Page 36 of Operation Iron Heart

“Who, me?” She looked up at him with doubt on her face. “I haven’t done anything to be proud of.”

“Yes, you have,” Jack corrected her. “You persuaded MacIntyre to let you into his sanctuary. None of us has ever managed that. You’ve done humanity a historic service.”

“We’re not done yet, and my actions haven’t yet had an impact you could call historic,” she replied, doubt still in her voice as she took a quick gulp of champagne. “I think there’s something fishy going on; it’s all been too easy, and Rochelle’s murderer still hasn’t been found. If it was MacIntyre himself, we need to be doubly careful.”

“I won’t let anything happen to you,” Jack reassured her with a fierce expression. “Just like I wouldn’t have allowed you to go for lunch with MacIntyre alone. It’s good that you automatically invited me along, too.”

“I’d never go anywhere without you.” She smiled faintly but looked at him directly, making it clear that her words were an invitation. Without saying anything, he put his glass down and Marci moaned as he grabbed her like an animal catching its prey, removing her trouser suit with impressive speed. His suit and the rest of his clothing followed in a flash. Thirty seconds later, they were fully naked in the bubbling warm water of the hot tub, with Marci on Jack’s lap with her legs apart, and Jack’s member buried fully inside her. At that moment, it was the best distraction she could have imagined and he kissed her as if there were no tomorrow – and it was a distinct possibility that there wouldn’t be – and both of them were very aware of it. Maybe it was for that reason that they had sex as if it were for the last time in their lives. After a series of multiple orgasms, Marci slid off Jack and, completely exhausted, sat in the water next to him with her legs stretched out and her hand on her lower belly, calming the tremors that still rippled through her. Her other hand was on Jack, whose expression clearly reflected the happiness he felt at them being together. He noticed her observing him thoughtfully, pulled her closer to him and looked at her intently.

“I love you more than my life,” he declared solemnly, “and I would love to be with you. I mean, not just occasionally, but forever. And I want you to know that.”

Marci listened wide-eyed to his declaration but didn’t respond. Maybe, he thought, she hadn’t understood what he wanted to say, so he tried another tack. “When all this is finished and we’re back in Hunters Lane, could you imagine that…?” He paused, seeing her wrinkle her forehead. Only slightly, but it told him her answer.

“Jack, I…” she began, feeling helpless and not knowing how to reply. Yes – she had an idea what he wanted and she was utterly fascinated by this man who was actually a robot, but she didn’t know whether she was ready for more. Whether it would be right to start a relationship with him. Not just because she would grow old and die and he never would, but also because she didn’t know whether it would be fair to him if she was always comparing him to Will. And that would happen, she was almost certain of it. “You are compassionate, generous, sexy and an amazing protector. You look amazing, you’re a fantastic lover and are brilliant with my boys. The fact that you’re fighting for a good cause and putting your robot life on the line makes you all the more desirable. But I’ve only just lost Will. I can’t…” She gave a heavy sigh.

“It’s OK,” he whispered against her beautiful mouth, still swollen from their kisses. “You don’t have to give me an answer. I just wanted to say it in case I don’t get another chance.”

He didn’t let his disappointment show when she didn’t respond further to his avowal of love and declaration that he wanted to be with her forever.

“What do you mean, in case you don’t get another chance?” she asked in shock.

“Forget it,” he replied hurriedly, “it was a stupid thing to say.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “You think we might get caught out if we go through with this meeting with MacIntyre. Am I right?”

“Not we,” he replied. “Me, maybe. I said I won’t allow anything to happen to you.”

Marci put her arms around his neck, cuddled up to his chest and kissed him gently. “Even if I can’t give you what you might want yet,” she whispered, “you should know that after my children, you are the most important person in my life.”

“Person?” he asked, looking at her in disbelief.

“Yes,” she whispered. “Person. Whatever other people think, you’re not a robot to me.”

“Oh, Marci,” stammered Jack, overwhelmed by her words and holding her tight. “That’s the best compliment you could ever have paid me.”

“It’s not a compliment,” she corrected him, her eyes twinkling. “It’s the truth.”

Jack chuckled and hugged her again. “You are the most remarkable woman I have ever met. And that will never change, however long I have to wait for you. Now, it’s time to get out of this water. Our lunch meeting is in one hour.”

Chapter 6 – The Killing Fields

Chicago, October 2056

When Marci emerged sometime later from the automatic dressing room with flawless make-up, smoky eyes, blood-red lips, and her red hair immaculately styled, Jack’s heart skipped a beat. “Wow!” The word burst from his lips. “MacIntyre is in for a surprise.”

“Do you really think he’s as easily impressed as you are?” She turned to him, laughing, as Jack handed her a snow-white trouser suit cut almost down to her navel. Instead of high heels, she’d chosen white, flat sandals as she felt safer in them, but it did make her feel tiny against Jack as she only reached up to his chest. She looked at him coyly. “You’re not looking too bad yourself.”

He wore the same suit he’d previously had on. It emphasised his broad shoulders, but he’d switched his black shirt for a snug-fitting green one that matched his eyes and clung to the muscles of his impressive six-pack. In a world in which appearance was everything, Jeanette had not skimped on anything that would help make them look as impressive as possible. “We need to go.” Jack held his hand out to Marci and felt her tremble with anxiety. “You don’t need to worry,” he reassured her in his deep, almost hypnotic voice and kissed her before they stepped outside. “You managed your first meeting with MacIntyre brilliantly. You can do it again. We’ve nearly made it into his sinister empire. It would be fatal to give up now when we’re so close to achieving our aim.”

“I’m not considering giving up.” Resolutely, she followed him into the lift and held his hand tightly, as if to reassure herself of his presence. As they left the lift and made their way to the hangar, she released his hand; now they were outside, he was nothing more than her chauffeur and bodyguard.

He’d contacted the hotel and confirmed their departure, so their silver speed glider was already waiting for them in the bright sunlight on the landing platform, two hundred metres above the ground.

“What if MacIntyre doesn’t let you into his inner sanctum?” Marci asked abruptly once the automatic system had buckled her into her seat. “I mean, if he objects to your presence when we’re eating?”

“I’ll worry about that if it happens.” Receiving permission to take off, Jack used his thoughts to access the glider’s holographic controls and it rose smoothly into the air. He smiled encouragingly at Marci, remembering that she was scared of flying. “Let’s get through lunch first and go from there.”

Marci dug her red fingernails into the seat as the glider made a sudden turn shortly after take-off and joined a precisely calculated route that was being followed by numerous other gliders. The rapid acceleration pushed Marci back into the white upholstery as the glider headed towards the harbour and its mass of towering skyscrapers. She never thought she’d be flying over Chicago in a glider, never mind going out for an expensive lunch. She and Will would never have been able to afford something like that; they’d either walked everywhere or used cheap taxis that usually stayed on the ground.