Project Enterprise (8 page)

“I should have waited, but you looked fine in the moonlight, Ani.” He half reached out to her, stopped. “Meant to wait and ask before I kissed you. If you said yes, I mean.” He stopped, rubbed his face again and looked at her, with lots of sober in it. “You deserve better than what your Pa's given you. You deserve better than me, but I seem to be it. This place, you know people make up their minds fast, because there isn't much time, and your choices are limited. You don't have to decide now, but I'm declaring so you can think about it until we get to Marfa. Figure out what you want. Decide if you want different from what you have.”

Her first proposal.
At least, “You're offering to marry me?” He nodded. So it was her first. Probably her last. He was right, only offer she was likely to get out here or anywhere. She saw her Pa clear enough to know he was not going to do what was best for her, but she hadn't had a choice. Until now. “I'm twenty-eight.” Her chin lifted. Not many men would take on a woman her age, lessen they had kids that needed a Ma.

He didn't look away or flinch. Just nodded like it didn't matter. “I'll deal fairly with you, I give you my word.”

It was sudden, but she'd seen faster courtships wandering around the west, a few after several doses of Pa's elixir. At least he wasn't drunk. Out here, she'd had to learn to judge fast, and hopefully judge fair. See real, as her Ma had said. Hard to know if she saw him as he was, with her heart pounding, no way to know unless she took a chance. She could continue with her Pa, with how things were, continue going nowhere until Pa passed and she had nothing or she could take a chance. Almost like his name was the answer.
Take a Chance.

“Your word's fine.” She swallowed dry, wishing she'd had time to drink some water, too, so she'd sound less scared. “I'd be pleased to accept.” The moment the words were out, she wanted to call them back—and then he smiled, some tenderness in it, and she didn't want to call them back. She wanted another kiss, though she held out her hand to shake on what felt like a bargain.

He took the hand, leaned close, his mouth briefly touching hers. Too briefly. Maybe she looked disappointed. “Better not kiss too much until we tie the knot. You're a serious temptation, Ani. I'm grateful for your trust. Wouldn't want to abuse it.”

A temptation?
The words were fine, the way he said them better than fine.

“I'll ask your Pa when we get back. Like to do it when we get to Marfa, if that's acceptable.”

“No reason to wait.”

His eyes glittered out of the dark, and she knew, though she didn't know how, that he wanted her. Not that she was clear on what that meant, without a Ma to explain things, but she felt it coming from him. Neither had had time to fall in love, and maybe they never would, but wanting was, she hoped, the prelude to being friends at least. She could use a friend, especially one who thought she deserved better.

Off to their right, the ghost lights flashed, or maybe it was a storm starting up in the distance. The ghost lights didn't usually flash like that. The air crackled like a storm, but out here that didn't always mean rain was coming. Sometimes the lightning came without the rain, as if taunting them with the promise of water it had no intention of delivering. If there was rain, could make the washes at risk of flash flooding. They should probably move out of this draw. Another surge of something, something new in the air made Chance stiffen like the horses when a coyote was near. Lightning flashed, close and bright enough to blind her for a few seconds and when she could see again, she saw something on the rise, something that hadn't been there before, something that gleamed like metal and had two red circles where eyes might be.

“What's that?” She shifted closer to Chance, as unease made a cold path down her back.

He turned—felt like he turned to stone next to her. “It's an automaton.”

C
hance stared at the automaton
, as his focus shifted from romance to defense in the space between one breath and another. Not for the first time, he missed his ray-based weapon. It could be taken down with his Colt .45, if all six shots hit their mark—tough to do in this light—and that assumed it was alone. He'd have to let it get closer, though it was odd it hadn't moved. Maybe it hadn't seen them yet. Had to have been a reality shift. Not just the 'ton had changed. The moon was lower and the temperature was higher.

He needed to get Ani safe, but how? He couldn't send her back to her Pa. He might not be where they left him, if he existed in this reality. He looked down toward the valley. The ghost lights had settled some, and twinkling in the distance were fixed lights that had to be Marfa. Once she got clear of the foothills, it was a straight, fairly easy ride across the desert. She could be there by morning.

He bent and grabbed her cap—she'd need it when the sun rose—pulled out a roll of money and shoved both into her hands.

“Chance—” She began, though she had sense enough to keep her voice down.

Before she could finish, he lifted her onto Delphine's back, handed her the reins. “That's our stake, Ani. Keep it safe until I come. Ride for Marfa.”

“My Pa—”

“We're not where we were. The lights, they did something to time. He could be anywhere. Ride for Marfa. Check into the Paisano Hotel.” If it existed in this reality. “I'll follow you there when I'm sure its safe.”
If I can.

Maybe she sensed the qualifier, maybe that's what distracted her from the rest of what he'd said. When she had time to consider it, what would she make of it?

“I've been more boy than girl. I can help.”

The words warmed him. “This creature isn't something you should mess with. Ride to safety. Do this for me, please.” He had to be honest. “If I don't come in a couple of days use the money to go home. To live your life. Let your Pa live his. Just…live. Be happy.” He pulled her down, pressed a hard kiss on her mouth, then stepped back. He glanced back, but the 'ton hadn't moved. He almost straddled his horse to go with her, but if it were after him, he'd suck her into his nightmare. He had to be sure this wasn't about him. “Trust me.”

After a pause, she nodded, though with obvious reluctance. “Make sure you come. I'd like fine to be your wife, Chance.” She stuffed the money down her shirt, pulled on her cap, turned herself and her mount in the direction of Marfa, and kicked her horse away from the 'ton, toward the valley. Too soon the darkness swallowed the sight of her. He secured his horse, close to water and food, then turned back to the 'ton, from the temptation to ride after her. He would follow her when it was safe or die here. He was not going back into hell. It hadn't moved, though the eyes still glowed red. The ghost lights were quiet, too. No way to know if the pulsing was regular or not, or what would happen to him, to Ani, if they pulsed again. He shifted sideways, moving at an angle from the 'ton, trying to feel a change coming or sense this reality going unstable, a skill he'd learned passing through a bunch of them, as he scrambled over the tumble of rocks around the
tinaja.
If the 'ton had motion sensing capability, it wasn't working.

He clambered over the last fall of rock, then ghosted down the small wash, choosing an angle that would bring him behind the automaton at what he hoped was a safe distance. It stood in full moonlight on the rise, so he'd know if it moved—Chance stopped. Something odd about its head. Curious, he eased closer, pausing at intervals in case it reacted—the back of the automaton's head was open, a tangle of wires trailing out the opening.

What the—he climbed up on a tumble of rocks next to it, coming at it from the side just in time to see the eyes pulse bright, fade, pulse again, then fade to dark. He moved in, walked around it, still careful, but almost certain it was disabled. Questions swirled in his head, but did he care about the how and why? He could follow Ani—his thoughts fragmented again.

An airship
.

Silent like the automaton, not even a hiss of steam coming from it, it squatted on the trail they'd passed on their way to the
tinaja
. He frowned. Airships existed in many realities, but as far as he knew, automatons existed only in one place—and in fiction. If trouble was incoming from his past—well his past was actually his future—he didn't want to lead it to Ani. The deep silence made his senses twitch with all kinds of warnings he knew better than to ignore.

Soundless, Colt .45 ready, he approached the silent airship, circled it twice before slipping aboard. He paused at the prow to process the quiet, letting his instincts lead. The envelope creaked as a small breeze whispered the length, but nothing else broke the silence. So why did he sense he wasn't alone?

Could be getting paranoid, though he had good reasons for it.

He used the engine house to cover his back as he drifted along the length. It wasn't exactly like the others he'd seen. This one was longer, seemed to have some seating—the feel of a cold barrel against the back of his head confirmed his gut, though he'd have preferred to find out he was right from the other end of the weapon.

A
ni spent
the first hour of the ride trying hard not to think about what she'd seen, what Chance had said. But as the moon climbed—again—not thinking got harder and harder to manage.

We're not where we were. The lights, they did something to time.

She'd write him off as crazy, but for the moon. And the feel of the night air, it was different from how it had been when they left the camp. And that thing. And the way it had felt before things…changed.

Could be dreaming, which would be a pity, cause then she wouldn't have her first ever proposal. Or the faint hope of an actual wedding. She touched her chest, where she'd shoved the bills into the corset that helped flatten her chest. The thought of it did help—if it were real. It felt real. Could she dream—or even imagine a kiss like that? Warmed her up nice even now, just thinking about that kiss. Course, thinking about that thing killed warm. If she was dreaming, it was a powerful clear dream. Didn't seem to be waking up if she were asleep.

Should probably worry more about Pa, but he hadn't exactly put himself out for her. He'd sent her off into the night with Chance and then most likely gone to sleep—after imbibing some of his elixir for his aches and pains. She'd wait the couple of days for Chance, but if he didn't show, if he couldn't show, she'd take the chance he'd offered and take the train east. Pa might waste a few days looking for her, but then he'd make his way to Marfa. She'd want to be gone before he got there. Be better for her if his “son” was lost in the desert.

Instead of the hotel, she'd go to Angelica. She'd been kind to them last year, might even suspect Ani was a girl. Could help her get some proper clothes. Pa'd never suspect that. Angelica could take a note to the hotel for Chance, tell him where to find her. Or her Roberto could. They both worked at the hotel, though Roberto dreamed of working for the railroad. He did like steam engines and such. Be easy for either of them to leave the note in a way that no one would know where it came from, just in case Pa got the notion to ask a few questions. Was it wrong to hope Chance did come? Cause she did, she hoped something fierce.

Hope.
Been a long time since she'd felt it.