delicate hands to yank at his ears, his collar, his mustache, biting down onto the brown skin of his wrist with perfect teeth. Villar lets her bite, eyes on Karl's, a different look in them now, hate gone. And something else there. What, an appeal? Karl doesn't know, can't believe he's seeing Villar do this.
Same tech bustles over. Rage rises in Karl as he sees the SOB isn't going to give her anything. He shuts his bag. Karl reaches out, taps a beefy shoulder. This time a look is all it takes. He reaches for his injector.With it poised at her neck, he looks to Villar.
Villar nods, short, barely noticeable, and the tech presses the stud, forcing the drug through her skin. Glaring, he goes away. Soon after, a slow smile softens her face. She looks up at them, eyes wide as a child's. "Where's Romy?"
At once, almost as if she's been summoned, Romy is there on bare knees beside her.
"What is it, Lia, what?" Romy says, ear to her mouth.
"I..." she says, eyes growing vacant. "I want you here." It's as if she listens to her own breathing, puzzled by the sound. Then her eyes return to her sister's. "Romy, oh, Romy I'm afraid."
Romy wipes dust-caked blood from her face, "It's all right to be afraid. I'm here, I'm here, now, Lia."
Humbled by the intimacy of death, Karl looks away.
Her mouth opens for a breath she never draws. Slowly, imperceptibly, her hold on Villar eases, hands sliding down his filthy tunic to rest like broken birds among the debris.
Dust coating his throat, Karl backs away, picking his way through fallen framing, hanging wires, dangling insulation. Barking his knee on an I-beam bent bowed, he reaches down to quell screaming pain. He's seen all he can stand, needs to get out of the dark, the bitter dust, the smell of blood.
But before he goes, e
Same tech bustles over. Rage rises in Karl as he sees the SOB isn't going to give her anything. He shuts his bag. Karl reaches out, taps a beefy shoulder. This time a look is all it takes. He reaches for his injector.With it poised at her neck, he looks to Villar.
Villar nods, short, barely noticeable, and the tech presses the stud, forcing the drug through her skin. Glaring, he goes away. Soon after, a slow smile softens her face. She looks up at them, eyes wide as a child's. "Where's Romy?"
At once, almost as if she's been summoned, Romy is there on bare knees beside her.
"What is it, Lia, what?" Romy says, ear to her mouth.
"I..." she says, eyes growing vacant. "I want you here." It's as if she listens to her own breathing, puzzled by the sound. Then her eyes return to her sister's. "Romy, oh, Romy I'm afraid."
Romy wipes dust-caked blood from her face, "It's all right to be afraid. I'm here, I'm here, now, Lia."
Humbled by the intimacy of death, Karl looks away.
Her mouth opens for a breath she never draws. Slowly, imperceptibly, her hold on Villar eases, hands sliding down his filthy tunic to rest like broken birds among the debris.
Dust coating his throat, Karl backs away, picking his way through fallen framing, hanging wires, dangling insulation. Barking his knee on an I-beam bent bowed, he reaches down to quell screaming pain. He's seen all he can stand, needs to get out of the dark, the bitter dust, the smell of blood.
But before he goes, e