[Mercy Merchant]

After some back and forth interpretation, Olena smiles at you and leans in to kiss your cheek, talking in Russian.  Vlad tells you that some will be sent over for the women and that you are welcome to eat here any time you like.  After some more talking between Vlad and his sister, the gangster boss takes you back out onto the street and across to the narrow alleyway, eventually returning to the rear door of his warehouse.  All is quiet when you enter the building and Vlad asks about his nephew and Barbara, finding out that they are still in la la land.  Vlad shrugs and looks at you.  "I see not real reason to disturb them in their work.  I will go to get some paperwork done and check on some things I cannot let slide too long.  Please, feel free to look around the building all you want."

[Zen Gypsy]

"Do not let me keep you from your responsibilities my friend," he clasped the man on the shoulder, "I will be upstairs, perhaps if she is awake, I will discuss things with Rowe.  I'll see you later this afternoon."  As he walked the stairs up towards the guest rooms, he cursed the inactivity, but at the same time he looked towards it rationally, once things began, he would not have time to pause, or reflect.

He nodded to the two guards further down the hall, and stole quietly into Rowena's room.  She was on the bed, her back to the door, so he could not tell if she was awake or not.  At first he thought to move the chair to the bedside and simply watch over her, but reconsidered, unsure of how much time he would have with her.  He crept into bed with her, pressing his chest to her back and draped an arm over her protectively.  His face pressed into the soft tangle of her hair, he inhaled, content; he closed his eyes.

[Mercy Merchant]

Rowena seems asleep as you slide onto the bed next to her, but she stirs a bit, clasping the hand you put around her in one of hers.  She holds it against her and sighs in her sleep.  Even though you are both clothed, you are pressed against a very pretty woman and your body reacts to that closeness, letting your brain know it is interested in her, as if your brain needed any reminding.  Confusing thoughts keep you awake fro a few minutes as you ponder the irony of finally finding a woman you can get close to and who wants you, only to have that woman be paralyzed.  These thought give way to a need for rest and you fall asleep, comfortably curled up next to her.

A knocking at the door wakes you.  On its own, your hand has migrated upward and is cupping the soft mound of one of Rowena's breasts.  Her hand is still clasped on top of yours.  Another knock.  She takes your hand from her breast and kisses the palm as she says, "Will you get that, Bryant dear?  Then come back to bed if it is nothing important.  I like the feel of you next to me."  As you get out of the bed, you realize that your body is indeed aroused at the closeness.  The man at the door hands you a large container of what must be the borscht from the aroma coming from it..  He tells you that the others are still in the room doing their matrix stuff.  He nods and leaves.  Shutting the door, you turn to see that Rowena has turned and is not on her back.  She pats the bed next to her and says, "That smells good.  Come back to bed and let's talk.  I am sorry for being so emotional earlier.  And I really like the feel of you next to me, although I am not sure that you want to hear that."

[Zen Gypsy]

Bryant nodded his thanks to Vlad's man as he accepted the borscht.  He carried the bowl over to the bed and sat cross legged, he does a spoon into the thick soup and held it to her lips, "For your strength, courtesy of Olena, Vlad's sister."

He smiled down at her as she tried the soup tentatively, "We discussed you, Vlad and I. He finds your strength and determination intriguing. In that, I would have to agree."  He paused, took a spoonful of the soup himself, "In talking with him, I came to a realisation, that we both, you and I, are making assumptions about what the other feels, wants, or desires. I feel as though a woman like you, intelligent, honest, kind, could not possibly wish to be with a man such as myself, a man who feels he has put you in considerable risk and so tragically altered your life."

He paused, looked away, "You have told me that you do not feel that way, yet I allow my own guilt to interfere, even as you tell me otherwise. You, yourself, seen to think i could not be attracted to you, because you feel damaged, broken, those feelings affect how you think I see you."

He set the bowl down on the night stand, "Those feelings could not be further from the truth." He reached out and ran a thumb over her full lips, the neurotransmitters interpreting the tactile sensation if her lips, the heat of her breath, "You are vibrant Rowe, beautiful, vibrant, and alive. When I look at you, I feel alive in a way I never thought I could feel. I feel whole in a way that I can't remember ever feeling."

He leaned close, his lips finding purchase against hers, his arms encircling her pulling her close to him, feeling the warmth of her body pressed against his chest.

[Mercy Merchant]

Rowena sighs as you kiss her.  Her lips are surprisingly firm and they part to let her tongue press against your lips, this time probing, seeking entrance.  Her body does feel good pressed against yours, warm and inviting.  She places a hand on your chest and strokes it before taking one of your hands and guiding it to her breast.  Your hand seems to have a mind of its own as it molds her breast and your thumb rubs circles around her hardening nipple, eliciting a low moan from her.  Her hand has returned to your chest and now strokes downward, exploring what she can reach.  She gasps a bit when she reaches the growing evidence of your arousal.  Rowena strokes you through your pants as she breaks from the kiss to say, "I may not be completely a woman for a bit, but I will be, I promise you.  Nothing will keep Mr. Bryant's girlfriend from recovering; that is, if you want me for a girlfriend.  In the meantime, though, I do know other ways to satisfy a man's needs.  Why don't you lay back and let me?"

[Zen Gypsy]

As she finished her words, as the weight of them stuck home, he placed a solitary finger over her soft, full lips. "Shhhh ...," he leaned forward kissed her around his own finger, even dragging it down slightly as he noted it with his teeth, "Don't do that, don't disparage yourself as less than a woman because if your injury. It doesn't define you, it doesn't make you any less desirable, or beautiful."

He sighed, her affections, her tender ministrations had riser something in him that he thought long dead.  A desire, smouldering beneath the surface, a human desire, something that he had not let himself feel since the procedure that had, ultimately, saved his life. In the past year he had allowed himself to wander through life, like a ghost, or an echo, but not experience it. And certainly not live it.

"Please Rowe, listen to my words. Don't try to read into them, because I never want to tell you anything less than the truth. You have no idea how much I want to feel your body pressed to mine, but I need to remind myself of where we are and why we're here. As much as I find myself looking, and even trusting Vlad, he's a mobster, for perhaps one of the most notoriously violent criminal organisations out there.  And we have anonymous men hunting us, trying to locate us, to extract information to their own ends."

He sighed, nibbled her lip a little as he lost himself in her eyes. Blue, piercing, like they were able to look into whatever soul he had left, whatever soul he hadn't traded for chrome and carbon edged steel.

He was concerned his words would hurt her, that she'd read them as rejection when it was the furthest from the truth. His truth.

"I don't like where we are Rowe, I don't feel safe, I feel vulnerable, exposed. I want to be with you so badly, it has kindness subverting i had thought died on the table when they put me back together. But not here, not now. I'm responsible for you, for B., and if I drop my guard, no matter how much I want to, is never forgive myself if that moment of want, of desire led to us getting captured ...," he left unsaid his deepest fear, the fear that a moment of weakness could lead to her death.

Even the thought of it caused moisture to accumulate in the silicon tubes that had replaced his tear ducts when his damaged organics had been replaced by his Ikon-Ziess cybereyes.

[Mercy Merchant]

Rowena sighs and nods as she settles against you, removing her hand from where it had been stroking you.  Through all your words you have not removed your hand, which seems to be acting on some instinct you might have thought to be lost or buried deeply in the man you had been before.  The soft mound in your palm feels damned good and the nipple is hard against your thumb, even through the material of her shirt and bra.  She giggles slightly and says, "I have to say that I have never had a metal hand on my breasts before, but yours feels so right.  I hope that you know what it feels like to have you cupping my like this.  You can spend some time on the other one if you like.  After all, it is probably not polite to favor one while ignoring the other.  I think I read somewhere that such unequal treatment of a woman's tits can create a mental imbalance of some sort.  Of course, that could be pure drek, but are you willing to risk it?  In any case, I understand what you are saying and support your decision, but I have to say that I think your thumb is not listening to your brain and neither is another part of you, unless that was a roll of coins in your pants."

[Zen Gypsy]

His hand slid, slowly, across her chest.  His fingers gently tracing the swell and curve of her breast, circling the nipple, his thumb stroking, gently.  As he did so, he nibbled at the lobe of her ear, the scent of her hair, intoxicating. "Thank you," he smiled playfully, "plus, I plan to fully explore your body, touch it, taste it, inhale your very essence.  And that would take more time than any sort of data search that B.'s been up to."

He pulled her close to him, his arousal almost painful.  "Lets rest for a few more Rowe, then finish Olena's borscht, and get back to working with the chair."  He squeezed her soft flesh playfully, "Deal?"

[Mercy Merchant]

Rowena inhales loudly as your hand moves from one breast to the other.  "Mmmmm.  That is more like it.  I am all for equal treatment for women's tits.  And your hand makes mine feel.......so.........so...........oh God, so good, Bryant.  Right now I want you to undress me and taste these fully.  I want your lips to pull gently at the nipples and excite me.  I want to be in your arms and not be afraid.  Mr. Bryant's woman wants to know how long will she have to wait?  By the way, if I am to change who I am, it might help to know your last name."

She pretends to relaxe next to you, letting your hand work it miracles on her breasts, her breathing betraying her arousal.  There is a knock on the door that interrupts you.  "My friend, I hate to disturb you, but my nephew and Barbara have finished their work and would like to talk to us.  Are you available?"

[Zen Gypsy]

He whispered into her ear, "Champagne," he nipped her ear playfully, and as the inevitable knock came he smiled, almost playfully.  "Told you we didn't want to start anything we wouldn't have time to finish," he gently tugged on her hardened nipple, then switch postions and slide his arms behind her back and beneath her knees.  He stood easily, and walked towards the door, and toed it open.

"Shall we go downstairs then, get Rowe settled in her chair?  She's as much a part of this as either B., or I, and deserves to know what we've found, yeah?"

[Mercy Merchant]

Rowena smiles and catches her breath as you remove your hand from her breast, a soft moan escaping her lips.  Her face is a bit flushed as you pick her up and she sweeps her arms around you, placing her lips to yours in a kiss as you carry her.  Once in the hallway, Vlad looks from one of you to the other then says, "Yes, well.  No, I was actually thinking of doing the meet in the room up here so your friend would not have to go far."  He points to the wheelchair just behind him.  "I had it brought up for you."

[Zen Gypsy]

Bryant nodded in thanks, and as Vlad unfolded the chair, securing the brakes, he lowered Rowe into it.  He then turned to the bedside table and retrieved her gloves, tossing them to her casually.  "You should finish off the borscht, it'll do you good.  You'll need to work on your strength," he smirked at his own innuendo.

He, himself took a seat on the edge of the bed, and looked towards Vlad.  "Hopefully you got your paperwork done my friend?  My nap, though short, was much needed.  Who knows when next I'll be able to get a good night's sleep, though if the data pays off, perhaps we can start to cause our pursuers a few restless nights, eh?"

He took the bowl of borscht, and handed it to Rowe, his fingers lingering over hers for a moment or two before releasing it into her grasp.

[Mercy Merchant]

Vlad looks at the two of you with expressionless eyes.  "Yes, a nap.  I see.  And yes, young woman, you should eat of the borscht as it will help you recover what strength you might have used.  And, Bryant, my friend.  The paperwork is never done when you are at the top.....................even when the anthill is only as large as a neighborhood.  Shall we go?  We can warm up the borscht when we get back from talking to our information seekers, eh?"

He laughs at some private joke and leads the way down the hall to the guarded room.  Both Barbara and the young man who was driving the van earlier are sitting and eating.  You can see empty bowls of what appears to be borscht and partially finished plates of what you had eaten for lunch.  The aromas in the room almost make you forget why you are here.  Almost.  Barbara seems quite excited and pushes her plate away.  "Boss.  We found a couple of things.  One the KE already knows about for sure, but then something we don't think they know about yet.  Maybe.  At least there is no open chatter about it.  And there is something else that Viktor and I disagree on.......sort of disagree.  I think it is important and relevant, but he thinks it is important but not relevant."

Vlad holds up his hands.  "Please can we wait until we are all seated?  Thank you."  He moves a chair away from the table so Rowena can roll her chair up then motions for you to have a seat as he sits down.  He looks at Barbara.  "Now, please, Barbara."

"OK, here we go.  The news the KE knows about is that one of the gunmen has been found.  His bullet riddled body was discovered in an alley several blocks from Mercy General.  The bullet wounds were all caused by the type of rounds that KE uses........................all except one.  His other wounds would have been serious and might even have proved fatal without good care, but it was the bullet he took to the back of his head the made sure of him.  KE is supposing that he was so badly injured that his mates did not want him taken to a care facility where he might talk and so killed him.  They have identified the dead man as one Gordy Valens, a former member of the Wild Riders, a go-gang that ran on some of the local highways but stayed away from the bigger go-gangs.  They apparently have denied that he is still a member, saying that he left a few weeks back to be a full-time merc with some outfit.  Now, all of this info is being kept from the public, but it is going to break pretty soon.  KE can't seem to keep good secrets."

[Zen Gypsy]

Bryant nodded as he processed the information, he kept a hand draped on the arm rest of Rowe's wheelchair.  He looked up, scanning the faces in the room, and then began to speak, looking directly at B.,"Seems like our best bet is to dig into Valens before Errant does, reach out to the Riders, find out any info they may have on the merc unit he signed up with.  It's likely that we'll need to determine the location of, and physically search this guys residence, and any boltholes he may have had.  Start working through his connections," he paused, restrained the impulse to reach for his last Slim, and continued, "after all they say no man's an island."

"The guy I got to talk, said they worked in cells, the leader of each cell being the only one aware of the contract, or drop point.  Thing is, if we go down this road, we're hitting folks for info that K.E.'s going to want, and we're tampering with evidence if we search Valens place."  He shrugged, "it's something to consider, we go from being persons of interest, to criminal charges.  So if you want out, say so, though I plan on seein' this thing through til the end.  I owe those bastards, and I'm going to be the one to put 'em under."

[Mercy Merchant]

Vlad cannot help but laugh.  "Sorry my friend.  It just struck me as a bit funny to have that question asked here.  So far, I see no reason to back out."

B gives you a look but does not answer your question.  "Now, we have also found something we do not think the KE is onto as yet.  It is off on a tangent, but we can assume that the KE has smart officers and will eventually go this route.  There is a hiring board for mercs in St Petersburg, Russia.  Just something I picked up from a former employer.  Not many people know about it outside of that arena of business.  But I checked it out and there was a lot of activity on the board starting about four weeks ago.  Sampson Industries was ostensibly hiring people to protect its interests in the Congo.  Thing is, there is no Sampson Industries.  It is a shell corp. that does no real business, in the Congo or anywhere else.  However, it does hold a major interest in a small company called Liston Pharmaceuticals.  Now these guys are different.  They are apparently a legitimate company, but they have fingers in some pretty sketchy stuff, mostly bio-weapons research.  Very low key.  Very hush-hush.  Very dangerous.  All their funding comes from Sampson Industries, but guess where Sampson gets their funds?  The links are very tight and we probably broke a ton of laws, but it appears to me that three of the listed board members of the corp, to include the CFO, are well-placed Yaks.  But the really odd part is that these three people represent different groups of Yaks from different countries.  The other three board members, to include the CEO are Renraku suits.  But not people currently at the top tiers of that AAA.  Just mid-level suits.  Odd, huh?"