One minute it was like she wasn't even there, and the next I was jumping on my chair with a woman breathing down my neck, snooping around my screen.
"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you." She apologized, to my surprise.
As she retreated a step, I managed to swallow my heart that was up to my throat.
"I have my ways, Officer." I fixed myself on the chair and went back to opening more devices.
"Why do you say Officer like that?"
"Like what, Officer?"
"Like you wish I would drop dead…"
Again I was caught off guard. On my neck, I felt her eyes. I was hesitant to face her, didn't want to know what look she had on. Her bluntness seemed to break into my defenses very easily.
"Force of habit."
Having her hovering over my screen wasn't ideal, she had seen enough. I shut everything off and stood up to go to the kitchen, the furthest I could go from her. Still, her eyes didn't leave my neck even for a second.
"You can call me Sun…" she paused, and her tone changed to a more serious one. "If you want."
Opening the fridge, the light reminded us we had been in the dark for a while. I was always more comfortable in the darkness, and I was glad it was there to mask my awkwardness.
She didn't seem to mind it either. The mix of the pink and blue neon lights that escaped from my server, a small box on my desk, gave her a mysterious aura.
Holding a cold Yakut in my hand, I noticed I was feeling calmer. Heartbeat had slowed down, breathing back to normal, no gunshots heard for a while. Finally, I was getting used to the mood and the Officer's presence.
"Would you like something to drink, Officer Sun?" This time I corrected my tone so it wouldn't sound as bitchy.
"Points for the effort." I saw her try to hold a side smile. "And ye…"
Mid-phrase she stopped. Her eyes glowed in a light shade of blue. She was receiving a private call.
Command probably wanted updates on the operation. Outside everything was quiet like a ghost town, they must have retreated back to the city since the mission failed.
"Yes, sir." That was all she said repeatedly.
The glow of her eyes faded, and she looked at me with her cop expression.
"I need to go back to the city…"
Immediately Officer Sun started walking towards the door, ready to leave like nothing had happened.
"That's not a good idea, you know that." I said, and she turned her back to the door to face me.
"If they find me here, I'll be putting you in danger."
"If you leave now in the middle of the rain, alone, dressed like that." Her green eyes were so real it burned my skin, making me look away. "You'll die without even realizing it."
"I know that."
Examining her clothes, her uniform was a special operation armour with a chip attached to the back of her neck that expanded into a helmet. Bulletproof, with gas and oxygen mask integrated, definitely top-notch nanotechnology.
Her clothes were far from the casual ones she had on the first time we met. This time it was a lighter, more agile version of the Force armour. The common one made the agents wearing it resemble humanoid robots.
All she had on was a tight black fabric that covered all her body up to her neck, leaving only the tip of her fingers out. The fabric was also nanotech; it absorbed impact, protecting the integrity of the host. On her torso she had a Force vest with many pockets to store bullets and grenades, plus other equipment. On her feet she wore matching tall boots with protection on the knees. They looked loud and heavy, but the material was cushioned and completely silent.
It was a special tactics armour. Only the elite agents had one of those, and there weren't a lot of them.
"Tell them you can't leave your position without being targeted. To protect your identity, you have to stay hidden in a safe location you found."
Her eyes dived deeper into mine, frowning her eyebrows in the meantime. I could tell she was reflecting on the idea, checking if it would work.
I just stood there waiting for her to realize I was right.
"They'll want to know my location…"
"They already have it." I finally tasted my sweet Yakut that was freezing my hand all along.
Every police armour had a tracker. From the moment she put that suit on, the command office knew everything about her, even her heartbeat.
"Command, come in."
While she made the call, we didn't move. It was like she needed me there so the plan would work.
When I took the final sip, they responded, and she explained the situation and how she got to it. Didn't take long. All information she gave regarding her location was very superficial, probably to protect me.
"They bought it."
"Good for you. Now take it all off." I said, pointing to the uniform.
"Hold on, tiger!" She raised her hands in the barrier between me and her. "This is strictly professional." Her left eyebrow was raised at me.
With an honest scoff, I shook my head before looking at her again. Who would've imagined, Officer Abrom had a sense of humour.
"Whatever you say, Officer."
Lowering her brow in a truce, the woman opened her vest and slid it off, revealing the black under-suit so tight all her curves became visible. The pink hazy light from my desk just accentuated them even more, making me tempted for a second.
Not to stare more than necessary, I turned away to get her a Yakut from the fridge and heard her put down the vest.
In my heart, I had no idea how to proceed now that she would actually spend the night.
Anxiety throbbed on my temples as I closed my eyes to think things through.
"Is there somewhere I can clean up? I need to wash my hands and face because of the rain…"
Standing there unarmed and armour-free, Officer Sun looked like a completely different person. As if the police gear was a disguise, she looked more human without it. I couldn't help but check her out… again, though I quickly composed myself to attend to her request.
"You can use my shower if you want. I have some clean clothes too."
"Thank you."
With a thought, I turned the lights on, and the room sank in the neon blue ocean mixed with pink and yellow colors that illuminate my trophy shelf.
As I went from one corner to another, I tried to pick up the bottles and plates that were laying around, but it was too late. She could tell I was a lazy bastard.
My bathroom is as small as a bathroom can be. The space was calculated for one person to stand under the shower with very limited moves. I showed her how to use everything and handed the pile of clothes—sweatpants and a hoodie—all of which were too big for her.
We didn't chat much after. I made us some sandwiches, she had her Yakut, and it was time for bed.
"You can have the bed. I changed the sheets while you were in the shower."
"And where will you sleep?"
"I won't. I have some work to do." I ran my hand through my hair in an involuntary act.
"You look so different with your hair down."
The woman managed to make me embarrassed so easily with her sincerity.
"Well, so do you, Officer PJ."
Her hair was loose, falling to the side, creating a contrast with my pale blue hoodie. Seeing her in my clothes was strange. They looked so much better on her.
As she laid down on my bed, pulling the covers up to her ears, I could finally relax my posture.
She kept me on my toes all night. Even if I wanted to, I wouldn't be able to sleep. Keeping an eye on her and finding out the details about this police invasion were my priorities that night.