  Yeah, the Director wants me to give the whole place a going-over.  I gather you've had a fair bit of drama recently.  I hear there was some security breach for which I'm apparently not allowed to know the details.'

Leeth suddenly looked uncomfortable.

'Judging from the crater on the drive,' he continued, 'and the damage to Faith herself, it's pretty obvious you've all lived through some interesting times recently?'

If you only knew,
Harmon thought.

'So, um, what other stuff besides Faith will you be fixing, um, Jax?'

He smiled down at her, wolfishly.  'Well, before I even got in through the front gates, I noticed some of the bars were just slightly askew.  And the photocell on the inside was loose, almost ready to break off.  Bits of adhesive on the emitter unit, too.  Weird.'

Harmon had not even been aware that there
were
sensors there.

For once, Sara had nothing to say, and turned back toward her uncle, a “help me!” expression on her face.

'Am I missing something?' Shanahan asked, looking at Stark, before his head swiveled like a tracking missile to fix on Sara.  'Shit, girl, you're worse than a pack of bloody gremlins!'

'Gremlins are
real?'

'No, they're not real!'  Shanahan waved a finger accusingly at her.  'And don't be playin’ your games with me, young Sara.  I know perfectly well you know I was speaking metaphorically.'

Sara's eyes went very wide.  'What's
metaphorically
, Mr Shanahan?'

Shanahan growled; Stark just laughed.

The evening meal turned into quite a jolly affair, despite the uninspiring food.  Jackson Stark was good company.  A smooth talker, but knowledgeable on a broad range of topics.

Leeth noticed that her uncle had become quieter as they ate, though.  Once or twice she even intercepted a strangely-thoughtful expression when he looked at Jax.