Haywire by Justin R. Macumber Page B

loading dolly. “Very well. Shall I take over the unloading of the new pieces?”
    “ Oh, no need for that,” the doctor replied with a shake of her head. “Your time would be better spent making sure the new display room is ready. That way we can get these pieces out on the floor as quickly as possible.”
    “ But what about the inspection?” her assistant asked, his mouth puckered to the side of his face as though he’d bitten into something that bit back. “The inventory system will need to be updated as well.”
    Doctor Campbell waved her hand dismissively. “I will take care of all that.”
    “ Not if you want to make that lunch date.”
    Hands on her hips, the doctor thrust her chin out and said, “I have worked long and hard to get these pieces donated to the museum, and I want to see it all the way to its completion. Alex will understand. It’s also the perfect opportunity to show my son what his mother does for a living.”
    The assistant looked at the doctor and then at her son before he bowed his head. “Very good.”
    “ Quite. Now, take those men with you and make sure the display cases are ready. I’ll call you once I am done. Understood?”
    “ Of course.” Her assistant waved to workers behind him and left the dock, his body ramrod straight as he walked away.
    As soon as the dock was clear, Laroux whistled and gestured for his crew to empty the truck. The doctor winced when the crates were manhandled onto the dock’s floor. Once the pieces were out, the captain asked, “Doctor, how far is it from here to where we need to go?”
    She balled her small hands into fists and closed her eyes before replying. “Not far.” She pointed at a large door across the dock. “We go through there, take a hallway to a freight elevator, and then go down another hall to a set of storage rooms. The wall where this supposed hidden access is at sits between those rooms.”
    Laroux bowed with a flourish. “Let us proceed then, ma cherie . And quickly. Your assistant will wait, but not forever. The sooner we find what we came for, the sooner all this can be over for you.”
    The doctor nodded, her face pale, and walked toward the door which opened automatically at her approach. Behind her walked her son, and then the pirates with their loaded dollies. The hallway to the service lift was relatively clear, with no one giving them a second glance. Once they were in the lower level they went down another hallway and then went through a pair of doors that opened into a storage room. Crates were packed to the ceiling along the walls.
    “ Is this part of the original structure?” Laroux asked, glancing around.
    “ Yes, though some repairs had to be made to it before it could be used. The only thing that saved it from total destruction was its depth beneath the lunar surface.”
    The captain tilted his dolly forward and settled the crate he’d been carting around down onto the floor. “Open this and let us get on with it.”
    Four of his crew walked over, opened the crate, and reached in. Straining, they lifted the Titan to her shaky feet and kept her steady as she exited the crate. Sadness washed over Gimble like a cold wave as he watched her shift her head around lazily, just like Marie had done near the end as the pain stole her mind and spirit. But, as the Titan took in her surroundings, a bit of clarity returned to her eyes.
    “ I-I know this,” she said. “I’ve been here be-before. The doc-doc-doctor . . .”
    Doctor Campbell nodded and took a step toward her. “We’re close, yes. Would you like to lead the way?”
    The Titan looked around again, her eyes narrowing, but then they lost focus and she hung her head.
    “ We go this direction, correct?” the doctor asked in tones usually reserved for children, pointing toward the double doors.
    The Titan tilted her head up, followed the gesture, and nodded.
    “ Go,” Laroux said.
    Doctor Campbell took the lead, and the Titan shambled along behind her.