Programmed To Protect (The Tau Cetus Chronicles) (12 page)

As if that weren’t upsetting enough to consider, every time Wyatt thought of the machines his train of thought inevitably drifted back to Ginger.

What was she doing now? Was she standing, naked and alone, in her utility closet? Was she
aware
that she was naked and alone? Was she aware of her surroundings even while in hibernation mode? What did sentience mean for a machine, anyway? Dear God, did it mean she felt
lonely
in her small, dark room?

Hell, he had to figure out some way to get her away from Titus Veraine before he discovered he’d succeeded in making her sentient.

And he just might have an idea how. An idea courtesy of Veraine himself.

By the end of the day, the massive undertaking of unloading and positioning the robot soldiers was almost complete. Even with the help of dozens of General Drew’s men, Wyatt was exhausted by the time the dinner meal was served in the mess hall. He picked at his high-protein meat patty and vitamin-rich vegetable substitute, wishing he could just take another nutrition pill and be done with it.

But that would insult their hosts.

Zan Talesin sat on his right, looking just as exhausted as Wyatt felt. And definitely far dustier. Zan had been directing the placement of the soldiers from out in the field.

“How close are we?”

“We have another two dozen robots or so to position, but we’re almost there,” Zan answered. “Thank God we started at the far border and worked our way back toward the base here. I’m so beat I’m ready to fall down.”

“I hear you,” Wyatt agreed wearily. “When will they be ready to be turned on?”

“An hour after we get back to work.” Zan shoved at his tray. “In fact, the sooner I get back to it, the sooner we can get these machines up and running. This tasteless gruel is not exactly tempting me to linger.”

Wyatt’s thoughts exactly. Zan stood, slapped Wyatt on the shoulder, and headed off.

As if he’d been waiting for Talesin to leave, Titus Veraine brought his tray over and sat on Wyatt’s left.

Veraine looked fresh as a daisy, which pissed Wyatt off no end. Veraine’s technical expertise had exempted him from helping unload the robot soldiers; he’d claimed he was busy working on setting up the war program under which they’d be operating. Anson Carron, meanwhile, had been MIA all day, probably sitting in an air-conditioned office somewhere with a glass of iced tea.

At least he isn’t pouring any more poison into regulator Jaqan’s ear. I’ll have to speak with Theus about that when I get back. Among other things…

Next to him, Veraine grabbed a fork. “I’ve arranged for Mr. Carron’s contact to meet us in half an hour,” he said quietly, as he shoveled a helping of the vegetable substitute into his mouth. “It’s dark enough outside that no one will get a good look at his face, and the soldiers coming and going from this mess hall will be good cover. No one will notice him.”

Wyatt bristled with the urge to ask Veraine why Carron didn’t do the handoff himself – thus proving conclusively that he
was
behind this smuggling operation – but part of Wyatt’s newly-formulated plan to rescue Ginger was to appear as if he believed Veraine’s assertion about the diamonds, so he just nodded. “Where?”

“Under the far right wing of the first airship. It will give us some cover.”

“So we’ll go there together.”

If Veraine was surprised at Wyatt’s apparent eagerness – considering the hard time he’d given Veraine earlier – he didn’t show it. “Yes. As soon as I finish my meal.”

“Good.”

To pass the minutes while Veraine leisurely ate –
how the hell can he stomach that awful stuff?
– Wyatt shot him some questions. “How long will it take you to activate the robot soldiers after we get word that the final one has been deployed?”

“Less than half an hour. Turning them on is instantaneous, but I’ll put them through a few maneuvers to make sure they’re all working.”

“What kind of maneuvers?”

“Simple things, like… raise your right arm. Bend over. Draw your weapon. I just want to make sure there are no glitches and they’re all online. Once they’re good to go, Rhean can take it from there.”

Wyatt raised an eyebrow. “You really trust…
him
…with an assignment this big?”

Veraine smiled. “Believe me, agent Wyatt, despite outward appearances, there’s no better man for the job. Rhean is as dedicated to these robots as I am.” Veraine pushed his tray away and glanced at the time readout on the mess hall wall. “Come on. Let’s get this show on the road.”

The two men rose and left the building, leisurely pacing their steps so as not to draw undue attention to themselves as they crossed the dusty ground from the mess hall toward the two airships. As Veraine predicted, all the activity was centered on the second ship, where the final few robot soldiers were being lowered from the rear door and loaded onto the last of the truck convoys.

Wyatt and Veraine headed to their left. They circled around the nose of the first plane, then ducked into the shadow cast by the fuselage and snuck under the right wing. As soon as Wyatt’s eyes adjusted to the darkness, he could make out a figure waiting silently, dressed in black.

Veraine stuck a hand in his pocket as the man approached them.

“Quid signum?” Veraine asked.

“Adamas,” the man answered.

Veraine withdrew the five felt pouches from his pocket and held them out. “This is Mr. Carron’s property. You know what to do with it.”

The man nodded, took the pouches from Veraine’s hand, and slipped away into the shadows. He was out of sight before Wyatt could blink.

“What did you ask him?”

Veraine shrugged. “For the password.”

“Which was?”

“Diamonds.”

“Of course it was. Clever.”

Veraine barked a laugh. “Not clever.
Simple,
agent Wyatt. It’s always best to keep complicated things simple.” Veraine started moving away from the wing. “But you believe me now, right? That man acknowledged the diamonds belonged to Mr. Carron.”

Again, this could all have been a setup by Veraine. But that was beside the point. The important thing was that Wyatt needed to rescue Ginger, and Wyatt’s next move was all part of his plan. He needed to sound convincing.

“Yes. I believe you now. And, frankly, I can see that you’d be the better man to deal with the High Council.”

Veraine abruptly stopped walking. “What did you say?”

“I’ll be honest with you, Veraine. There’s no love lost between Carron and me. I’m only working with him on the High Council’s direct orders. Hell, that man almost killed my partner.”

Veraine nodded. “Jai Turner. I remember.”

“So I have a proposition for you.” Wyatt took a breath. “I’m addicted to your Beautiful Doll. Sex with Ginger is incredible, unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. I’m sure you know that. Just as I’m sure you and Carron were counting on it when you recorded me with her. But it didn’t get me fired as you’d planned, did it?”

Veraine hesitated, obviously surprised Wyatt had been on to their game all along. “No, it didn’t.”

“So here’s what we do. Let me take Ginger home with me, and I will agree to tell Theus that Carron did a good job here, but that it’s actually
you
who are the brains behind his operation. I can play up the fact that Carron’s robot soldiers wouldn’t even exist without Titus Veraine. I can be a valuable ally, your inside man close to the Council, especially if your plan is to usurp Carron. Together we can work to discredit him in the Council’s eyes, installing you in his place. I will do all that
, if you’ll let me take home the Doll.”

Veraine was quiet for so long that Wyatt was afraid he’d overplayed his hand. He’d hoped to appeal to Veraine’s ruthless ambition, but had he poured it on too strong?

“How would I get Mr. Carron to agree to give you Ginger?” Veraine inquired. “The Doll is basically his property.”

Wyatt shrugged, trying not to be too quick with his answer. “Tell him it’s a strategic move. Convince him the two of you can manipulate me because of my addiction to the Doll, and that if I took her home with me, I’d basically owe you and Carron big time. Hell, it’s the truth. Tell him I’d do whatever you want.”

Even out here in the dark, Wyatt could see the smile slowly spread on Titus Veraine’s face.

“Do we have a deal?” Wyatt asked, holding his breath.

“Yes, agent Wyatt. I believe I can confidently speak for Mr. Carron.
We have a deal.”

Chapter Eight

Ginger…

Wyatt was going to be taking Ginger home with him.
Tonight.

Since the moment Veraine had agreed to the proposal five hours ago, Wyatt had been a nervous wreck, tensely sitting through the process of booting up Anson Carron’s robot soldiers, then officially handing over responsibility for the army to Zan Talesin and regulator Jaqan’s generals, and then enduring the three-hour flight back home from Terra Radix with Veraine and Carron.

Wyatt purposely avoided all conversation with both men during the long flight, excusing himself to pace the now-empty aisles of the airship restlessly. It wasn’t only his air sickness that prompted it. Wyatt didn’t know exactly when Veraine planned to ask Carron about Ginger, but in case the conversation was occurring during the flight, Wyatt hoped his pacing would be seen as a sign of nerves. It would hopefully show Carron how addicted Wyatt was to the sexbot, and what a good strategic move it would be in terms of blackmail for Carron to let Wyatt take her home.

Hell, he certainly didn’t want to give either man the chance to see the anxiety on his face and guess his
real
reason for wanting the Beautiful Doll.

I can’t let them find out she’s sentient.

When the airship landed, Wyatt had a moment of true panic as the three men disembarked.

Had Carron agreed or not?

The lazy smile that spread across Veraine’s face was the reassurance Wyatt needed. Anson Carron gave him more of an evil, triumphant look, but Wyatt purposely looked away, feigning nerves.

Thank God.
He felt he could breathe again.

Now came the trickier part of getting Ginger out of the factory – out of her routine and out of her comfort zone – without the Doll tipping her hand that she was sentient.

Carron and Veraine had come to the airstrip early this morning in the same transport vehicle. Would Carron be coming to the former Beautiful Dolls factory now, too?

Wyatt didn’t know if he could keep his cool that long under the scrutiny of both men. Luckily, Verraine suggested he ride with Wyatt so that his boss could go home and get some sleep. Carron didn’t even thank him, just headed off.

Wyatt blew out a relieved breath.
Bloody hell.
This had been the longest five hours of his life, but they were worth the stressful anxiety because Ginger was at the end of it.

Ginger’s
safety
was at the end of it.

Still, he wouldn’t relax until she was in his barracks housing pod.

It was just past midnight when Wyatt and Veraine finally pulled up to the Beautiful Dolls manufacturing facility. Incredibly, Bruiser-the-guard was still on patrol, and Wyatt had a wild thought that the sentry must be a robot as well. Hell, he couldn’t possibly work 24/7 and still be effective, could he? But Bruiser had brown eyes that flashed his distrust, and Wyatt distinctly remembered the guard spitting at him the first day he’d arrived.

You’re getting paranoid, Wyatt
.

Bruiser waived them inside the entrance gate, and Wyatt pulled to a stop right outside the factory’s front door. At this late hour, it didn’t matter where he parked. Besides, the shorter distance Ginger had to walk, the better.

And the fewer people who saw her leave, even better.

You really are paranoid. Who will see her at this hour? And why would anyone stop her? This has been officially sanctioned by Anson Carron.

“Okay, let’s get this over with,” Veraine said, getting out of the transport with a chuckle. “I can see that you’re nervous, agent Wyatt. Hell, you’re squeezing the drive wheel so hard your knuckles are white. But this isn’t exactly a first date. Ginger’s a
machine.
She’ll like you because she’s programmed to please. She’ll respond to you no matter what you do to her. You have nothing to worry about.”

Wyatt scowled at him.
I’m not worried about having sex with her, you asshole, I’m worried about her safety
.

Then again...

Wyatt let go of the steering wheel with a jerk. Holy hell, was there some part of him that was nervous about having Ginger all alone with him in his apartment? And about all the things he could do with her there?

That wouldn’t be nerves. It would be anticipation.

Alone… total privacy… with no time constraints on their sexual exploration. Complete intimacy with an expert sexbot whose main function was physical pleasure. Giving
him
physical pleasure.