*** Author's Note ***
Again, I am releasing a chapter that I'm not too thrilled with.
Please enjoy it and all of its flaws.
Thanks,
SQ
*****************
CHAPTER 6
        They chased the sun, speeding westward for the better part of the day. When the sun had outrun the two, they traveled through darkness for several hours, both of them growing sore and weary from the compact seats and riding positions of the sporty motorcycle. Claire decided that she needed to stop for the night, and took an exit in a desolate area.
        She guided the bike to the side of a rural road, slowly proceeding off the pavement and into a wooded area. She turned the motor and lights off, stopping the cycle.
        “Why are we stopping here?”
        “We’re going into the woods to set up camp.” Claire pulled off her helmet. She fished through her suit’s pockets, finding and lighting a cigarette.
        Aki stood next to the bike, stretching the sore muscles in her back and legs before removing some of their cargo from the sides and back of the machine. Claire pushed the bike deep into the wooded area, stopping in a clearing to drop the kickstand on a large stone.
        “Where should I put this stuff?” Aki’s arms were full of equipment as she staggered through the darkness and dense undergrowth into the clearing.
        Claire walked toward her, taking some of the bigger items and carrying them to the flattest part of the small clearing. “I’ll set up the tent.” Claire’s breath was visible in the cold night air. “You can unroll the sleeping bags.”
        The white light of a half moon shone through the clear, chilly night air, casting dim silver illumination into the clearing in which they had settled. Once Claire had assembled the small tent, Aki slid their bedding inside.
        “Get in. It’s fucking cold out here.” Claire said as she untied her boots while sitting on her helmet. “Take your stuff off first, we’ve got to keep it clean in there.”
        “Can’t I sleep in my suit?”
        “Plastic body armor and abrasion-resistant cloth don’t make good pajamas. You’re going to be extra-sore tomorrow if you try it.”
        “Oh, right.” Aki bent over to untie her boots. “We should have brought some PJs, I guess.”
        Claire frowned. “Sorry. I wasn’t thinking things through. Maybe we’ll stop somewhere tomorrow and get some.”
        “I’ll be happy just to lie down. My ass is killing me.” Aki slipped out of her boots, standing in her socks just inside the entrance to the small tent. She unzipped her riding suit, her teeth chattering as she wiggled out of it, standing exposed to the night air in her underwear and a T-shirt. Claire took Aki’s suit and draped it over the seat of the motorcycle, before removing her own. She made her way to the tent, pulling her boots off as she slid inside the cramped shelter.
        They lay in their sleeping bags, side by side, teeth chattering, shivering. Aki spoke through her quivering jaw.
        “I’ve never done this before.”
        “Camping?”
        “Any of this. The motorcycle, the tent, the cold.”
        “Neither have I.” Claire spoke through her teeth, trying to steady her jaw.
        “I’ve never been this far from home before.” Aki admitted. “Without my parents.” She turned to look at Claire. “Where are we?”
        “We’re somewhere in southern Ohio.”
        Aki giggled through her shivering. “So I can say that I’ve been to Ohio now. Whoop-tee-shit.”
        “Indeed.” Claire’s arms hurt, clenched by their need for warmth.
        “Do you think we’ll freeze to death?” Aki asked. “My M-lync said that it’s like eighteen degrees.”
        “These bags are rated to minus ten. Just give them a chance to warm up.”
        “I think that we got ripped-off. I’m f-f-fucking c-cold.”
        “We’ll warm up. Try to get some sleep.” Claire reassured.
        An hour had passed in frigid, dark silence.
        “Are you asleep?” Aki whispered.
        “No.”
        “I’m still freezing.”
        “Sorry.”
        “Um, I’ve been thinking.” Aki said, her voice quivering with cold and nervousness. “We should, like, sleep in the same thing.” She added, “I won’t bother you, I promise.”
        Claire was quiet for a few moments. Her silence did nothing to comfort Aki’s uneasiness about the suggestion that she had made. She gave up on the idea, realizing that she should have kept it to herself.
        “I’m sorry. I’ll keep quiet.” Aki turned onto her side, facing away from Claire.
        “It’s a good thought.” Claire murmured. “But we can’t both fit into one of these.”
        Aki turned over to face where Claire’s voice had emanated through the darkness.
        “Unzip your bag, I’ve got an idea.” Claire’s shaking hands found the zipper to her own bedding in the cold blackness. She unzipped it; regretting her choice as her body convulsed against the chill, protected from the sub-freezing air by only a thin T-shirt and her underwear. “C-Come over here.” Her teeth chattered.
        Aki slid onto the frigid nylon as Claire reached over her to pull the other bag on top of them. She shivered, her limbs tense as Claire busied herself zipping the two bags together around them.
        Once she had finished enveloping them with the bedding, Claire lifted Aki’s left shoulder, turning the girl on her side, and settling her front against the Asian’s back. Claire shivered; Aki’s bare, goose-pimpled legs against hers felt prickly and cold. The two huddled together shaking and chattering for several minutes until the combined heat of their bodies brought their bedding to a more comfortable temperature.
        “Better?” Claire whispered.
        “Mmm.” Aki pressed her back harder against the warmth of her friend.
        “Good night.” Claire rested her cold palm on Aki’s stomach, feeling the smaller girl’s heat through her cotton shirt.
        “Claire?” Aki asked in a whisper.
        “Yeah?”
        “I’m glad you let me come with you.”
        “Me too.” Claire warmed tip of her nose in Aki’s hair. “I might have frozen to death out here by myself.”
        “Good thing, then.” Aki readjusted her head’s position where it rested on the warmth of Claire’s arm.
                                                #
        Small birds squeaked from the treetops, the tent filled with a faint light, and Claire woke, wrapped around Aki. The smaller girl was still asleep; her face against Claire’s shirt, nestled within the warmth of her friend’s sheltering arms and legs. A part of Claire hated what she was about to do.
        “Aki.” She shook the girl gently. “Time to get up.”
        A small groan sounded against Claire’s chest. Aki’s limbs began to shift.
        “Come on. We slept for almost seven hours.” Claire continued to coax her friend into wakefulness.
        “Can’t we just stay here?” Aki asked, her eyes closed, her voice heavy with sleep, “Like this?” She adjusted her body, settling deeper into Claire’s warmth.
        “We have to hit the road.” Claire started to untangle herself from around the smaller woman. “We can go get some breakfast if you want.”
        “Okay.” Aki winced as she felt a rush of cold air enter the sleeping bag, filling the absence of Claire’s luxurious heat.        Claire slid into her boots, making her way to the motorcycle from which their suits draped. She jumped into hers as quickly as she could, zipping the freezing garment around her, teeth chattering as she stood, waiting for the aluminized insulation of the cold-weather garment to warm up. She placed her helmet on the ground, sitting on it as her shaking hands struggled to tie her boots. Her stomach and arms were sore, clenching themselves against the cold. She lit a cigarette, grabbed Aki’s suit and walked over to the tent.
        “I brought your suit over for you.” Claire spoke from the corner of her mouth that wasn’t holding her smoke.
        “Thanks.” Aki stood in the entrance to the small tent, snatching her suit and slipping into it as quickly as she could.
        “It’ll warm up to your temperature in a few minutes.” Claire exhaled a gray cloud of smoke through her chattering teeth.
        Once Aki had suited herself and tied her boots, she played with her M-lync. She held the communicator in front of Claire.
        “It got down to five degrees last night.”
        “Let’s just hope that we don’t hit any rain or snow today.” Claire flashed an uneasy smile. “C’mon.” She ground her cigarette into the forest floor. “Let’s get packed up.”
        Aki lashed their gear to the bike. Claire had started it minutes before, allowing the machine to warm itself. Claire looked at her industrious friend after consulting a map on her M-lync.
        “You did that really well.” Claire smiled, puffing on another smoke. “I could never get it so organized, myself.”
        Aki seated herself on the back of the machine. She pushed her helmet on and patted the saddle in front of her impatiently. She flipped open the visor of her helmet.
        “Come on!” She shouted over the sound of the engine, “I have to pee really bad! Let’s find a restaurant or gas station!”
        Claire scuffed out her cigarette and seated herself on the bike. She stomped the machine into first gear and began their journey back onto the road. They rode for a few miles before spotting an eatery. Claire pulled in, parking the bike in between two large trucks. They made their way into the heat of the quiet, small restaurant.
        After using the restroom to relieve themselves and freshen their hands and faces, they took a table near a window that overlooked their motorcycle. Aki read a small, greasy, laminated menu that a passing waitress had handed to them. Claire looked for an ashtray.
        “God, I wish we were still in Jersey.” Claire had taken an ashtray from the empty table behind them. “The best diners in the world.” She lighted a cigarette.
        “Like the Pink Parrot on Montgomery. I love their egg-white omelets.” Aki continued to read the smudgy menu. “My friends and I used to go there every morning, before high school.”
        “They’re good, I always liked the Pantry Café on Greene. They make their own fresh bread for the toast.”
        “What can I get for you?” The waitress had returned, pulling a pen from behind her ear.
        “Do you take paper money?” Claire asked.
        “Of course we do.” The waitress looked to them strangely, “Where are you guys from?” She stared at the silvery scar above Claire’s left eyebrow.
        “Jersey.” Aki explained.
        “Oh. Kinda cold to be riding a motorcycle from New Jersey.”
        Aki looked to Claire.
        “We’re doing it for charity.” Claire snuffed out her cigarette. “Raising money for…” Claire faltered.
        “Orphans.” Aki volunteered. “Hungry orphans.”
        The waitress regarded both of them with suspicion.
        “Orphaned by the bombing.” Claire continued the charade.
        “Oh.” The waitress softened, her tone compassionate, “That was such a sad story, on the news, about the train.” She shook her head, her features solemn. “Do you two live close to where that happened?”
        “We’re from Jersey C…” Aki stopped speaking when Claire’s boot tapped her shin-guard under the table.
        “Jersey Central.” Claire interjected. “That’s our local chapter… for the charity.”
        “Well, good luck to both of you. Bless your souls, riding around in the winter like this.” The waitress took up her pad again, “What can I get for you?”
        The insistent cold had made them ravenous. They had placed their orders, both opting for larger, heavier fare to satisfy their appetites. After the waitress had left, Aki leaned across the table, speaking softly.
        “What’s with all the secret agent stuff?”
        “For the same reason that we’re using paper money.” Claire replied, taking a careful look at their surroundings before continuing, “The same reason that we’re not going to use our M-lyncs to call or text anyone.”
        “What about searching?”
        “That’s okay. Just don’t originate any billable messages. They record your coordinates when you send one.”
        “Hugh?”
        “I want our location as hard to pinpoint as possible.”
        “I get that. But why?”
        “I’ll tell you later, when we’re in Washington.”
        “You’re going to leave me hanging?” Aki pouted.
        “The less you know, the better.” Claire asserted.
        They had warmed up, finished their breakfast, fueled the motorcycle, and continued their westward trek; covering as many miles as they could, as quickly as possible.
                                                #
       
        Sarah peeled the frozen boxes open, slit the plastic covers that concealed the entrees, and started to heat dinner for Josh and herself when the doorbell rang. She walked into the foyer from the kitchen, her eyes focusing on the image in the glowing display panel next to the door. She saw two of them, one tall, one short, dressed in gray and red uniforms, holding black objects at their sides. Once she had recognized the two fully, she opened the door, eager to greet them.
        “Hi.” Sarah sang as she stepped back, swinging the door into her home, “Come in.” She grinned as she swept her arm back in a welcoming gesture.
        “Hey, Sarah.” Aki stepped in first, accepting Sarah’s hug of a greeting.
        “You’re all wet.” Sarah said as she continued to embrace Aki.
        “It’s good to see you.” Aki said against Sarah’s shoulder.
        Claire walked in behind her traveling companion, stopping at the threshold of the door. She peered inside of the dwelling with a suspicion that captured Sarah’s notice.
        “Come on in. We don’t have mice or anything.” Sarah continued smiling as she released Aki from her embrace, looking to her obviously distraught double. “You two look adorable in your matching suits.”
        “Wow.” Josh entered the small room. “Which two are the twins? Is it you two?” Grinning as he asked the facetious question, gesturing toward Aki and Claire.
        “You must be Josh.” Aki approached the man, shaking his hand.
        “Aki.” Josh smiled. “Sarah told me all about you. Thanks for helping her sister.”
        “I need to change the oil.” Claire interjected loudly.
        The Josh and Sarah looked to Claire, unsure of what to say.
        “It’s dark. I need to change it.” Claire insisted.
        Aki walked to Claire, taking the taller girl’s hands in hers. “Okay. We’ll do that in a few minutes.” She turned, flashing an embarrassed smile to Josh and Sarah. She turned back to Claire. “You can take your time, okay?”
        Claire nodded, closing her eyes. “You’re not lying to me?”
        “Never.” Aki smiled to Claire.
        Josh walked toward Claire, extending his hand. “I’m Joshua Berman, Sarah’s husband.”
        Claire looked to the floor, silent.
        “If you like, you could change your oil in our garage, Claire.” He offered, maintaining a smile as he withdrew his hand.
        “That sounds like a great idea.” Aki gripped Claire’s hands, shaking them, trying to impart some of her patronizing excitement to the taller girl. “Why don’t you bring the bike into their garage?”
        Claire nodded.
        “I’ll go open the door for you.” Josh walked out of the foyer.
        Aki turned to Sarah, her expression apologetic. “She’s not feeling too good.”
        “You mean…” Sarah pointed to her temple, “Right?”
        Aki nodded.
        “What happened?”
        “She’s been, kind of…” Aki looked around to make sure that her conversation with Sarah would remain private, “paranoid.” She leaned closer to Sarah, “Scary paranoid.”
        “Do you think she’s dangerous?”
        “No. Just fragile. Delicate.” Aki frowned. “I had to take her pills away. She ate, like, half the bottle over the past two days.”
        “What pills?”
        “Zalenth. I think that’s why she’s so… obsessive.”
        “Why don’t you come in and have dinner with us.” Sarah changed the subject, “You can hang your suit up in here.” She slid a closet door open.
        “Okay.” Aki untied her boots, stepped out of them, and unzipped her suit, wriggling herself from it.
        “Um, do you want a robe or something?” Sarah asked, as she looked to the smaller woman standing in her socks and underwear.
        “Oh. That would be great.” Aki blushed, recognizing her immodesty. “We didn’t bring any clothes with us.”
        “Come on, let’s get you something to wear.” Sarah led Aki into her home.
                                                #
        “Do you need a wrench or something?” Josh asked his wife’s strange, silent twin as he stood above where she lay on the garage floor next to her motorcycle.
        “A pan, please.” Claire replied. “Big enough for three liters if you’ve got one.”
        “Oh, sure.” Josh was startled by the immediate, friendly, and almost cheerful response that he did not expect to get from the distant stranger. He fetched a pan that he thought would accommodate Claire’s needs.
        “Thanks. That’s perfect.” Claire smiled to Josh as she accepted the vessel from him. “How’s Sarah doing? I’ve been thinking about her.” Claire asked over the rapid ticking noises that came from her socket wrench as she loosened the drain bolt of the cycle’s oil pan.
        “We’re really glad that you came out to see us.” Josh crouched next to Claire. “Did you and your friend ride all the way here from New Jersey?”
        Claire pointed to the license plate on the rear of the bike. “All the way. It was fun.” She removed the drain bolt and stared at the dark stream of warm oil as it emptied into the container that Josh had given her. “And exciting. We were averaging one-thirty-eight across South Dakota.” She continued watching the fluid as it drained.
        “This is one fast looking motorcycle.”
        “It’s a Deutsche Motorwerken nine-eighty-nine… Rennsport model.” Claire said with obvious enthusiasm for the machine.
        “How long have you been riding?”
        “Three days.”
        “I’m sorry, I meant how long have you been riding motorcycles?”
        “Three days.” Claire pointed at the stream of oil as it fell. “That’s what I thought.”
        “What’s that?” Josh asked, looking to where Claire pointed.
        “One of the clutch disks must’ve broken. You see those granules?”
        “Can you fix it?”
        “No need, it’s still got five plates left.”
        “I see.” Josh smiled to Claire as he watched her replace the drain bolt. “I think your sister would like to spend a little time with you, when you’re done with the oil.”
        “Yeah. I can’t wait to see her.” Claire opened one of the bottles of oil that she had stowed in the tank-bag of her vehicle. She held the container high as she poured it into the small filler opening without spilling a drop.
        “You’re really good at this!” Josh exclaimed as he watched her repeat the same flawless motion with a second bottle. “How do you do that without a funnel? I’d make a mess for sure.”
        “Aki is being such a good sport.” Claire said as she poured the third liter of oil into the motor. “I don’t think that she likes me anymore.”
        “You could have fooled me.” Josh tried to improvise his way through the awkward convolutions of their conversation. “She seems like your best friend.”
        “She’s scared.” Claire turned to Josh. “I’m scaring her.”
        “You aren’t scaring me.” Josh offered.
        “Give it time.” Claire’s tone conveyed weary resignation.
        After Claire stood, Josh returned to his feet, trying to keep up with the efficient, mechanical movements of his wife’s twin. “I’ll take the empty ones for you.” He removed the bottles from Claire’s hands. “You go and wash up, there’s a bathroom just through that door.” His mouth pulled into an uneasy, yet friendly smile before she turned to leave the garage.
                                                #
        Aki sat on the foot of Sarah and Josh’s large bed, as Sarah dug through her closet. She gave Aki a tight pair of shorts and a small shirt that she thought might fit the petite woman.
        “I’m sorry that I don’t have anything that’ll fit you better.” She handed Aki a long red terrycloth robe before sitting next to the smaller girl. “So, what happened to her?” Sarah’s voice was low, near a whisper.
        “She had a bad dream two nights ago. It really bugged her out.”
        Sarah was silent.
        “She said that she saw herself, but she couldn’t see, and something tried to grab her.” Aki recounted, “She woke up crying and shaking. She’s been all weird ever since.”
        Sarah started pacing the floor of her bedroom. “The night before last?”
        “Yeah.”
        Sarah stopped to stand in front of where Aki sat. She knelt down to Aki’s eye level. “I know I can trust you.”
        Aki nodded, smiling.
        “I think I had the same dream.”
        Aki’s forehead wrinkled.
        “Two nights ago.” Sarah’s face was sullen. “I saw myself, my eyes were blind, like, blank. I was wearing a white… gown or something, and there were all these hands. It’s like they couldn’t reach me, their fingers were straining, trying to touch me.”
        “Were you scared?” Aki asked.
        “No, just freaked out. It was vivid… real.”
        “Maybe we should have dinner now.” Aki shifted the topic. “I’ll bet that Claire’s done with her oil thing already. She’s good at that stuff.”
        “Let’s find something for her to sleep in, since it’s getting late, already.” Sarah stood, heading for her closet. “Do you think she’ll mind these?” Sarah held up a pair of pink silk pajamas for Aki’s inspection.
        “Oh, she’ll love them.” Aki flashed a devilish grin.
                                                #
        Claire had finished washing her hands and face, taking pleasure in the warm water and gentle soap that she had been without for some time. As she left the bathroom, Aki grabbed her from behind. Claire turned to see her friend in an oversized robe. The length of the garment pooled on the carpet, surrounding the short girl’s feet.
        “The bike’s all set.” Claire smiled as she looked to her companion. “Where’d you get that?”
        “Sarah lent it to me. She has some stuff for you too.” Aki grinned, “These fancy folk don’t take to kindly to us runnin’ around in underwear.” Aki mimicked a southern accent as she took Claire’s wrist in her hand, “Y’all come along with me, ma’am.”
        Claire changed into the embarrassing yet luxurious garments that Sarah had left out for her. She saw Aki grinning at her from across the room. “What?”
        “You look like such a sophisticate. Very up-town.” Aki walked to her friend, pulling at one of the lapels of the silk top, speaking with an overdramatic lisp, “But pink just isn’t your color, dear.”
        Laughter boiled up through cracks in Claire’s stoic surface. She spoke between waves of giggles. “What’s with all the voices coming out of you tonight? Are you on something?” Her face beamed as she continued to snicker, looking to Aki.
        “No.” Aki smiled as she straightened the collar of Claire’s smooth, pink outfit, proud that she had found a way to make her dismal friend laugh. “I’m just in a good mood. You seem like you’re feeling better.”
        Claire smiled, “I guess I am.” She looked at herself in the mirror that hung above the large, expensive-looking dresser in front of them, “Why the pajamas? Does Sarah think that we’re spending the night or something?”
        “Yes, she does.”
        “No, we’re not.” Claire’s expression became stern.
        “She offered, and I accepted. I thought that you’d like to sleep indoors for a change.” Aki stepped back from Claire, cringing a little as she explained the arrangements. “After we have dinner with them, I thought, maybe, you’d spend a little time with your sister, and I could, maybe, sleep in a real bed.” She phrased the last sentence as though it were a question.
        Claire sighed. “Okay.” She laid a hand on Aki’s shoulder, “You deserve it. You’ve been so patient with me.”
        “Always.” Aki rested her hand on top of Claire’s, smiling to the taller girl.
                                                #
        They finished their dinner; Josh had opted to have food delivered so that he and Sarah could spend more time with their guests. They sat in the large living room of the Berman home, Aki had taken a wing chair and Sarah seated herself next to Claire on a large velour sofa. Josh had gotten up from his favorite antique rocking chair to tend to the cheery fire that snapped and flickered in the room’s imitation-stone fireplace.
        “That feels so nice.” Aki said to Josh as he shifted some of the logs. “I’ve got a few of those in my house, but they run on gas or something. Not real, like this.” She extended her hands and feet, feeling the radiance of the fire that crackled more than a yard away from where she sat.
        “It’s more work, but it’s worth it.” He smiled to Aki as he hung the tongs and poker that he had used onto their polished brass stand. He turned to Sarah.
        “I’m going to get the guest bedroom all set up for them.” He said, standing, “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
        “You’re so lucky.” Aki whispered to Sarah after Josh had left the room, “He’s so nice.”
        “Yeah, he’s really smart too.” Claire said, staring at the fire. “You see the way that he rearranged the logs?”
        “Hugh?” Sarah tilted her head, looking around Claire toward the fireplace.
        “He created a narrow opening for the inbound air and supported it with two of the wetter logs. They’ll dry out from the radiant heat and constant airflow.”
        “Hugh?” Aki peered around the back of her seat straining to recognize the hidden genius in Josh’s handiwork.
        “They won’t smoke as much. It’s like they’re kiln-dried. The narrow opening acts like a venturi… more velocity.” Claire defended her assertion.
        “You’re a walking knowledge-base, aren’t you?” Sarah patted Claire’s thigh.
        Claire gave her double a weak smile. She was accustomed others not understanding her. She edged closer to Sarah, turning to face the woman as she crossed her legs onto the plush cushions of the sofa. “I’ve been worried about you.”
        “Worried?” Sarah mimicked her twin’s posture, facing her with her legs crossed as well. “Why worried?”
        “There’s some stuff that we need to talk about. Stuff that I’ve… uncovered.”
        “Like what?” Sarah rested her hands on Claire’s knees. “I’m ready to talk about it when you are.”
        “When we’re alone.” Claire mouthed the soundless words, her eyes gestured to her right, where Aki sat.
        Sarah nodded.
        “Just some things that I learned about IVF technology and where it was twenty-five years ago.”
        “How’s your leg?”
        “It’s better. It’s still a little weak.”
        “How long can you stay out here?”
        “I don’t know. I didn’t think about that.”
        “I have another week until I have to be back.” Aki interjected. “She’s supposed to be back at work in about a week and a half.”
        “You’re welcome to stay as long as you can. We have plenty of room.”
        “Is there any good shopping around here?” Aki asked. “I need to get some clothes.”
        “Oh yeah.” Sarah smiled to Aki, “You two and I have a date with the downtown area tomorrow.”
        Josh resumed his place in his heirloom rocking chair. “The guest beds are all set. You guys can decide who gets the inflatable one.” He picked up his wineglass, stirring the dark violet liquid with a practiced, disciplined motion before raising the vessel’s rim to his nose. “Would anyone care for some wine?” Josh asked, “It’s my private reserve from 2008.”
        “I’d like some, honey.” Sarah said.
        “I’d love to try some.” Aki added.
        “Please.” Claire said.
        “No. Your medication, remember?” Aki interjected.
        “Half a glass?” Claire’s eyes pleaded to Aki.
        “Half a glass.” Aki agreed; her capitulation rewarded by her friend’s smile.
        “I’ll be right back, ladies.”
        “He’s very serious about his business.” Sarah enlightened the two, “Ever since his father passed away, he’s been really committed about making the vineyard world-renowned. Like a tribute to his father’s life’s work.”
        “He owns a vineyard?” Claire asked.
        “He was a partner with his father until three years ago. Since Benjamin passed away, he’s been working non-stop to get the brand recognized not only as the finest kosher wine, but the best West Coast wine.”
        “I guess that I’d better say that I like it then.” Aki smiled to Sarah.
        “Don’t worry, you will. It’s superb.”
                                                #
        Aki had gone to bed, Josh pored over invoices and shipping orders in his office, Claire and Sarah sat together in front of the fireplace. Sarah looked to her twin, “We’re alone now.” She returned her gaze to the animated blaze in front of where they lay on the lush carpet of the living room floor.
        “I don’t think that I was right.”
        “About?”
        “That whole IVF theory that I had. It’s flawed.”
        “How?”
        “The odds of us being so much alike are staggering. Practically impossible.” Claire cleared her throat, “I’ve done a lot of research.”
        “What did you find?”
        “What do you know about cloning?”
        “Nothing, really. That’s when you take a cell from someone and grow another person.”
        “In the movies. In real science, it’s different.”
        Sarah shifted herself, looking around the room. Claire noticed her unease.
        “Do you want me to stop?”
        Sarah shook her head, her eyes wet and glassy.
        “I think that we are clones.”
        Sarah sniffled, closing her eyes.
        “I don’t know who made us, or where, but it’s the only logical explanation.”
        “I came from my mother. I’ve seen it. I’m not some freak.” Sarah’s voice was an angry whisper.
        “A fertilized egg has it’s DNA extracted, replaced with the donor DNA, and then it’s implanted. That’s how they’ve done it with animals for all these years.” Claire looked to her identical, “Your mother carried the egg, with our DNA in it, instead of your parent’s combined DNA.”
        “And you think that’s even remotely believable?” Sarah moved away from Claire, closer to the fire. “That’s just science fiction. I suppose you think that your mother had the same thing done to her?” Sarah’s tone became belligerent.
        “It’s a theory. A better one than before.” Claire crawled next to Sarah, “I’m not trying to upset you.”
        “You are. A lot.”
        “Why?” Claire rested her right hand on Sarah’s left.
        “You’re saying that we’re, like, some kind of illegal experiment. Our very existence would make us criminals.”
        “Oh.” Claire nodded, “I thought it was the matter of not having souls.”
        “I think that you should go to bed.” Sarah muttered as she looked to Claire, anger in her narrowed eyes.
        Claire stood, confused, “I’m sorry.” She started to walk away, “I shouldn’t have told you.” She turned, “Just forget about what I said…” Claire extended her arms, palms facing the ceiling, “I’m… It can’t be true.”
        “You should get some sleep.” Sarah’s voice was cold.
        Claire left the living room, her head hanging.
                                                #
        She entered the guest bedroom. She could see Aki asleep on the inflatable bed. She crawled into the larger conventional bed, sliding under the smooth sheets and soft blankets. She lay on her back; eyes open, staring at the ceiling above her as she thought about what she had told her likeness. Claire knew that Sarah understood more than she had let on, and she fretted that she had just caused an unnecessary disturbance in the otherwise perfect life of an innocent couple.
        Aki stirred, noticing Claire’s presence in the large bed next to her. She crept up, sliding under the sheets, hoping not to wake Claire. She elongated herself along Claire’s side, resting her body against her friend in as gentle a manner as she could.
        Claire pulled the unsuspecting girl on top of her, wrapping Aki in her arms and legs, her emotions beginning to calm once she had. Claire stroked Aki’s musky, days-unwashed hair as she fought tears. She felt Aki’s arm snake under her shoulder and clutch her collarbone.
        “Aki?” Claire sniffled.
        “Hmm?” Aki’s eyes were closed.
        “Do you think I’m… wrong?”
        “About?” Aki whispered.
        “Me in general. Am I defective?”
        “Everyone is.”
        “What if I don’t have a soul?” Claire half cried in a whisper, “Like everyone else? Like you?”
        “Of course you have a soul.”
        “How do you know?”
        “What makes you so sure that I have one?”
        “I can see it. I can smell it. I can feel it. It’s what makes you Aki.”
        “What makes you Claire?”
        “Nothing. Knowledge, experience, ability, intellect; machines can have any of those. I’m just a thing.”
        Aki was silent.
        “I’m just a living machine. An organic robot. A monster.”
        Aki remained silent as she lay upon Claire. She inhaled deeply before speaking, “Why do you think so?”
        Claire paused before answering, unsure of the impact that her theory would have on her closest and only friend. “I might be a clone.”
        Minutes passed in silence.
        “You think that Sarah is one too?”
        “You believe me?”
        Aki lifted off Claire, lying on her side, facing the older girl. “You have a habit of being correct.”
        “You should stay away from me. I’m a criminal.” Claire rolled away from Aki. “You should fly home tomorrow. I’m going to get you into trouble.”
        “Do you want me to?” Aki asked.
        Claire sighed. “I… need to think about it.”
        “Yes or no?”
        Claire started to sob.
        Aki pulled herself against Claire’s back, “So what if you’re a clone. What’s the big deal?”
        “You don’t understand. It’s illegal. I’m illegal.”
        “So is buying Ecstasy. So is dealing out vigilante justice with an axle wrench. So is selling prescription medicine on the street. So is going a hundred and forty across South Dakota. We’ve both broken laws before. Why is this so different for you?”
        “Because I’m not human.”
        Aki squeezed herself around Claire. “You feel human to me.”
        “You were born of a woman and man. I was created in some laboratory from one person. Maybe no people; maybe I’m a hundred percent synthesized.”
        “I don’t care how you were created. I’m just glad that you were.”
        “Anyone could have saved you from that guy. It just happened to be me.”
        “I’m not talking about that.”
        Claire rolled over to face her friend. She felt the short girl’s soft fingers wiping the tears from her cheeks and lashes. She reached out, wrapping herself around Aki.
        “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
        “I was afraid.”
        “Of what?” Aki rubbed her cheek against the warm silk of Claire’s pajamas.
        “Lots of stuff.”
        “You aren’t afraid anymore?”
        “I’m terrified.”
        Together, they drifted into sleep. Their minds were unsettled, but their weary bodies thirsted for luxury after days of ascetic existence, soaking in the comfort and extravagance of their accommodations.
                                                #
        Sarah had not slept. She tried to resist waking Claire and her friend, but her need to apologize proved too powerful. She stood outside the door to the guest room where the two slept, debating with herself the merits of her intrusion. She opened the door with quiet caution. Sarah grinned as she beheld the sight of the two sleeping in each other’s arms. Her speculation about the extent of their friendship became concrete.
        She walked toward the bed, resting on the edge, next to Claire. She tapped her slumbering twin’s upturned shoulder. She held a finger to her lips as Claire turned to her, opening her eyes.
        Claire tried to untangle herself from Aki. Sarah placed her hands against her twin’s side, holding her still. Once Claire had calmed, Sarah slid in to the bed, laying behind her, whispering into her ear.
        “I’m sorry, Claire.” Sarah hugged her double from behind.
        Claire swiveled her neck, straining to look to Sarah. Her body was immobilized between her double and her friend.
        “About before.” Sarah elaborated. “I was overreacting.”
        “S’okay.” Claire whispered.
        “I’m willing to accept that you may be right.” Sarah smoothed the pink silk that covered Claire’s arm. “If you are, then I want your help. I want to help you.” Sarah gripped the arm that she had been stroking. “We’re both in the same…”
        “Predicament?” Claire offered.
        “Am I making you uncomfortable?” Sarah asked.
        “No.” Claire whispered back.
        “Do you mind if I stay for a little bit?”
        “No.”
        Sarah molded her body against the more muscular contour of her double. She held herself tight against Claire; the comfort of their closeness relieved the distress that had overtaken Sarah’s mind since their conflict.
        “If you’re right, we’re still sisters, right?” Sarah whispered.
        “In some sense. We’re really the same person, genetically.”
        “So are identical twins.” Sarah proposed, “They’re siblings.”
        “Absolutely.”
                                                #
        Sarah knocked at the door to the guest room. Claire opened the door. She and Aki appeared to have been awake for a while.
        “Would you two like some towels and stuff?”
        “You mean for a shower?” Aki sprung to her feet, grinning at the idea. “Yes, please.”
        “It’s been a few days, hasn’t it?” Claire said, thumbing the hem of Aki’s T-shirt.
        “The bathroom, two doors to your left, is all set for you.”
        “Can I go first?” Aki pleaded.
        “Go ahead.” Claire smiled to her eager friend.
        Aki hurried toward the anticipated opulence of her impending shower.
        Sarah sat next to Claire on the edge of the bed.
        She cleared her throat. She smoothed a wrinkle from her skirt before speaking. “This is going to sound weird.” She started, fidgeting with her stockings, smoothing them over her ankles, “What’s going on between you and Aki.”
        “Nothing.”
        “You can tell me. I won’t judge. I just want to know, so I don’t say something stupid. Make either of you uncomfortable.”
        “We’re friends.”
        Sarah rolled her eyes.
        “We’re close friends.”
        “Are you in love?”
        “No!” Claire almost shouted.
        “Are you in like?”
        “No.” Claire restrained her tone.
        “I think that she has a crush on you.”
        “That’s just great.”
        “You don’t feel the same way for her?”
        “She’s a good friend. That’s it.”
        “You just wrap yourself around your friends, whenever you share a bed with them?”
        “We’ve been sleeping together…” Claire waved her hands dismissing her previous sentence, “Just sleeping. Slumber. We had to keep warm when we were on the road.”
        “It was cold in here last night?” Sarah giggled.
        “She’s just gotten used to sleeping that way. That’s all.”
        “I think that you’re lying.”
        “To what end?” Claire stood, pacing.
        “I think that you’re afraid of your feelings.”
        “I’m not afraid of anything.”
        “You love her. Don’t you?” Sarah stood, “You don’t hate her, that’s for certain.”
        Claire sighed.
        “It’s okay. You should be honest with yourself. There’s nothing wrong with loving someone.”
        “There is when you’re a soul-less… creature like me.”
        “Stop saying that. We’re just like everyone else. And we’re both loved. I have Josh, you have Aki, and we have each other.”
        Claire walked to one of the room’s windows, staring as she spoke, “I don’t want this. Any of it.” Claire closed her eyes. “She wouldn’t want me anyway.”
        “What’s not to want? You’re a wonderful, heroic, intelligent person.”
        “I have this ugly scar, I’m insane, and I’m an addict.”
        “Then why did she come out here with you? On a motorcycle? In lousy weather? Why does she nestle into you like you’re her salvation? Why does she dress like you?”
        “Because she has some sick, jealous obsession with being my twin.”
        “Jealous? Of me?”
        “She has issues.”
        “You’re one of them.” Sarah stood behind Claire, resting her chin on the Jersey girl’s shoulder. “Why don’t you ask her to help you take a bath? She’ll start drooling.” Sarah smiled.
        “You’re sick.” Claire laughed.
        “Maybe. I’m right, though.” Sarah hugged Claire from behind.
        “I’m too dangerous. We’re too dangerous.” Claire tensed. “She might get hurt.”
        “What do you mean?”
        Claire was silent for nearly a minute.
        “Do you want to know how I got this scar?” Claire’s voice was soft and distant.
        Sarah hugged Claire tighter. “Tell me.”
        “I was twelve.” Claire stared into the pale gray light of the rainy Seattle morning. “I was walking home from school. It was getting dark.” Claire cleared her throat. “Someone grabbed me from behind. He held a knife to my throat.”
        “You must have been terrified.”
        “I was. Then this stranger stepped in front of us. She looked familiar, but I didn’t know from where. She was saying stuff to the guy that was holding me. I tried to squirm away. He sliced my forehead as I broke free.”
        “You poor thing.” From over Claire’s shoulder, Sarah stared into the cold mist outside.
        “I ran home, crying, gushing blood. My father freaked. He took me to the hospital, and they stitched me up. I never told him how I was cut.”
        “Why not? There was some psychopath wandering around your town.”
        “Psychopath, yes. Wandering, no.”
        “What do you mean?”
        “When he was holding me, talking to the woman, he kept calling me ‘genius.’” Claire shifted herself. “Like he knew something about me.”
        “A stalker?”
        “The woman said a bunch of stuff too. I didn’t understand any of it until now.”
        “Now?”
        “She told the man that ‘they’ would never find all of ‘us.’”
        “What?”
        Claire turned to Sarah, resting her hands on her double’s hips as she held her gaze. “She had to be in her forties, but that woman was me… us. I didn’t recognize her at the time, but I’m sure of it now.”
        “You mean she’s our real mother?”
        “We are her. We’re copies of her. She made us.”
        “Who is she?”
        “I don’t know.”
        “I believe you, but could you be wrong? I mean, you were young. It was twelve years ago. You didn’t know what was going on then.”
        “You’re missing the point of the story.” Claire shook Sarah’s hips in a firm, gentle grip. “I was being hunted by that guy, and she knew it. He was part of something bigger. So are we. She said that they would never find all of us.”
        “So you think that we’re in danger?”
        “God, that felt great.” Aki entered the room, wrapped in a towel.
        Sarah seated herself at the bottom of the guest bed. Claire continued to stand by the window.
        “You guys look upset.” Aki observed, “Did I use up all the hot water or something?”
        “No, dear.” Sarah smiled.
        “It’s the gloomy weather.” Claire said.
        “That’s right. You’re Mrs. Sunshine.” Aki grinned.
        Sarah giggled.
        Aki walked to Claire, pulling at the pink silk of her pajamas. “Shower time, smart-gal.”
        Sarah smiled to Claire from behind Aki. Claire glowered back, knowing where Sarah’s amusement was based.
        “I’ll make it fast.”
        “Use the green shampoo. It’s the best one for… our hair type.” Sarah grinned to Claire as she stood to walk out of the room. She stopped, turning in the doorway. “You know, you should take your time.” Her wink to Claire failed to escape Aki’s notice. “Aki and I can go shopping without you.”
        “That’s a good idea.” Claire said, nodding to Sarah in silent thanks for the forethought, “You two go without me.”
        “We can wait.” Aki volunteered.
        “Claire told me that she needs to work on the motorcycle, dear.” Sarah was relieved that Aki appeared to accept the hasty excuse.
        Claire smirked, thumbing a lapel of her pink silk outfit as she looked to Aki. “You know my size. I trust your taste.”
        “As well you should.” Aki nodded, grinning.
                                                #
        As Sarah and Aki returned, Claire scrambled to close the display of the BigNet terminal in Josh’s office.
        “I have to go. Thanks for the help. I never could have gotten into their network so fast by myself.” Claire whispered to her M-lync, which rested in her lap.
        “Any time Claire. You’d better take good care of my little sister, or I’ll wipe-out your bank account.” Mike grinned to Claire in the small display of her communicator before dropping the call.
        She had discovered much during the few hours of solitude that the others’ shopping expedition had afforded her. She needed to get Sarah alone, to share her findings. She tried to make sure that everything in Josh’s office was as he had left it before setting off for his vineyard earlier that morning. She entered the living room, greeting Aki and her double.
        “Find some good stuff?”
        “Oh, yeah.” Aki smiled, scurrying up to Claire. She handed the taller girl a heavy bag of clothing, her face beaming with pride.
        “I can’t wait to see.” Sarah grinned.
        “Oh boy.” Claire rolled her eyes. “Anything pink that I should know about?”
        Aki shook her head, her mouth twisted into a devilish half-smile. “Come on, let’s get you dressed.”
        “You go ahead, I’ll be there in a minute.”
        Claire sat on the sofa, next to Sarah. “That was a smart move, before. We shouldn’t be seen together.”
        “Did you find anything out?”
        “Yes, and no.” Claire spoke quietly. “The IVF place that your parents went to, and the place that my parents went to… there were several of the same physicians on-staff at both of them, but at different times.”
        “And?”
        “Take a look.” Claire produced a group photo, enlarged to fit a letter-sized sheet. She pointed to one of the white-coated persons in the back row of the shot.
        Sarah gasped.
        “I almost missed her, because of the glasses, and the fact that the image is pretty primitive.”
        “Did you find out her name?”
        “She could be one of five women listed.” Claire stood. “It’s a start.”
        “How did you get this?”
        “Some light hacking. Don’t tell Aki about it yet. Or Josh for that matter.”
        “You think that they could be in danger.”
        “We shouldn’t take any chances until we know more about this… us.”
        Sarah watched Claire pad her way down the hall, and into the guest bedroom. She turned to scrutinize the photograph that Claire had given her. She recognized the woman in the back row, much like herself in appearance, her hair much longer, glasses hiding some of her older-looking face. She studied the picture for several minutes as her mind raced with all of the intriguing and upsetting possibilities that Claire’s findings pointed toward. Sarah quickly folded the photo when she saw Claire and Aki enter the living room, startling her with their sudden presence.
        “You look so adorable.” Sarah sang as she stood, walking to Aki, scanning her from head to toe. The petite woman wore a sand-colored synthetic suede blazer with matching pants, authoritative-looking black high-heeled boots, and a white silk shirt. Sarah continued to fawn over Aki as the Asian spun herself around, displaying her new attire.
        “Doesn’t she look wonderful?” Sarah asked Claire, winking to her identical.
        “Never mind me.” Aki pointed her thumb to Claire.
        She stood before the two in a dusty-lavender shirt, her black vinyl jacket and pants shining in the pale light of the rainy afternoon clinging to her unique fusion of angles and curves. The glossy leather of her new boots creaked as she spun herself around, extending her arms for the other’s scrutiny. Claire’s smile was evidence enough for Aki to know that she had made the right selection.
        “Don’t you just want to climb all over her?” Aki asked in a distracted tone as she lost herself in the mesmerizing glints of light that accentuated Claire’s contours. She reddened. “I said that out-loud, didn’t I?”
        Sarah nodded, grinning. “She’s so dark, gloomy, and sexy, all at the same time. It’s understandable.” Sarah stood next to Aki looking at her double in her new clothes.
        “I was going for soft, yet dangerous, but that’s close enough.” Aki said.
        Claire’s growing embarrassment was overpowering. The scrutiny and words of Aki and Sarah were unsettling her. She waited for the room’s attention to shift away from her.
        “You both look fabulous.” Sarah said, standing back from the two. “Aki has a real eye for fashion.”
        Aki continued to stare at her creation, unable to remove her eyes from the sleek, powerful outline of her friend. Her reverie shattered as Claire spoke.
        “I want you to stay here.” Claire addressed Aki. “Sarah and I have to pay someone a visit.
        “But… I…” Aki’s sad eyes met Claire’s.
        “I need you to stay here.” Claire took Aki’s hands in hers. “We’ll be back soon.” Claire gave Aki a faint smile.
        “Promise?”
        Claire nodded. “I want to see your other outfits.” Her thumbs brushed the backs of Aki’s hands. “Change into one before we get back.”
        Aki lowered her eyes, after giving Claire an uneasy smile from one corner of her mouth.
        “The car is in the driveway.” Sarah offered; unsure of where Claire’s sudden travel plans would bring them.
        “I’ll drive.” Claire said as she led Sarah out of the house.