Artificial Heart

40

 It felt strange doing something so normal as climbing into a car with Alf. He sat down heavily beside her, awkward, oversized and completely out of his comfort zone. It was a white van. Alf was holding her hand tightly, watching closely as three others followed them inside.

The "men in black" seemed to have managed to keep the crowds away. There were police cars with whirring sirens. Multiple police officers. Prisha could hear the beating of chopper blades again just before the doors slammed shut.

Prisha felt better behind the tinted windows. The men were quiet. She kept her attention ahead or on Alf or on their combined hands. She could feel the men watching them. She could feel the intensity of the situation like a different kind of itch at the back of her neck. Alf's hip was touching hers and it was warm and right and wonderful.

Prisha cleared her throat. 'Do you have some water?' The man in the passenger seat handed her over a bottle. 'Where are you taking us?'

'Back from where you left.'

'And where exactly is that?'

'That's confidential.'

Prisha looked at Alf. His hood was pulled over his face but Prisha could see his gleaming red eye. She leaned in close to his ear. She felt the men in black stiffen.

'How does this work, Alf? Can they understand me if I speak with you?'

Alf slowly shook his head. 'Look into my artificial eye when you speak with me, that is all. It helps orientate your chip.'

Prisha was about to reach up and touch the back of her neck but stopped herself.

'Aren't you afraid?' She glanced at Ralph, who was watching them closely, curiously, fascinated.

'Remember what I said?'

'I try to remember everything you say.' She smiled. 'What did you say?'

'I told you that your kind could never catch me.'

Prisha frowned. 'But you're caught now.'

Alf's red eye beamed into hers.

'Can you take off your hood? I want to see you.'

He pushed his hood back. He was watching her as Prisha reached out to touch his cheek. His brown eye closed, then opened slowly. His eyelashes were thick and soft. She'd dragged her finger over them once, when they'd been lying intertwined on the floor of the ship.

'I'm afraid,' she said. 'I don't want to lose you. Not again. It was very hard when you left.' She bit down on her trembling lip.

'I am sorry.'

Prisha's throat was thick as she swallowed. 'But you're here now. I thought you couldn't ...'

'There are complications now.' His eyes fell to her belly.

'Is that all you came back for?'

'No.'

'You said you wouldn't.'

'You are in danger here.'

Prisha frowned. 'How could you know that?' She felt a rush of fear. Again, she wondered if the chip allowed him to somehow read her mind.

'Your location. Your biochemistry.'

'It can do all that?'

He nodded.

'And when you got me, what were you going to do with me?'

'Take you away.'

Prisha quickly looked down into her lap as she blinked rapidly. 'That—that sounds good.'