moment, barely
ahead of the two villagers on guard duty.
Beeta never looked back, running straight for
the edge of the village. Mott lagged behind, then spun when the
first of the two escorts, a man, passed by. Mott locked his arms
around the man's neck and used every iota of torque his legs,
torso, and arms could generate to cause a delicious popping noise,
followed by the collapse of a warm corpse.
Before the second guard, the woman, could
decide how to react to the violence, Mott punched her in the throat
hard enough to hurt his knuckles. As she stumbled back, her mouth
open to release a scream that could not escape her crushed
windpipe, Mott swept her legs out from under her.
The woman landed on her back and Mott knelt
down to firmly grasp one of her ears. He pulled hard, fast, and it
came free to hang by a thread of skin, the wound oddly bloodless at
the instant of its appearance. The woman's eyes bulged, but still
no sound escaped her. Mott shoved the severed ear into her open
mouth, then resumed chasing his crazy woman.
Chapter 18 – Hess / Iteration 145
He watched San
dunk tater tots into maple syrup and place them on top of a thick
layer of corned beef sandwiched between slices of french toast. “It
works, in a weird way. But you have to use grade A syrup. None of
the cheap stuff.” She smirked at Hess as she spoke.
Hess turned away from the spectacle to face
Jerome. “Looks like the two of us need to pursue an alternate
dinner. Again.”
Jerome nodded. “I'm not eating that.”
“Jeeze, Jay, why you hating on my San-wich?
This will be as big as the pretzel burger.” San winked. “Besides,
what you gonna eat? Pantry's bare as an Observer's womb, ya
know?”
Hess dredged up the best smile he could
manage. “We'll stop somewhere on our way to the shop.”
“What's happening at the shop? You two
shacking up?”
“We're guarding the device,” Hess said.
Jerome folded her arms. “And being less
suspicious. Two white women spending nights in this neighborhood
will not go unnoticed.”
“Well,” San said, “if any midnight action
happens, I want in on it.”
Elza's voice boomed from the other room.
“Wait fifteen minutes and we'll go with you.”
“Elz, hon, you going to try my culinary
delight?”
“Sure, San, bring me in a sample.”
Hess jerked his thumb to the door. “Come on,
Jerome. We'll leave now and get lamb wraps from a shop downtown.
The ladies will beat us to the shop anyway.”
“You know, I'm one of the ladies,” Jerome
said.
“Not if you want a lamb wrap.”
They didn't speak again until Hess parked his
car beside Elza's, outside the garage they had leased for the
purpose of constructing their doomsday weapon. “Why does Elza like
San?”
Jerome blinked at the question. “I don't have
the slightest clue.”
“Your executive summary left that out?”
“The mental stuff isn't covered. My only
insights into your emotions and motivations are the result of
assumptions.”
Hess grunted. “That so? Well, assume
something for me.”
“Maybe because they are so different from
each other? Elza is hyper rational and San is whimsical. Their
interactions might provide some kind of balance to them.”
“Opposites attracting? By that logic, Erik
and I should be best buds.”
Jerome raised an eyebrow. “While I don't
think I can categorize whatever is between you and Erik as
friendship, it is most definitely significant. Besides you, Erik
never sustained much interest in the other Observers.”
“He felt a special bond because me and Elza
were the first he encountered,” Hess said. “When you met him, he
was busy punishing me. But he would have done just as bad to
Elza.”
“No,” Jerome said. “Erik only spoke of Elza
in connection with you. He wanted to use her to hurt you. Why do
you think he talked Kerzon into posing as Elza? She was supposed to
make you think Elza hated you. Erik wanted you all to himself,
Hess.”
“And he's out there looking
ahead of the two villagers on guard duty.
Beeta never looked back, running straight for
the edge of the village. Mott lagged behind, then spun when the
first of the two escorts, a man, passed by. Mott locked his arms
around the man's neck and used every iota of torque his legs,
torso, and arms could generate to cause a delicious popping noise,
followed by the collapse of a warm corpse.
Before the second guard, the woman, could
decide how to react to the violence, Mott punched her in the throat
hard enough to hurt his knuckles. As she stumbled back, her mouth
open to release a scream that could not escape her crushed
windpipe, Mott swept her legs out from under her.
The woman landed on her back and Mott knelt
down to firmly grasp one of her ears. He pulled hard, fast, and it
came free to hang by a thread of skin, the wound oddly bloodless at
the instant of its appearance. The woman's eyes bulged, but still
no sound escaped her. Mott shoved the severed ear into her open
mouth, then resumed chasing his crazy woman.
Chapter 18 – Hess / Iteration 145
He watched San
dunk tater tots into maple syrup and place them on top of a thick
layer of corned beef sandwiched between slices of french toast. “It
works, in a weird way. But you have to use grade A syrup. None of
the cheap stuff.” She smirked at Hess as she spoke.
Hess turned away from the spectacle to face
Jerome. “Looks like the two of us need to pursue an alternate
dinner. Again.”
Jerome nodded. “I'm not eating that.”
“Jeeze, Jay, why you hating on my San-wich?
This will be as big as the pretzel burger.” San winked. “Besides,
what you gonna eat? Pantry's bare as an Observer's womb, ya
know?”
Hess dredged up the best smile he could
manage. “We'll stop somewhere on our way to the shop.”
“What's happening at the shop? You two
shacking up?”
“We're guarding the device,” Hess said.
Jerome folded her arms. “And being less
suspicious. Two white women spending nights in this neighborhood
will not go unnoticed.”
“Well,” San said, “if any midnight action
happens, I want in on it.”
Elza's voice boomed from the other room.
“Wait fifteen minutes and we'll go with you.”
“Elz, hon, you going to try my culinary
delight?”
“Sure, San, bring me in a sample.”
Hess jerked his thumb to the door. “Come on,
Jerome. We'll leave now and get lamb wraps from a shop downtown.
The ladies will beat us to the shop anyway.”
“You know, I'm one of the ladies,” Jerome
said.
“Not if you want a lamb wrap.”
They didn't speak again until Hess parked his
car beside Elza's, outside the garage they had leased for the
purpose of constructing their doomsday weapon. “Why does Elza like
San?”
Jerome blinked at the question. “I don't have
the slightest clue.”
“Your executive summary left that out?”
“The mental stuff isn't covered. My only
insights into your emotions and motivations are the result of
assumptions.”
Hess grunted. “That so? Well, assume
something for me.”
“Maybe because they are so different from
each other? Elza is hyper rational and San is whimsical. Their
interactions might provide some kind of balance to them.”
“Opposites attracting? By that logic, Erik
and I should be best buds.”
Jerome raised an eyebrow. “While I don't
think I can categorize whatever is between you and Erik as
friendship, it is most definitely significant. Besides you, Erik
never sustained much interest in the other Observers.”
“He felt a special bond because me and Elza
were the first he encountered,” Hess said. “When you met him, he
was busy punishing me. But he would have done just as bad to
Elza.”
“No,” Jerome said. “Erik only spoke of Elza
in connection with you. He wanted to use her to hurt you. Why do
you think he talked Kerzon into posing as Elza? She was supposed to
make you think Elza hated you. Erik wanted you all to himself,
Hess.”
“And he's out there looking
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