Stevie nodded. “Well, my father never forgot it. I knew I should probably go to the U.S. to find him, so I contacted your State Department and said I wanted to come to your country with my new project. But I had one condition: I would only come if Adam Lynch accompanied me.”
Lynch nodded. “I was already due to go to Denmark on assignment, but when I got the message I canceled out and left Washington to come here with only an hour’s notice,” he said. “Very few people in our government knew about it.” He shook his head. “But still someone tipped off Korkil. They ambushed me when I was on my way to meet Stevie at an old mining town about twenty miles south of here.” His lips tightened. “Stevie was right not to trust just anyone in her government or ours.Korkil’s interrogator was very inventive and determined when they held me in that abandoned gas station for three days, questioning me and trying to find her.”
“Instead,” Stevie said, grinning, “I foundhim.”
“Yes, you did.” He grinned back at her. “And I’ll be forever grateful to you and Archie.”
Friendship.
Watching them together, Kendra could see the bond that had been forged. Naturally this young girl would be attracted by the strength and intelligence of Lynch, and Lynch’s protective instincts would have been at high mast when he’d found out what she was up against.
For a moment Kendra felt a bit wistful and envious, remembering the bond between Lynch and herself during these last years.
Yet at the same time she was sympathetic to this young genius who was only trying to make a decent life for herself under terrible handicaps.
She impulsively got to her feet, crossed the room to Stevie, and gave her a quick hug. “Well, I’m glad that the two of you managed to get together. There’s isn’t much left of that gas station or the guards. But I’m sure it didn’t take Korkil long to bring in reinforcements.”
Stevie looked a little startled at the gesture. But she recovered quickly and tried to smile. “Thank you. That’s very kind of you. I’m afraid I’m not accustomed to having strangers being interested in what happens to me, so I’m a bit awkward. My father taught me I should always be independent.”
“It’s a fine philosophy, I definitely approve,” Kendra said.
“I can vouch for that,” Lynch murmured.
She deliberately ignored him. “But accepting good wishes won’t damage you too much. There’s usually a middle ground.”
Jessie laughed. “Don’t listen to either of them, Stevie. You appear to be doing pretty well going your own path. I admire the way you and Archie here took care of blowing your way through those thugs holding Lynch.” Then she added, “Though it’s true that the countryside is still crawling with more of them.” She thought for a moment. “But we might have some reinforcements of our own.”
“Who?” Lynch asked.
“Just some friends of Jake Brice.”
Stevie’s jaw dropped. “The movie star?”
“One and the same,” Jessie said. “He’s a—friend.”
Stevie’s eyes lit up. “Cool. I had his poster up in my room when I was seven or eight. But I outgrew him.”
Jessie obviously enjoyed this. “It would make him so sad to hear that. If you happen to meet Brice after we leave here, you must remember to tell him.”
“We can’t leave,” Lynch said. “Not yet. I made a promise to Stevie. I said we’d try to find her father first.”
“Is that what you’ve been doing here?” Kendra said.
“We’ve just gotten started,” Lynch said. “Mostly it’s been about staying alive and keeping an eye out for what hell-raising Korkil and his crew have been up to. Plus exploring the talents and potential of Archie. That’s been fairly high on my list. His performance at that gas station impressed me enormously.”
“Potential?” Stevie repeated the word sourly. “I don’t like to even think about that concept when I don’t have to. That’s all Korkil wants him for, and it makes me angry every time I thinkabout the kind of monster he wants to turn him into. He has a potential for good and wonderful things, too.”
“I know he does,” Lynch said gently. “And I hope that we get a chance to learn about all those wonderful things. But it wasn’t that particular potential that helped me get away from Korkil before he could slit my throat. I think it’s best to concentrate first on developing Archie’s defensive mechanisms that might keep us all alive so that we can find your father and enjoy a bright and prosperous future. That means we can also teach him and keep him in top shape for the future you’re planning. Does that make sense to you?”
Stevie scowled. “You know it does. You’re a very clever man, Lynch. Now stop manipulating me. I suppose I have to get busy and make sure Archie is operating at top capacity.” She turned and examined the robot’s right arm joint. “I’ve been fine-tuning Archie while you’ve been gone. He did well when we were extracting you, but I didn’t design him for battle. I could have equipped him with flamethrowers and all kinds of gear, but he wasn’t constructed for that.”
“So what did he do to help you free Lynch?” Jessie asked.
Lynch looked admiringly at Archie. “What didn’t he do? For something that wasn’t designed for battle, he sure knows how to throw a punch.”
“His armor plating is pretty much bulletproof.” Stevie tapped the smooth silver surface. “I prioritized my and Lynch’s safety, so he did what he needed to do to keep us safe. Anyone who pointed a weapon anywhere near us immediately had it taken away from them.”
Lynch chuckled. “Tell the truth, Stevie. A couple of those men had entire limbs taken from them.”
