The Man between my crosshairs (girl X assassin)

Chapter 24/Self preservation etiquette

A/N We are back and what a nice back we have.  Photo: vertical elevators ( not horizontal travel pods ) 

Zoe returned to the hotel. It was one of her typically crazy tactical choices. Self preservation etiquette would suggest she should grab one of her alternative identities and check in somewhere else. Zoe didn't like this option because it was predictable and would create problems for her cover. She also wanted to show that she wasn't scared by a trio of badly hacked robots.

She was hardly surprised when Ryder was waiting for her on one of the sofas in the lounge.

"Zoe hi, I noticed you were coming I thought I would see how you are?" Said Ryder doing a particularly good impression of the overconcerned friend.

Zoe narrowed her eyes.

"Jeeves call the elevator to my room," Zoe said.

Ryder followed her into the elevator. Zoe resisted checking her knife. She didn't want to give him any hints how armed she was. Zoe noticed Ryder's robot Edo was on hand.

The door closed. The robots were left outside as elevators were only for human beings. They would have to jog up the 40 stories.

Zoe grabbed Ryders suit."I can't believe you would kill a fellow assassin."

"Kill? I wouldn't dream of doing that. I was simply doing you a professional courtesy."

Zoe said loudly "Since when is beheading a professional courtesy?" 

"They were only going to damage you. Lose a limb or something. Then you could retire with no honour lost."

"I don't know who you work for Mr, but I'm on a Napoleon contract. Hospitalised or not I don't kill him I die."

"Really?  I used to be with the Dark Orbits. Trust me to be on it as well." said Ryder in the same mater of fact way.

Zoe paused. One of them was a dead man walking. She had that same weird feeling she had before about framing the goat.

"Trust the Dark Orbits to organise there own Battle Royale. I hope they earn a lot from selling the TV rights." Then Zoe had a thought perhaps there was an escape from this "and I take it you're here to kill Styles?"

"Right again," Ryan said.

They had moved out of the ground floor area and the elevator crawled up slowly.

"I'm sorry." Zoe began looking down"You're going to have to die. Nothing personal. I kind of liked you."

Her eyes were stinging for some reason. Her stomach felt like that bowl of bad news had been badly cooked.

"Well, you're welcome to try and kill me." Said Ryan no looking at her "Given how much you looked completely put out when I arrived with Cathy I guess I deserve that. FYI I Kinda like you as well."

Zoe felt like she was standing on an emotional fragment of floating ice. Unstable but Ryan's words about linking her felt like warm thick warm fur coat she wanted to wrap her self in. Then she realized Ryan was emotionally sabotaging her.

"You think I won't kill you ?" Zoe said.

Ryan waved his head slightly "Like I said, You're welcome to try. I deserve it."

Zoe instantly lifted her knee to try and frazz rider. He was fast to. He tried to do a neck chop but she blocked him. Then now started a quick set of lightning fast moves. Most were at her highly trained reactive level. Like the fingers, other well practised piano player Jerry's body moved with out much conscious decision-making. This was where Zoe cognitive prosthesis was really accelerating her movements. She might not have the power but she had the speed. Ryder grabbed Zoe.

"You don't touch want you can't have" she said.

He threw her across the tiny elevator. Winded Zoe grabbed the hand rail and used both her feet to kick  back.

"Nice style," said Ryder fists up " good improvisation. You were taught by Heimlich right?"

He punched at her and she moved fluidly out of the way.

"Yeah Me too" he added.

"What are you going to say next?" Zoe said, " Don't just try and hit me, just hit me."

Zoe tried to punch back, Ryder had anticipated her and dodged, he was good. 

Zoe pulled out her slip knife and tried to stab Ryder. He caught her arm and they ended up body to body. Suddenly the elevator slowed down and the doors opened. Outside the door was an old couple going out for dinner.

The old man closed his conversation With "You see the word tish comes from an ancient slave word, under robot rule humans could not use words like... "

Using one arm to pull her closer Ryder started to kiss Zoe. Their lips touched softly together. The couple at the door got in. Then the old man pressed the button for the top floor restaurant. Zoe realised Ryder was doing this to save both of the covers. Kissing in a lift was one thing fighting another. Rider started kissing more passionately. His lips danced with hers. Between them now held flat was Zoe's knife. Zoe kissed back with their tongues continuing the life of death struggle they could not.

The couple got off again and Zoe managed to land a blow while still kissing.

"IF you can fight as well as you can with your tongue we are going to have a sporting fight," said Ryder the wind knocked out of him. Zoe was going to land a blow to the back of the head. When the stunned Ryder twisted removing the target. He pulled down and before Zoe knew it he was behind her and had his arms around her. He trapped her like a cobra.

"I'd rather be kissing your neck," he said.

"Yeah me to but I'm not into necophelia," said Zoe.

Zoe jumped up pushed against the elevator wall with her feet and broke his grip while flying above him. She landed right on top of him using her elbow to drive home the impact.

"ahh!" said Ryan pained. The lift was slowing down.

"It's our floor," said Ryan pulling himself up "look how about this. We set the elevator to go to the ground floor and we carry on kissing or fighting. OR"

"OR" Zoe said punching Ryder after checking the way was free.

Ryder only manage to counter with a slap of Zoe's ass "We call a truce and resume the murder in the morning."

"OW" said Zoe "Giving you all night to organise out a way to kill me. Yes right."

"No that's the point we sleep together. No weapons. No phones. No way to organise anything. Just you and me what do you say?"

Zoe paused.

"Yeah OK. I'm good with that" she said in a cherry flavoured voice.

The elevator doors opened to show both of them on the ground. The robots were waiting.

"It's not what you think." Said Ryan to the machines.

"I'm a robot according to the definition I don't think anything," said Jeeves helping Zoe get up.

The robots helped their respective owners hobble to room 404.

"My ribs hurt I'm going to have a warm bath," said Ryan.

"Yeah I hurt too. I'll join you. What do we say if Cathy comes."

"She won't. Her dad had Max threaten me. Max is checking me out. I think he has a thing for her. It's going to put my fake ID to the test. Meanwhile Harry has gave Cathy an important job to keep her occupied."