Stacy Archives

May 18, 2010

Stacy: Four Years Earlier, Part Three

“You… forgot??”

He winced as another bullet spanged off the doorframe.

“Pat, I…”

I raised his chin with my Colt and enunciated very carefully, “My name is Patience.”

His eyes crinkled a little as he held back the smile that might cause me to pull the trigger.

“I’m sorry, Patience. I honestly didn’t know about that warrant in Harshaw…”

I clipped him with the butt of the Colt then called out my name and license number to the posse in the alley. They withdrew reluctantly.

I cuffed my snoring bounty to Ahab and set out. Three days to Harshaw.

Great.

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May 21, 2010

Stacy: Doctoring

“I,” I said through gritted teeth, “am walking out of here.”

Doc snorted.

“Crawling maybe. Come on Patience, don’t be a mule, lie back down. You need to rest.”

I reached for the absent gun on my hip, going to teach that boy some manners, then my eyes crossed and I fell back on the bed. I decided right then that being hit in the back of the head was one of my least favorite pastimes, and resolved to shoot the next person who tried it.

Doc pulled the covers over me, all gentleman-like, not an inappropriate hand anywhere.

Dammit.

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June 2, 2010

Stacy: Laying the Trap

He apparently used paper and a stub of pencil as often as he used his minicomp. The walls of the empty cabin were papered with equations, all incomprehensible to me as Chinese. To him they were the answer to our power problems, and the salvation of our nation.

I knew in theory what he was trying to do, a new power source that was both endless and emission-less. Folks had been chasing new power sources since the War, I had a feeling he was going to win that race.

I gathered up the papers and set fire to the cabin.

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June 8, 2010

Stacy: Patience Day

I lay on the floor, looking up at the ceiling. Pretty wood, colored glass. Looked – and smelled – just like a church.

Now why would mama’s little girl Patience be in a church?? Oh, right, this tiny hole of a town wanted to thank me for some damn thing or other.

Ok, so why was I on my back? My ears were ringing, and I could feel a wetness and a burning pain in my left arm…

I came up off the floor as if spring loaded, Glocks trained on the milling crowd.

“Just who the fuck shot me,” I inquired.

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June 11, 2010

Stacy: Crimson

I ripped open his shirt, pressed my hands frantically to the gushing hole in his chest.

"Ted, look at me..."

His eyes flickered open, pain-glazed. Sweat beaded his forehead, his breath came raggedly.

I looked at the nearest human-shaped figure, vaguely aware how he cowered away. Unimportant, the only important thing was my partner bleeding his life out in this shit town.

"Get my pack," I snarled.

The human shape darted out the door. I snatched up someone’s jacket and added to the pressure on Ted’s chest. So pale…

“Ted...”

He coughed, blood flecking his lips. Then he was gone.

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June 14, 2010

Stacy: Fresh

I stared at the man behind the counter, hand on the hilt of my Colt.

“Sir, are you trying to bribe an agent of the Regulators?”

He spread his hands in a conciliatory fashion.

“No ma’am, not in the least. I’m just askin’ for a little understanding here.”

I warily raised one corner of the cover on the basket. My eyes flew up to his and he smiled.

I stepped outside, basket under one arm, doing my best to look innocent. I turned a corner, reached into the basket and brought out a perfect peach.

So I had a price.

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June 16, 2010

Stacy: Ambush

He took a long time to look at me. His eyes started at my bare feet, traveled up my legs, took in the lacy panties, the barely there bra, the sheer lace robe. I felt his look as if it were a touch, my skin tingled and burned. Gods, it had been a long time.

He looked so good standing there, even in dusty boots, dirty jeans, a faded flannel shirt. His hair needed cutting, my hand itched to push it back from his forehead. His eyes finally met mine. Still so very blue.

Still filled with so much love.

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June 17, 2010

Stacy: Consequences (Four Years Ago)

“Patience, please. Please stop.”

I froze, but didn’t turn around. I felt encased in ice.

“I had to do it. You were dying, baby. I couldn’t let that happen.”

I heard him shift behind me, exhale heavily.

“I don’t know what happened, they were only supposed to repair the damage, not…” Another sigh. “Patience, please don’t leave me.”

I closed my eyes at the pain in his voice. Even now, in this…violation, this betrayal, I still loved him so much. Leaving him was going to rip out my heart, was going to empty me completely.

I walked into the night.

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June 24, 2010

Stacy: Lockdown

We ran as fast as we could, but it was no use. As soon as that engine started he was a dead man.

We made it to the top of the rise in time to see the Predator come ghosting over the treetops. The old man was oblivious to our shouts, he was too intent on coaxing the sputtering generator to life. The beam of coherent light from the drone burned through the smoking machine and cut him in half where he stood.

Doc looked at me, murder in his eyes. “I am stopping this,” he snarled.

I believed him.

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August 19, 2010

Stacy: Oops

I watched as the Regulator team took him away.

Now why hadn’t I given them the papers I took from his cabin? I pulled them out, spread them on the bed. Nope, still looked Chinese to me.

A quiet knock sounded at the door. I drew my six-shooter and stood to the side of the door.

“I didn’t order room service,” I called.

“Patience, you damned fool, open up.”

Only one person in the world could call me that and avoid dying. I unlocked the door and Ash slipped in.

“Girl,” he snapped, “you have gone and screwed up good.”

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