Toys

Chapter 45

Lucy sat perched in the bow of the skiff as I rowed out onto the clear, smooth waters of the bay. Even though she’d had a lifetime to absorb it, the pain of her parents’ death still must have cut very deep. It certainly seemed that way. I was starting to understand humans better, and to feel something for them-other than contempt, that is.

“Finally, some unexplained things are starting to fall into place,” I said. “I couldn’t figure out what my sensors were telling me that night. I was sure you weren’t an Elite. But I didn’t know anything about humans being able to be enhanced to this degree.”

She nodded. “Just to set the record straight-I’m more enhanced than you are. I came along later and the technology was improved. Sorry, bro.”

I stopped rowing in mid-stroke. “You’ve got to be joking. You are, aren’t you?”

“I’m simply stating a scientific fact.”

“Not possible,” I said, and dropped the oars back into the water.

“You think I can’t compete with you?”

I didn’t bother to answer.

“Remember, I’ve seen you in action. But you’ve never really seen my moves,” she continued to taunt in a lighthearted way.

I shrugged. “I don’t need to see your moves. I know what I’m capable of. Few, if any, Elites can match me for strength, speed, problem solving.”

Lucy put her fists on her hips. “You’re starting to make me very mad. I’ll race you to the house.”

“From here?” I glanced around. We were about a mile from the beach.

“Why not? You can swim, can’t you, superman?”

I shook my head and grinned. “I’ll do my best. What are the stakes?”

“Sheer satisfaction, and bragging rights, of course.”

She kicked off her sneakers, unbuttoned her shirt and tossed it aside. Then she wriggled out of her jeans, leaving herself in a halter top and panties-which were turquoise blue and nicely revealing.

I pulled off my boots and shirt and stood up.

“You’re going to leave your pants on?” she said.

The uncomfortable truth was that when I’d been hurrying to buy new clothes, I’d forgotten to get underwear.

“I’ll take my chances.”

“Whatever you say, hotshot. Quit staring at my legs though.”

“Sorry. But, you know, there they are.”

“Not for long. Ready?”

“Any time.”

“How about now!”

We dove off the boat at the same instant, both with powerful arcing leaps that carried us a good ten yards.

But actually, Lucy hit the water at least a couple of feet ahead of me. I couldn’t believe it.

I stayed under for another hundred yards, aware of Lucy right beside me. She was slicing through the water like a seal.

By the time we broke the surface, her lead had increased to half a body length, and those strong thighs of hers were churning along-next to my head.

I attacked the remaining distance with ferocious strokes, moving faster than the fastest human could run.

But by the time my toes found the sandy bottom, she was scampering up the beach, her turquoise behind twitching back and forth as if it were waving good-bye.

That iced it.

I was damned if I was going to let her outrun me too.

With the two of us bounding along like giant, insane grasshoppers, I poured on everything I had, springing after her in huge stretching leaps, barely skimming the ground when I touched down. Each time, my longer legs gained a step on her, and as the house came into sight and loomed closer, the two of us were in a dead heat.

I couldn’t let her win-not twice in the same race.

I landed on the porch an instant before Lucy did. But before I could declare any kind of victory, she turned and said, “I let you win-the run.”

Then my “sister” disappeared inside the house.