Shackled Ch. 08

Jimmy looked over at Emma. "He has a temper, you know," he said with a wink at her.

Jimmy slipped the disk into a computer and they waited. Finally the screen in front of him lit up and there were a list of files. He hit the first one and there were slabs of text interspersed with molecular equations.

"Look at this, Liam," said Jimmy.

Hansen walked over to the screen. "Don't ask me, I failed chemistry."

"Well it's more microbiology," said Jimmy.

Hansen looked at Emma. She nodded.

"You're fucking kidding me?" said Jimmy.

Hansen coughed. "Does she look like a fucking kidder to you?" he said. Then he looked towards her. "No offense. I'm sure your hilarious when you need to be."

"You are grumpy today, Liam," said Jimmy. "So you have a virus with no cure? That seems a bit pointless."

Hansen shook his head. "No. Emma here, who you have been trying to annoy no end, was one of the lead scientists in developing it."

Jimmy looked around wide-eyed at her. "Why would you do that? And you looked so nice...."

"Jimmy, she didn't know. They were working on this to develop what is ostensibly a cure. They haven't got the cure yet. Emma here believes she and her team were not far off working it out before she did a runner, but she needs a computer and a way for them to communicate."

Jimmy sat looking at the screen quietly.

"First thing is," he said, "we should make a copy of it. If Emma here," he looked at her and smiled grimly, "disappears or is killed, then the information is gone."

Hansen stared directly at him. "That won't happen."

"Ah, Sir Galahad Liam of Hansen," he said. "Protector of all in distress, particularly hot looking damsels."

Jimmy gave Emma a sly wink. She looked stressed. She looked like she was about to be sick.

Hansen was humorless. "No," he said. "We've been electronically shackled. If Emma moves more than fifty meters from me, or disappears or is killed, then both our heads explode. It won't happen."

"Nowthat'swhat I call a blow job!" exclaimed Jimmy.

Hansen resisted the urge to grab him by his thin little neck and twist it. He was used to it.

"Ok, copy the disk. Also, do you have a clean machine with comms she can use to keep working on the cure with her partners."

"Do I have a deal...," started Jimmy in a salesman's voice.

Hansen cut him off.

"Just this once, Jimmy, put a sock in it."

Jimmy looked sheepishly across at Emma.

She was smiling.

****

Emma breathed a sigh of relief and watched their interaction. Liam looked as thought he might kill the poor nerd boy and for some reason she found that thought highly amusing. Why? She wasn't sure. After all, she was technically a nerd, but she definitely had more social skills than Jimmy.

"Maybe once this is all over we should take Jimmy out of here for a few hours. I think he could stand a little fresh air and some sun." She mused out loud and smiled at Liam.

"Haha – you mock now, but you'll love me when I save your asses." Jimmy mocked, but his tone was more teasing that peeved.

She moved to Liam and wrapped her arms around his waist, giving him a good squeeze. Getting in touch with her team was definitely the key. She'd wanted to keep them out of it for fear of hurting their lives, but when it came right down to it, it was all for the greater good, wasn't it.

Jimmy watched them by the reflection on his screen and shook his head, grinning. "Will it be safe?" She asked Liam softly, her eyes so big and full of questions as she gazed up at him, "Will they be able to track us or find out and harm them?"

"Depends." Jimmy cut in, his fingers flying over the keys. "If your team is sneaky enough, they could get away with it. Hard part will be first contact. Who do you trust the most in the company?"

She turned to gaze at the side of his skinny pale face, watching him work his magic. "Simon, Simon Thornton. He was next to me throughout the process. He helped me get out, but he has a family, so I was leery about getting him involved."

Pulling his lanky frame up, Jimmy popped out her disk and tossed it at Emma. She caught it, pulling herself away from Liam long enough to do her jiggly wiggle, securing it in its spot. "I'm beginning to like that dance." Jimmy teased and earned himself a glare from Liam.

"Okay, so I have a copy of the disk, it goes nowhere but with me." Walking around his equipment, he stooped low and grabbed a black case. "This has your clean machine and comms. Good luck to you both...I would say you're going to need it."

****

Emma wrapped her arms around Hansen and squeezed him in a tight hug. He was surprised, but he had been in many situations where civilians had been stressed and feared for their lives. They tended to pin their hopes on anyone who looked capable of protecting them.

That's all it is.

Sure.

Once we leave here your fucking gone.

Wanna bet?

Fuck off.

Emma was happy with trying to contact Simon Thornton. Hansen didn't care one way or the other. She said Thornton had a family, but he had agreed to protect her, not Thornton or his family. That might change when he met them.

It will change, Galahad. You're a sucker. You'll be walking around with a herd of lost lambs soon. Dickhead.

Fuck off.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.... my fucking hero.

You must be desperate, the Bible?

Jimmy seemed happy with what he had.

"Good service, Jimmy," said Hansen, smirking. "For a nerd." He took the case and picked up Mrs. Chan's groceries.

Hansen patted the front of his pants where his gun was.

"I've got all the good luck in the world down here," he said.

Jimmy smirked. "Well...."

"Don't even think about it," said Hansen, cutting him off.

Jimmy went quiet.

"Out the back way, I assume?" Hansen asked him.

Jimmy nodded.

"Thanks. You'll hear from us soon. Let's go, Irish."

He grabbed Emma's hand and almost pulled her out of Jimmy's lab. They walked a little further along the corridor they'd been in earlier and then Hansen pushed his way out of another door marked 'Exit'. This one led on to a dirty alley full of trash that hadn't been thrown down the chutes that were common in newer buildings.

They tip-toed their way down the alley, avoiding assorted detritus and junk and came back on to the main street. He stopped and turned to her.

"We're nearly done for the day," he said. "We have a lot to digest." He paused and looked down at the case and the bag in his other hand. "Plus I'm starving and I could really go for some food."

He thought for a moment, his face in thought as if he was contemplating whether he should tell her something or not.

"I have to make one more stop," he said. "I have a headache and I need something to fix it."

Bastard.

Hansen smiled to himself and they started walking again, making sure to avoid any SPF's.