Free Harsh Lessons by L. J. Kendall Page A

instead of collapsing, she spun around, jerkily, with an expression of disbelief.  Only half-stunned.  He followed up with a blow to her temple, a hard tap.  Still she didn't go down!  Instead, eyes glazed, her fist punched out to his belly.  Even at full augment, he was only just fast enough to deflect the blow.
    A third, harder strike to the side of her head finally rolled her eyes back, and she collapsed, her gaze still accusing.
    Holy hell!   He looked around, assessing the scene.  He had an evidence bag, which should be just large enough for her bloody heel, to keep his suit clean.  He tucked that one inside his jacket and the other into a trouser pocket.  Then, hauling her up and over one shoulder, he brought up a map to work out the best place to direct his car to, to meet them.  Then called up the schematics for this address, and began picking his way out, toward the side exit.
    Wincing, he thought ahead to his report on tonight's outing.  She'd just taken it from ten minutes work, to two hours.
    What the devil had gotten into her?

Chapter 10 
    It was the next day and for once, all three agents were mission-less.  Emma and James lounged in the rec room, though with a palpable tension between them.
    James had just returned from a short debrief with Father.  Who had reacted to his account as he'd half expected: with indifference.  'Nelson set a watch - the deaths have passed unreported.  Was that by accident, d'you think, or has she been paying attention to her lessons?'
    James had been unable to say.
    It also appeared that Father had reviewed just the highlighted portions of the optic and auditory downloads, covering the night's dramatic finale. 
    Father had nodded happily.  'She made short work of them , didn't she?  Good job.  She didn't look too pleased with you though, at the end.  Do you think I need to have a word with her?'
    James nearly snapped back that he didn't need protection from an eighteen-year-old girl.  Then paused.  Then frowned.
    Father smiled.  'Exactly.  Let's not, then, eh?  Be another little test for her.'
    The debriefing over, James headed to the rec room.
    'James!'  A complex mix of emotions played across Emma's face, and James forced himself not to wince.  'How did your "date” with Leeth go?'
    Preacher watched: scowling.
    'So-so.  She was… a little wild.  We returned to the Department earlier than planned.'
    'And?'
    He just shrugged, refusing to say anything further.  With the result that for the last ten minutes, Emma had been very pointedly ignoring him.
    Finally, James sighed. 'She's going to put on weight if she keeps eating like last night.  She ate a lot .'
    'Oh?' Emma asked.
    'Yes.  A large seafood pasta starter, then a massive steak, with two orders of vegetables.  For dessert-'
    'Dessert!'
    'Quite.  For dessert, she finished off with their famous waffles and home-made ice cream, drenched in Derek's chocolate sauce.  He could scarcely believe it.'
    'Well, she is extremely active.  Have you ever seen her idle?'
    James thought.  Then thought harder.  'By god, you're right.'
    Emma concealed a smile behind her hand.  " By god ."  But from his lips it didn't sound contrived.  Just a trifle quaint.
    'Oh, and look at this, after she asked if we could request things not on the menu.  Give me a channel.'
    Emma transmitted a link address, then accepted the data feed.  Since she was being social, instead of mixing the audio and video over her live senses, she cast the footage from James's eyecam to her newssheet.
    In it, Leeth looked excited, leaning forward over the elegantly set table.  The view shifted down to the girl's cleavage, and Emma shook her head.
    'Then can we get them to barbecue some tarantulas?' Leeth asked.
    Emma sprayed a fine mist of tea, then cut the link, feeling faintly nauseous.  Preacher, looking on, rolled his eyes at her reaction.  'The kid's right.  They're delish.  Amazonian  delicacy.'
    After that, though, James had