Page 6 of Snow Blind
"He was tracking the red dot," he said. "The red dot went from Ohio to Indiana. Each time the red dot stopped in Indiana, he became more agitated the longer the red dot stayed immobile. Then, when it moved again, he calmed down."
The realization that the red dot must be a device on her vehicle unnerved Helen. "Micah is tracking me? How and why?"
"You don't have an implanted transponder like the others," he told her. "He placed the tracker on your vehicle. I was informed that you were under his protection. I need clarification on what you've done to earn his loyalty."
"I cooked him some neck bones, collard greens, and corny bread," she said, pursing her lips.
The man's face was deadpan, making Helen burst into laughter, which was the wrong thing to do.
Anger coursed through him at the slip of a woman. "Are you laughing at my son?"
"No, I am laughing at this situation," Helen said. "My meeting him was a chance encounter as he made the delivery of supplies to The Lemon, a Technician in Ohio. I was there for training. A situation arose, he asked me to cover his back, I did, and he became... enamored."
"Enamored?"
"Yes, Sir, and he made his pitch for my affections," Helen said. "I will admit, on his third try, I was impressed."
"Third? He attempted to woo you more than once by the use of that word, I assume."
"Yes, the second bid for my affection he threatened to fight my man. Shirt off, bare knuckles, fight him for me," Helen said to a disapproving father's face.
"And the third?"
She smiled at him. "I will confess, that one, I took a pause. Let me make sure I get the wording correct. Yes, he gave me two options, one he could makethe sweet loveto me on the white sandy beaches in Mexico, or he would feed me figs and decadent cheeses on 1800 thread count sheets in California wine country."
The Fer de Lance's eyes grew wide. Helen shared her feelings on such an offer from a person barely an adult. However, the offer was made by his son, which in itself, had a shelf life of its own.
"I also ruefully admit, I've never been to wine country or slept on 1800 thread count sheets, so I was like, hmmm," she said laughing aloud.
To her surprise, the man laughed too. The air settled between them. He still was unclear of how X equaled Y, but they were still talking.
The Fer de Lance asked, "You played with his affections?"
"No, I have a man where we share a home and life in Indiana," she said, pausing, allowing him to connect the red dots. When she was satisfied that he had, she began to pull together the answers he sought. "In your country and your world, he is a man. In my eyes, he is an 18-year-old fighting back, or trying to, against your rules. I am, in his mind, the manifestation of all the things you say he can't have."
The man squinted his eyes as if he were straining to hear her words. He knew what she meant, but for clarification, she would have to break it down to ensure he knew she understood his world. She also didn't need to have the trouble of a drug czar breathing down her neck.
"You set forth rules to protect him, which he explained since there were teenage girls in Lemon's home," she said, which made him sit up straighter in the chair. "Don't worry; he made it clear the girls in his eyes were children, and he didn't need a child in his bed. Micah also explained that your rules forbade him from indulging, even if he wanted to, because it was not your way."
The man leaned forward, "But he went for you?"
"He went for the idea of me," Helen said, "knowing I would refuse him, but he wanted fuel for whatever battle he's planning with you."
The Fer de Lance’s eyebrows went up, "You think he is planning a confrontation with me?"
"Every child has a confrontation with their father at 18. Didn't you?" she asked as she saw the quiver at the side of his lip. "My father is a mechanical engineer. He put money aside from each paycheck for my college education."
"Did you attend university?"
"Nope," she said, laughing. "My cousin Abigail joined the military. I waited until she finished her training and followed her around the world. We lived in Germany, Okinawa, a year in South Korea, and then back to the states in North Carolina. Her last stop was Indiana."
A new silence between them grew louder with each second. A conversation was had, but elucidation was still required. Helen eased into it. "What else is Micah doing other than tracking my movements that made you take time from your busy life to come see me?"
"He isthe mopey," the Fer de Lance reluctantly admitted. "I came to find the woman whom he said broke his heart. I needed to look into the eyes of the person who would take advantage of him."
"Sir, no one takes advantage of the Bushmaster," Helen said in his defense. "That young man is a powerhouse, smart, and sharp as a tack. You have taught him well to lean into his Asperger’s and use it in his favor, plus, a body would have to get past Alita. The Lemon is a chemistry professor who has written textbooks used at universities around the world, as well as where she teaches her students. Micah sat at her dinner table, discussing formulas, probabilities, and using wording I can't even spell. No one, I mean no one, takes advantage of him. He knows what he wants and goes after it. I simply represent the times he tried, but I would not yield."
When she said the word yield, his eyes showed a recognition. "No, not that dude. I understand he is friends with your eldest?"
