"Boss-Mac. I thought you'd be gone for a while." The man next to her chair jumped.
"I can see that." She heard a deep voice.
A tall, beautifully muscled male came into view a second later. He was like a hero out of a book. He walked in as if he owned everything and everyone around him. She sighed dreamily. His red hair was the color of flames. He stepped in front of her with a quick, confident stride. Karma had to tip her head all the way back to take in all of him. There was a sexual allure about him that made her think of dirty fantasies.
Karma floated. If she didn't know better, she would've said she'd been up all night drinking. Her tongue passed over her dry lips. She needed water.
Trying to gather her thoughts, she realized they were scattered. What was she doing here? Why was she tied up? Who was this sexy man?
Karma was thinking about Red Hair naked. Hot nights, soft sheets, and the smell of sex in the air. She needed to think about a different topic. Her eyes squeezed shut. She was supposed to do something by 1:05 a.m. The time was important. What did she need to do?
Karma worked to pry her eyes open and demand an explanation. She struggled to lift her eyelids all the way. Only a slit of light came through. Maybe her one eye was swelling shut. Now that she wanted to pay attention, it was all too much work. Inside of her was the demand to rest. Maybe she'd been tired of all this for a long time now. Whatever this was, she wanted no part of it. All she wanted was a bed with Red Hair. Sleep, skin, and warm blankets.
When she finally pried her eyes open, she saw another guy next to Red Hair. When had he come in? This guy was skinny with glasses too large for his face. Red Hair and Mr. Glasses were watching the man in front of her. The other guy was zipping up his pants. There was an uncomfortable silence. She needed to get her head together. If she got untied, then she could get to the greenhouse and… plant flowers? Karma listed all the things people did in a greenhouse. None of them seemed pressing. Why did the time keep popping up in her head? What happened at 1:05 a.m.?
"What were you planning to do to her?" Red Hair acted like this was the most boring topic ever, but on some level, Karma thought he might be seeing something no one else could see.
"Nothing. Honest, Boss-Mac."
"You're lying. Was Charlie planning to have sex with her as well?" Again, Red Hair spoke like he didn't care, but in her gut, she knew he did. There was a weird element to the way he talked. His voice was as cold as surface ice.
"It was all Charlie. He got some stuff to knock her out, but she head-butted him and knocked him out cold. I wasn't doing anything here. 'Sides, she's a killer, so it doesn't matter what we do with her."
The Boss-Mac, as Josh called him, curled his lip in disgust. Karma could tell Red Hair didn't like what Josh had to say in defense of his actions.
Red Hair motioned to Charlie on the floor.
"Gears, take a look at Charlie. Is he out?"
Mr. Glasses, who was apparently named Gears, did as he was asked. He knelt, checked over Charlie, and then nodded to Boss-Mac.
"He's out but alive," Gears announced as he stood.
After he'd straightened, Gears came closer to her. She thought she should make some grand action to fight him. He was an enemy, right? The more she thought about it, the more nothing came to her. Maybe they were her friends. Gears flashed a light in her eyes from a small penlight that he produced from his pocket.
"What do you think, Gears?" Red Hair asked.
"She's not unconscious, and these cuts are new," Gears replied.
"I can't believe how dumb you are, Josh." Red Hair turned to Josh. "This assassin was probably waiting for you to cut her loose so she could make her move." Red Hair paused. He ran his hand through his hair. "You know our policies on this base. You knew the rules when you signed on with my father. I'm sick of this. I'm done with both of you. You and Charlie get off my base."
"But, Boss-Mac, I didn't do nothing, really," Josh pointed at her.
"I don't trust you. You and Charlie will be escorted off the base as soon as you collect your personal items."
"But your dad said—"
"I know you were both hired by my father, but I don't care what he said. You won't live on my water bases." Red Hair sounded final. Karma didn't think there was any way he would change his mind.
"I didn't barely touch her," Josh argued. "She's still wearing underwear."
Karma looked to her lap. What he said was true, but Red Hair looked unconvinced. His voice was as tough as concrete.
"If you were willing to do this kind of shit to anyone for any reason, you can't stay here, and I'll not recommend you for any other base either. Get out of my sight."
Red Hair took out a handheld device that looked like a cross between a cell phone and radio. He kept his eyes on Josh and muttered into the speaker. Gears stood to her right. He stared at her like she might do a trick. She wasn't in the mood to do cartwheels.
"What do you mean Ken is coming to my location now? I thought he was testing a new weapon."
Karma couldn't hear what the person on the other end of the radio responded, but from the look on Red Hair's face, he didn't like the conversation.
"He doesn't know where I am," Red Hair barked into the speaker.
As she glanced around, she realized Josh was pissed. He glared at her like something was her fault. A muffled response could be heard on the radio. Red Hair spoke again.
"When you see him, tell him to get to room one-eleven now. I have a couple of ex-soldiers I need to have thrown out immediately."
Karma got the idea that no one around her was happy with the situation. She couldn't remember why. Everything was hazy. The weight of Josh's eyes made her squirm. Gears looked upset. He played with his glasses. Everything appeared like it was moving in slow motion. Her right eye was almost completely swollen shut. The swelling made it hard for her to see much of the room. Both of her eyes refused to open all the way.
Right as she was about to comment, there was a loud thud behind her. It sounded exactly like a door had been thrown open.
"There you are, Ken. I need—" Red Hair didn't get the last of his words out. Since everything was in slow motion, she watched through a fog as a huge man lunged at Josh. She didn't recognize the man. Because her eye was swollen shut, he was merely a blur. Red Hair and Gears rushed past her. Together they shoved Josh and the stranger apart.
Karma closed her eyes for what she thought was only a second, but when she opened them again, the scene had changed. Gears and the stranger were out of her sight. In front of her were only Red Hair and Josh.
"Put the gun down, Ken. I handled it." Red Hair stepped to the right of her chair.
As soon as Red Hair turned his back, Karma got a clear look at Josh. He came up directly behind Red Hair with a knife raised. The blade was aimed at the center of Red Hair's back.
"Behind you!" she called automatically. Her arms stiffened against the ropes in her response to save him. He turned just in time.
Red Hair knocked the knife out of Josh's hand. The blade hit the floor. He swung one fist forward while using his other hand to block. The crunch of bone hitting bone filled the air. Blood spurted out of Josh's nose. A crimson stream ran down his lips. He stumbled backward. Red Hair knocked the other man out, and he crumpled to the floor.
As soon as the altercation was over, Red Hair barked out orders to tie up both men.
"Ken, you need to calm down. Take a walk." Red Hair removed a rope from one of the drawers in the metal cabinet. He tossed a length to Gears. The two of them tied up the unconscious men on the floor.
All the noise and excitement scared her. Now that the ordeal was over, she shut her eyes as if she could pretend the violence never happened. She wanted no part of this. No more blood. When she opened her eyes again, Gears hovered over her. She felt like a bug under a microscope.
"That was close." Gears eyes went from her to Red Hair. "God was looking out for you."
When Red Hair didn't answer him, he pulled out his flashlight again.
"Not God," Red Hair exhaled.
"Fine, not God. How about this woman was looking out for you, then?" Gears chuckled, but Red Hair's expression turned stony. The sharp angles of his face seemed harder somehow.
"Tied-up assassins don't call out warnings to people who have captured them. What's wrong with her, Gears?"