Episode 41

(Bulgaria, May 8, 2001)

[Author’s note: a little over two years have passed since the events in episodes 39-40. This episode is from Sree's point of view.]

The chain wouldn’t have been difficult to break, but there was no need; its owner conveniently had left it unlocked. After sliding the rear gate open as quietly as possible, Daryl slipped into the dark beyond. Sree followed, less quiet and far less serious. She generously had ceded operational management to him, only lending her expertise when needed. To her this was just another routine break-in, one of the myriad minor exercises which comprised their search for Rin. She had to refrain from laughing when Daryl referred to it as a mission. Military jargon seemed comically overwrought for what amounted to little more than a string of interviews and minor crimes.

Sree certainly was no stranger to such things but quickly realized she was a stranger to keeping a human partner alive. It felt like one of those parenting classes where each kid had to carry around an egg for a day. She could not imagine Rin lasting more than a minute before breaking that egg. Maybe she had, again and again. Maybe Daryl happened to be the one egg which had lasted a little longer. Sree didn’t know and didn’t care. It did not matter how Daryl ended up with her. All that mattered was that the “mission” succeed.

Though … she had to admit that the egg was an apt analogy in more way than one. By any measure other than physical appearance, Daryl was a baby next to her. Sree wondered how Rin had dealt with nurturing a baby. Not well, she expected. Definitely not well. She imagined that Daryl had the scars to show just how badly. Well, Sree wouldn’t add to those. She was the patient one, except when it came to that one thing. Besides, Daryl was part of her sister’s life. By being with him she was in some small way experiencing what Rin had experienced, even if quite differently. Daryl had given her this, and the thought warmed her.

There were other reasons to let Daryl have his way, of course. In Sree’s experience, men liked to think they were in charge. It made them easier to manage. The other way of managing them was less congenial and far messier, and she had no desire to practice it on Daryl. At first, Sree had braced herself for a long campaign of subtle admonitions and blandishments to steer him correctly while sparing his ego. To his credit, this proved unnecessary.

Sree was surprised by the consistently sound decisions Daryl made and quickly came to trust his judgment. After a few weeks, she was content to let him lead in fact as well as appearance. Though she always reviewed his plans thoroughly, only on two occasions had she discovered major shortcomings. Both involved knowledge Daryl could not have possessed and which she helpfully furnished. Nor had his response been ungracious. He thanked her and amended the plans without the slightest show of acrimony or insecurity. Sree began to understand how he had survived Rin. There clearly was a fine line the man walked to keep Rin’s respect but not earn her ire. She was uncertain how Daryl had managed it without going mad.

A low growl roused Sree from her reverie. Daryl’s flashlight was visible in the distance, but she could see little else. Somehow they must have gotten separated while she was lost in thought. This worried her. She had learned early on that Daryl had little regard for his own safety. As absurd as it sounded, his only concern was protecting her. Once he finally accepted that she needed no protection from the world, his ambition narrowed to keeping her safe from Rin.

Now that they were getting close, he kept urging her to remain behind him. Sree would have none of it. Daryl’s protectiveness was endearing but could get a bit tiring. Especially when he insisted on impeding her own search for Rin. Sree had been a little less understanding than usual during their last exchange, and she wondered whether Daryl’s flashlight was distant by accident.

It had not changed direction in response to the growl or subsequent barking, and Sree guessed he could not hear them. This pleased her, because she loved dogs and wanted to play with this one undisturbed. A slight pressure on her leg indicated that this one was not all bark. Through a deep growl, the dog’s teeth sought purchase on her calf. Looking down, Sree was saddened to see her adorable black jumpsuit already in tatters.

She had laughed at Daryl when he first presented the bodysuit to her. So he liked girls in slinky outfits, she teased. It left little to the imagination, and Sree doubted that even she could pull off that look. What was the saying? ‘Everybody’s a nobody in a bikini.’ Well, in a slinky jumpsuit everybody is a cliche. She certainly felt like one.

But Daryl insisted that the dark fabric would be difficult to spot. Apparently, there was a truth on which the cliche rested. Being human must be so tiresome, demanding constant attention to such details. She tried to recall if it had been that way when she was mortal but could not. This bothered her more than anything else.

Sree reluctantly had donned the outfit but found it surprisingly comfortable. She had expected the elastic fabric to resist motion, yet it actually facilitated it. She quickly became accustomed to the outfits and even fond of them. Unfortunately, they had to be replaced frequently. Wear and tear was inevitable, and few lasted more than a week. This seemed like a waste to Sree. It felt like each was discarded just as she grew attached to it.

She really had liked this one. For some reason, it fit better than the others. Sree suspected Daryl had it custom made for her after she complained that the last few were too tight. Sometimes she really wanted to kiss him. Always, in fact. It took a lot of willpower not to.

By now, the pit bull had completely shredded the pant material on Sree’s left leg. Despite her frustration about the suit, she felt no resentment toward the dog. She knelt and pet it affectionately, playfully pulling her hand free whenever the animal bit it. The dog desperately twisted and snapped at her. The pant leg was gone, so the suit was a loss anyway; there was no reason to be delicate.

Sree clutched the dog to her chest and crooned adoringly as it tore at her throat. After a minute or two of this, she snuggled her cheek against its frantically struggling head, before placing her hands on its ears and smiling at it. That took some effort, given the dog’s violent convulsions. Sree wasn’t terribly strong, and the creature’s entire body acted like a single muscle in an effort to topple her. The animal finally succeeded by pulling free and then launching itself into her.

Sree laughed and caressed its head as the dog bit at her breasts and neck. Suddenly she noticed an approaching light out of the corner of her eye and remembered Daryl. This wouldn’t do. She looked at the dog sadly and flipped herself on top of it with a single smooth motion. Placing one arm in its eager maw, she put the other behind its neck. Then, using her body for leverage, she snapped its head back with a sharp jerk. “Sorry, little friend. I can’t let you have him.”

Smiling as she greeted Daryl, Sree kept her own flashlight against her face. Despite this attempt to divert his attention, Daryl’s own light quickly moved over her body. Men. It wasn’t long before he noticed the tattered clothes.

“Anything I should worry about?” he whispered.

Sree offered a guilty grin.

Daryl slowly shook his head. “I won’t ask.”

“Always a good idea,” Sree giggled, taking his arm. “There’s nothing obvious here, and it’s too dark to see anything that isn’t obvious. I suggest we return during the day and enter through the front. Rin is expecting us, you know.”

Daryl ran his flashlight over her torn outfit, and sighed. “I guess it’s a good thing I brought a spare.”

“You brought a spare?” Sree asked, delighted.

He gave her a wry look. “Several.”