hehydrajewasdeckedouexaclyascaldwellhadimaginedherewasmorerealleaherfurniurehancaldwellhadseeninhislifeimeherewereplushleahersofas,recliners,amassagechair,hreedeskswihswivelchairs,abookcasefullofimporanlookingleaherboundbooksandargepsmavscreenevenhebarsoolswerecoveredinrealialianleaherabankoferminalslinkedocyberspaceviaheaircraf’sonboardsaelliesysemblinkedoonesideofhemainareaofheaircrafafullyimmersivevrsuihunglimplyinsideagsscabi

assoonasheyseppedaboard,mslevindisappearedinooneofwodoorsleadingohebackofhepneargeredsignabovehedoorreadresriced:auhorizedpersonnelonlycaldwellhoughhewasflyingloboomyair,couresyofhydra,heprideofheunionhewoagensseledheirframesinoneofheplushialianleahersofasandflippedonhepsmaagenjonesopenedaparmeninhesofa’sarmresandpulledouwopairsofvrglovesheysaredpyingaholographicvideogame,ducking,weaving,jabbingandpunchingheairhewofiveinchholographicboxersprojecedonoheopofagsscoffeeablefollowedheireverymoveinrealimeheyweremachomuscleboysmassagingheirpaheicegos

“youwodon’haveanyhingbeerodohanpyvideogames?”caldwelskedhehoughiwasareasonablequesioninhecircumsancesbuheygredahimandhenreurnedoheirboxingmachcaldwellsainoneofheswivelchairsandwachedagenjones’boxerpinagenjackman’sboxeragainsheholographicropesohesoundofabellsignalingheendofhefirsroundhewasired,bohmenallyandphysically,buhehoughofheimpendingprocedurekepanynoionsofsleepabayhewachedhewohydraagensremoveheirjackesandies,poisedforhesecondroundheirholographicequivalenssaslumpedinheircornerssuckingwaerhroughsrawsandakingadvicefrominvisiblerainers

caldwellsoodupandopenedoneofhedoorsahefronofheaircraf,heonlyohadidn’sayauhorizedpersonnelonlyorcabincrewonlyandfoundhimselfinasmallerroomwihacoupleofreadmillsandmoreleaherreclinerswashaallhydraagensdid?kickbackandhinkofoldengnd?hemandeeredoneofhereclinersnearargewindowlookingouonherunwayheauomaedfuelruckswerepullingawayandheaircrafwaspreparingoakeoffherewasaknockonhedoorandwoidenicaleurasianwinsinredcabincrewgarbwalkedincaldwellwasn’surewheherhewashallucinaingherewassomehingabouhesewardesses,acerainelepahiccoordinaionhaseemedoallyunreal

“weleonboardmrcaldwellmrfouleraskedusobringyouhissuiochangeinoaferyourprocedurewealsohaveasuicaseofclohingandoheriemshawilleinhandyinhongkong”hissaidinunison,hesoundofheirvoicesingahiminsereooneofhegirlswascarryingagraysuibagwhichshepcedonahangeronwall

“hanks,”caldwellsaidandgawkedahegirlsherewassomehingu

aurabouhewoeurasians,aninenseandvaguelydisurbingarificialbeauy

“youarewele,”heysaid,againinperfecsynchrony

“iamnogoingoboheraskingyournamesiamjusgoingogeconfused,”hesaid

“ha’sagoodideajuscallussiujehenherewon’beanyconfusion”

“soundslikeapndoyouguysalwayssayheexachingahesameime?andwhadoessiujemeananyway?doesn’soundlikeenglish”

“veryfu

y,mrcaldwellweknowyouspeakcanoneseperfeclywellwe’lleandgeyouoncemslevinisreadyforyou”wopairsofpainfullyaracivebrownorienaleyesboreinohim

“yeah,hersurgeryisopenallhours,righ?”

“pardonus,mrcaldwell?”hegirlssaidinunison

“nevermindi’sjusalilejokeandcallmecad,please”

“ifyouinsis,cad,”heyconcededinsereo,rereaingbackwardshroughhegapingdoor

he’dbedamnedifhydrawasn’culuringairhosessesinvashepracicewasnounheardofherewerepcesinialywereyoucouldgeawenyoneyearoldwomancusommadeinsixmonhsnokiddinghosewolookedlikesomehingouoffouler’sfanasiesonlyhewouldhinkofmakinghemeurasian,appealingohemosbasicsereoypesaboubeauyandheniclickedhewoagens,jackmanandjonesheideaofmakingidenicalbckandwhiebodyguardscouldonlybeheresulofadecisionmadeinabhydrawasgrowingisownsaffhawouldexpinheirobsessionwihvideogameslikeka’sobsessionwihmoviesandhewayheyonlyspokewhenspokenohemechanicalwayheydealwihhewojapaneseheiroallyu

auralughinhelimohewayheylookedafoulerwhenhelefhemaheairpor,likehansendgreebandonedinhewoods

caldwelllehecloheoryregressfromhismindandriedoreflecbackoneveryhinghahadhappenedinheswenyfourhoursglyph,hackerownerofhehub,deadkawasbackonheradarandsayinginglyph’srailerhehadparofhismemorybackandinafewminueswouldhavemuchmorehewasslowlyrediscoveringaselfheneverknewbefore,hissynapsesreconfiguringinunimaginableways,slowlyunlockingahiddenpas

heempoofhislifehaddefinielygoneupanochforbeerorworsewasanyone’sguessjusheoherdayhehadbeenonhebrinkofakinghisownlifehehoughabouhesv’svialinhisknapsacknowhewasonaluxurycorporaeaircrafboundforhongkong,hispceofbirhohingwasforsureheevensofheswenyfourhourswereooplexodigesandwerebeslefalooworkhemselvesouinduecoursehewassillpissedoffabouwhafoulerhadlehydradoohim

hesaredousidehewindowasflighengineersfiedhemealslingshosbelowheaircraf’sfusegecaldwellfellikehehadseenhisdonebeforealhough,asfarashecouldrecall,hehadneverbeenonanaircrafbeforeherewasafainrumbleasheenginesfiredup,hesoundgrowinglouderheemporoseunilhefusegesaredoshudderhenoseofhejesaredmovingupwardsandheinsincivelygrippedhearmresofhisseahesoundofwinchesgrinding,henheforceofheslingshossnappingandhehydrajeshosraighinohesky,boundforhongkong

whenheaircrafleveledou,caldwellwalkedbackinohemainrooppearedmslevinwassillinheroomwihresricedaccesshewoagenswereonroundenbohbiologicandholographicboxershadsloweddownconsiderablyhenagenjonesndedanuppercuoagenjackman’svirualjawandhebckagen’sholographicboxerslumpedonohevirualcanvassarefereemaerializedouofnowhere,realisicallydroppedohefloor,orraherhecoffeeable,andbeganocounagenjackman’sboxeravaardownheheavylookedon,willinghehologramogeupbuiwasonoavailagenjones’boywashechampionheybohslumpedsweasoakedinhesofaandsaredahim

agenjoneseasedhisbulkyframeouofhesofa,leavingargedeninheleaher,anddisappearedoffbehindoneofhedoors,musclesripplingagainssweasoakedshir

caldwelldecidediwasgoingobealongflighsohemighaswelppearobefriendly

“firsimeohongkong?”heasked,makingeveryefforosoundcasual

“no,buhesepcesalllookhesameanyway”agenjackmanhadspokeniappearedheyonlysayedsilenwhenheywereogeher

“howdoyouknowifyou’veneverbeen?”caldwellpushed

“lookheremae,hisisgoingobeahreehourripwedon’needanyshifromyouok?”

“iamnogivinganylookwhycan’wealljusgealongdoyouhavefamilyinheunion,”caldwellprobed

abnklookcameoverheman’sfaceandhedidn’sayawordagenjackmansoodupsuddenlyhisfisswereclenchedonhisfacewasaoruredlookhaonlyservedoconfirmcaldwell’siniialsuspicionshesewerevajobswhawashedoingwihanoufihacusombuilpeopleoserveisdarkpurposes?heagen’seyeswenbnkandcaldwellhoughhewasabouoakerevengeforhisboxingdefeaandpoundhiminohefusegeofheaircrafhewassavedbyhebellmslevinpoppedherheadroundheresriceddoor

“wearereadyforyounow,”shesaidcheerily,ashoughhewasmakingarouiripohedeniswe?howmanypeoplewerehereonheaircraf?andhowmanyofhemwerebornhewaynaureinended?

“iamnoinhemoodforaloboomyrighnowcanyougivemeafewmoreminuesoreconsider?”caldwelskedhewasonlyhalfjokinghelookinhereyesoldhimhanowwasheimeandhiswasnonnegoiablecaldwellsoodupnervouslyhewasapprehensiveabouheprocesshawasabouoakepceandwhaiwoulddoohimamildmigrainesaredofshsomewheredeepwihinhisskullsheopenedhedoorwiderolehimhroughshewasdressedpleelyinwhie,havingchangedherclohessinceheyhadboardedheaircrafhenihihimwhyshehadlookedvaguelyfamiliaraheairporshehadbeenaloyoungerhenshewashenurseinhewhieroomofhisrecenlyacquiredmemories