G-Pol Ch. 05

Bona noticed Karl's sudden increase in tension and didn't know what had triggered it. Her senses told her everything was okay, but he was taught as a bowstring and at full alert. His stance told her he expected an attack at any second and he was ready to fight to the death. His mental shields had become stronger than steel all of a sudden too. She couldn't read anything from him at all. It was like he was suddenly a machine. "Bona? How long ago did that attack take place? What exactly happened?" His voice was diamond hard and dead calm if non threatening. Definitely not soothing. He was beginning to frighten her.

She told what she knew and had seen. All of it. Everything they had on the case and even the girls part in it all. When she was finished, Karl relaxed visibly. "He's probably gone then. Still we should get everyone inside and keep the security system online too. I can tell you from experience the man's insane as they come and you never know what he's going to do."

Bona's mouth dropped open in shock. "From personal experience?"

Not even seeming to hear her, he went on relentlessly. "We should also check everything for explosives. He's notorious for setting some really nasty bombs."

They moved inside and settled the Girl in Natasha's room to prove to her she was at least alive and, Bona assured her recovering. They left her with Natasha while they went out and made a thorough check of the entire exterior of the ship and Natasha's motorcycle to be certain nothing had been tampered with. After that, Karl placed a number of auditory sensors around the ship attached to trees and similar places. They were sensitive enough to detect a whisper at a hundred meters through normal conversational sound levels. There wasn't a stealth system yet that could mask sound and he was taking no chances.

Natasha woke to find Vixi holding her hand and humming a soft lullaby under her breath. The girl looked worried and more than a little frightened. The next thing she was aware of was the terrific headache pounding in her temples and an odd crawling sensation inside her. What she was noticing and appreciating most at the moment was the fact the headache was beginning to fade.

"You're awake!" Vixi said with a relieved smile when the girl realized her eyes were open and looking at her. Bona told me Mallory attacked you? Oh, I'm not exactly subtle right now am I?" The girl squeezed her hand reassuringly. Your big friend scared the hell out of me though. I didn't know anyone could move that quietly. And I shot him! I'm so glad he was wearing armor!"

"You're babbling Hun." Natasha said with a smile. "Settle down, I'm not going anywhere." She looked over at the clock which read six hours after noon! Of what day? "How long have I been out of it Vixi?"

"Oh, most of the day." Vixi said. "Karl says that's normal for the kind of drugs you were given. He has some pretty neat medical stuff Bona says saved your life. If that's the case, I'll love him forever! You want me to let them know you're awake?"

"Karl's here?" Natasha asked her heart leaping happily. The monitors on the nanomedical units beeped as if annoyed at the sudden spike in her blood pressure.

"Yeah, he's been in and out all day checking on you." Vixi said with a little smile, "I think he likes you... and you like him too don't you? You looked awfully happy to hear his name! I haven't had much chance to talk to him and get to know him, but he seems like a pretty nice guy when he's not pointing a really big gun at you. I wouldn't want to be Mallory if he finds him either! He really hates that guy or something. He says he knows something about him. He didn't say anything else and I didn't think it was my place to be asking questions. Especially not now."

"He knows Mallory?" Natasha asked thoughtfully of herself, "I wonder what his experience with him was. I'm afraid I have an idea. I hope I'm wrong." She said a little louder before squeezing Vixi's hand in return and smiling at her. "He is hot isn't he! Karl I mean."

Vixi smiled slightly. "I don't really know yet. He hasn't taken off his armor since I got here. If he's not here checking on you, he's out with Bona keeping an eye out for Mallory. He seems to think he'll want to gloat and might be around to watch. They're both out patrolling the woods around here whenever they're not in here with us. What little I have seen isn't too bad though. And he does seem nice."

"You should see him in a Black suit! Natasha groaned extravagantly, "I definitely want to see more! He's just what the doctor ordered for a lonely girl! You'll see."

"ooh, you do like him! Vixi enthused. "It's too bad though, I was hoping to have you all to myself. I guess I can't be too greedy though, he did save you for us. Like I said, I'll love him forever for that! So tell me, what're your plans for him?" the two girls spent the next half hour giggling and laughing over various points and ideas.

Karl and Bona found them that way when they returned. Both were ecstatic to find Natasha strong enough to laugh and joke with a girlfriend, if not enough to do much else for the present. Bona hadn't been at all subtle in her conversations with Karl during their routine patrols around the ship's exterior. It had been more to keep their minds off their worry for Natasha than because they thought Mallory would still be around. They'd needed the exercise to keep themselves from trying to hunt down Mallory and kill him right where they found him. It was now obvious Ryans hadn't died in a chance encounter with the native wildlife.

Bona had been direct and to the point. She thought Karl and Natasha would be good for each other. And she made it clear she didn't just mean emotionally. Their attraction to one another hadn't been missed and she, Bona, had a good feeling about it. It was as if they were made for each other and even the band at the restaurant had noticed. He shouldn't let something like that go. If he did, he would probably never find it again.

It didn't help he'd been having the same thoughts. No woman had ever tested his self control so completely and thoroughly in just one date. And entirely without trying too. And now having almost lost her before anything could happen between them was really straining the boundaries.

Natasha was in no better condition. Her arousing conversation with Vixi had left her entirely unprepared for Karl's arrival. The light dew of moisture that had accumulated at her nether region became a noticeable wetness with her first sight of him in her doorway and her nipples immediately stiffened into pronounced peaks. She was glad she was covered by the sheet and still wearing her swimsuit too. It almost hid the evidence. His smile at her took her breath though. She would never get used to that and never wanted to! She realized something right then too. He was in love with her. He probably didn't know it yet, but it was true. The thought heated her own blood. Maybe she was in love with him too? That kind of stuff was for fairy tails though.

Whatever the case, she was definitely happy to see him. With some help, she was able to get out of bed and move around a little. The four of them had a pleasant later than usual evening meal prepared by Karl and Vixi. They'd insisted and were backed by Bona on the grounds she had been ill and shouldn't have to take care of company right now. Natasha laughingly swore vengeance, wheedling and teasing as they worked quickly and chuckled over her antics.

Afterward Natasha was beginning to feel stronger as her body and the nannites made use of the new sources of energy and nutrients to accelerate her healing. The bacteria had done a large amount of damage, but it had been widespread, not concentrated in any one place, so none of it was all that dangerous anymore. She would continue to feel weak as her body used up more than the normal amount of energy to rebuild the damaged tissues. The numbers of nannites in her system had been dramatically reduced to about a hundred thousand with the charging and operating unit worn on her right upper arm. The rest had been returned to their own housings and returned to the case used to store and transport them. Karl was glad he'd not given up after Melissa died and had decided to learn to do something about such things. If he hadn't and thus hadn't had the equipment, Natasha would've died today and he'd have lost another one precious to him.

It was still remarkable how she affected him after knowing her so short a time. He was learning to accept it though, and found that acceptance comfortable and reassuring. Was this what others spoke about when they discussed love? If so, he could understand their searching and yearning for it. It felt good! He would have to see where this led.