Page 6 of The Last Aquarius
“Why? Going to get me drunk like you did Lance?”
He grinned. “Not my fault he’s a lightweight.”
“Hate to break it to you, but I don’t drink.”
“Good since this is a conversation best had sober.”
“You’re not going to leave, are you?”
“Can’t, fate of the world and all.”
Words that ensured she couldn’t turn him away. She sighed. “Stay where you are. I’m coming.”
It took her a few minutes to reach the main level and activate the mechanism that cranked open the rarely used exterior door.
Daylight filled the area, partially blocked by Reece’s bulky and taller-than-expected form.
She eyed him over, noted how he didn’t seem to notice the cold, the way he appeared at ease despite the harsh conditions and strange situation. Thought of how quickly he’d managed to reach her and sighed as she realized who she faced. Not the enemy, but someone almost as bad because it meant her time of hiding and penance had come to an end. “What’s a Zodiac Warrior doing on my doorstep?”
CHAPTER 4
How doesshe know what I am?
Aquarius gaped at the woman, name of Ishtar, who, for all extents and purposes, did not actually exist. After discovering the messages between her and Lance concerning the nanobot, he’d done a search to get a better grip on who he’d be dealing with. She didn’t appear in any database. At all. Which in this connected world raised so many flags. Yet, this woman who appeared to have earned no degree, never held a job, or paid taxes had fixed the alien nanobot and didn’t want credit for it. He’d had to dig deep into Lance’s computer to find her. Apparently, Lance had initially turned down Aries’ request to fix the nanobot. Only after the boss insisted and added a few zeros to sweeten the deal did Lance agree, but only after messaging Ishtar. Apparently, she was the one with the truly rare expertise.
Where was Ishtar, though? As it turned out, not somewhere simple to reach. He’d had to smash through some firewalls and encrypted information to discover where the mysterious nanobot engineer lived. In the middle of Antarctica, the most inhospitable place on Earth. How did she survive? Feed herself? Get equipment? Companionship?
He’d half expected to find nothing when he’d beamed here, the coordinates complicated but successful. The moment he’d landed, he’d been ready to beam right back home. Lance must have outsmarted Aquarius and masked her true location. No way did this Ishtar live here, only… The hairs on his napes lifted, and his instinct insisted someone watched. A smart—and not wanting to die—warrior never ignored his gut.
And so he called out, cajoled, and then dropped the nerdiest line in history. What do you know; it worked. A door, seamlessly camouflaged as part of the mountain, opened, revealing a woman as tall as him, willowy in build, her hair dark as night, skin white as snow, eyes a brilliant green, her red-lipped scowl very authentic.
Her voice, low, husky, and distracting meant it took Aquarius a moment to filter what she’d said.
“You know what I am?”
Her lip curled. “As if anyone but a Zodiac warrior could have found me here.”
“How…” He couldn’t even finish asking because his astonishment stole his ability to speak.
“The heat is escaping.” She stepped aside and, with a heavy sigh, grumbled, “Against my better judgement, would you like to come inside?”
Her reluctance indicated he wouldn’t get a second invitation. Lest she change her mind, he quickly stepped over the threshold, noting the sturdy track that the stone façade door slid on.
“Nice,” he commented as she slapped a button and closed the portal, the machinery noise minimal—and impressive. “Build this yourself?”
“Yes, but I’m fairly sure you didn’t come here to compliment my setup,” her grouchy reply as she stalked across the smooth concrete floor of a garage-type area. He noted a snowmobile, something that once might have been on the market but hadsince been upgraded beyond recognition, the mounted gun on its hood a nice touch. There was a plane, but of a style he’d never seen—probably because it hadn’t been invented. A sleek round vessel with a narrow cockpit window and short wings parked on fat wheels.
While he would have loved to gawk and examine the toys, Ishtar had already crossed the room and opened another door. He hurried to catch up. Passing through that entrance brought them into a small chamber with a bench and hooks for hanging gear. He noted a pair of boots and a parka, identical to the ones she wore. Spares or did someone else live here?
She didn’t bother stripping her outer gear but rather stood in front of the next door. No button to trigger, and yet it slid open. What lay beyond had Aquarius both jealous and aroused. Don’t laugh. He thought his office had a pretty cool setup. That was before he saw Ishtar’s.
Monitors, more than a dozen by his count. All of them currently blank but for the one showing the valley he’d just crossed—which explained how she’d noticed him. Several large steel tables, some with hoists above them, holding metal parts for who knew what the fuck. A rack of tools—drills, torches, screwdrivers, wrenches, saws, and so much more—on wheels for easy maneuverability. A tri-dimensional printer but of a size he could only dream of. The geek cave of all caves. Was this what heaven would look like?
She flopped into a chair. The only chair he noticed a clue she lived alone then, most likely by choice, which explained her irritability. With that kind of pricky personality, he’d likely be a hermit too.
“Spill. Why are you here?” she snapped. “And don’t tell me this is just about the nanobot.”
“You were the one who fixed it.” Stated rather than asked.
