A flash of gray was detected on my visual systems. “Boss?” I questioned, a tiny bit of relief filling my frame at the thought that I had found one of my missing cyborgs.
“Don’t call me that!” The words were growled from somewhere behind the tree-line.
“That’s Reaper all right.” Torque laughed on the line.
Reaper came into view, his frame swaying slightly and he reached out to grab a tree to steady himself.
I raced to his side, tossing an arm around his shoulder and my other around his waist. “Hold on to me, Reaper. I got you.”
His blue eyes flashed in annoyance, but he grabbed on to my frame. That alone spoke volumes. Military Models were stubborn sons of bitches. They almost never asked for help or took it when it was offered. “What happened?” I moved him away from the tree, taking him back in the direction of headquarters. Torque had gone silent, knowing when to shut up.
“Dax,” Reaper growled.
“Dax? Where is he? Is he okay?” I twisted my head in the direction Reaper had come from looking for any sign of the Science Model.
An artificial vein in Reaper’s neck throbbed as his free hand curled into a fist. “He’s gone.”
“Gone?” Torque shouted through the comm line, beating me to the punch. “I’ll get a team ready. No one takes one of ours and gets away with it!” A low growl echoed over the transmission line.
“No one took him,” Reaper roared. “He fucking left! He left, do you hear me! And that was after he shut down my processors leaving me alone and defenseless!”
“What?” Torque’s voice broke.
The words slammed into my circuits and I stumbled, almost sending us to the ground. “No,” I shook my head. “He wouldn’t. Not Dax.” Disbelief swirled within my processors. My chest drew tight. “Why?” I struggled to regulate my breathing. “Why would he do that?”
“For a female! I found them together in the woods. I ordered him to hand her over and he refused, guarding her with his frame. He betrayed the cyborg rebellion for afuckingfemale.” Reaper’s frame bristled with rage. “Torque, gather everyone in the common room. We have a Science Model to hunt.”
“Done. Torque out.” The comm went dead.
“Fuck. Shit’s hit the fan again, hasn’t it, boss?”
The only reply I got was another growl.
Chapter Six
*Poe*
Iwas going to diea painful, horrible death at the hands of Reaper,my mind informed me. I risked a glance at Dax, noticing the way the corners of his lips were turned up, a hint of a smile playing on his dark green lips. I sighed.Totally worth it.
“Come on, let’s get inside.” On a whim, I held out my hand and a thrill raced through me when Dax took it. Maybe it should have felt awkward, but it didn’t. Holding hands with the Science Model felt natural. Like we had been doing it for years, not seconds. I could blame the way I was feeling on the fact that I had studied and stared at images of Dax for years. Dax had grown to be a friend, someone I told my secrets to, because his image file would never betray my confidence.
I started at his hand in mine as we walked towards the cabin and wondered how it felt for him. Had he taken it simply because I had offered it? I wanted to ask, but my courage abandoned me. I couldn’t get attached. I would bring him back and face my fate. I had started this. I would finish it. Two days. That’s all the time I had to enjoy with Dax.
Two days to memorize every moment.