DESPERATE  MEASURES

Part Six:

Brianna remembered standing by a large planter, filled with blooming petunias.

It was night and she was waiting for her car to be brought round from the valet lot. 

As she stood there, she inhaled the slightly spicy fragrance, deliberately bending low

several times. Five minutes after she'd driven away, another car had crashed head-on

into hers and ever since then she could not smell petunias without thinking of that

night. The scent was permanently woven into the memory.

Now, as she stood watching Maximus lying on the flat rock by the pool, sunlight sparkling

on the drops of water that covered him yet, she thought of that, wondering if the scent of

hot mangoes would from now on bring the sight of him thusly back to her.

His right hand, which had been lying on his abdomen,  was starting to slide and she

knew he must be falling asleep. She saw his tunic draped over a bush and smiled,

remembering it lying, wet like now, in a puddle of water near the bath house pool.

A mango slipped out of her make-shift sling and landed beside her with a small *plop*.
She held her breath, hoping it hadn't wakened him. His finding her here, staring at
him from behind the bushes, was not what she wanted. Not at all. But he didn't stir and

she sighed in relief. With a last, long, lingering look, she reluctantly turned and headed

back to the beach.

She was glad he'd found the pool. He looked peaceful there beside it. So much must

be going through his mind, such confusion. He must have so many questions. It seemed,

though, he was not yet ready to ask them. She hurt for him. Sid had been brutal, had

wanted to cause them both as much pain as possible. She clenched her teeth angrily at

the thought of him. Damn him!

"Hello, Brianna."

She turned so quickly at the sound of her name she tripped. Strong fingers gripped

her arm, holding her upright. "Maximus?"

Brushing her hair out of her eyes, she found herself looking into a pair of softly

seagreen ones that were regarding her with great affection. The look in them was...

familiar...and she gasped with the pleasure of seeing it again. Then...she realized.

"SID!" She pulled her arm free, staggering back, dropping her load of mangoes. For

one brief instant she'd thought....  "Damn you!" she spat. "You've made me drop my

fruit."  She felt stupid for saying it, but was flustered by the anger and the sudden loss

of hope that were butting heads inside her, and stooped, trying to gather the scattered

mangoes.

He stooped, too, picking up two or three and holding them out to her. Unwillingly, she

looked at him again. That expression was still there. She looked quickly away. Why?

Why was he looking at her like that? She stood, pressing her bundle of fruit to her

chest. "Haven't you caused enough trouble? Why are you here?"

"I couldn't stay away, Brianna."

"You couldn't...?" A mango slipped through a fold in the cloth, falling atop her foot. She

ignored it. "What on earth are you talking about, Sid? Didn't you want to get rid of us?

Isn't that why we are here?"

"Much has changed," he said softly, retrieving the fallen fruit.

Her lip curled in the anger that was now finding free rein. "You...you...it is YOUR doing

that he no longer can abide my presence!"

"I know," he replied, licking his lips. "I've come to make...amends."

"YOU? Amends?" She laughed. The concept was ridiculous.

She fixed him with a steady glare. "There is nothing more you can do now to hurt me,

Sid. You've already done it all."

Leaving him still holding the mango, she strode past him, hissing, "Go AWAY! You are

not wanted here."

He smiled, watching as she made her way through the last bit of undergrowth toward the

beach. "So... beautiful," he murmured, then followed slowly after, tossing the mango and catching it as he walked.

"What the heck...?" She came out of the line of trees to find a large mound of crates and

boxes lying on the sand.

Sid walked up and with a wave of his hand said, "Supplies."

"Sup...? Why?"

"You brought none with you. I thought you might need...things."

She looked at him suspiciously. "You...you're not planning on...staying...are you?"

He cocked his head, shrugging his shoulders.

Oh, God! He was.

"Why, Sid? Why on earth would you stay here?"

"You are here," he said simply, dropping the mango and setting about opening the side of

one of the larger crates.

"You don't even like me," she protested. "You never have."

"As I said, much has changed."

Silently, she watched him continue to open crate after crate, trying to puzzle this out.

What was he up to? He had to be up to something. Sid never did anything unless it was

of some personal benefit to himself. What could he gain by coming to this island?
"You haven't changed your mind? You haven't decided to...kill...him, have you?"

"Goodness, no!" he laughed, stacking large pieces of corrugated metal near the trees.

"What ARE you doing, Sid?"

"Getting ready to build a shelter.  Or do you have one already?"

"You know good and well I've not been here long enough for that."

"Is that your fire?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Good job. The wind break was an excellent idea. Did Maximus do that?"

"He...left. Went to look for fresh water."

Ah, so the General had left her to her own devices, had he? "Will he be returning soon?"

She didn't answer, but her expression told him all he needed to know. "I'm sorry,

Brianna. Perhaps if I speak with him...?"

"I doubt that that's a good idea. Not right now."

Something was different about him, the way he carried himself, held his head, even

something in the tone of his voice. He'd said twice that much had changed. What?

What had changed? She sat in the shade of a palm, watching him. He smiled at her

from time to time and still that expression of affection remained in his eyes. It was...

unnerving. It made him look like... my God! That was it! It reminded her of Maximus!

She chewed her lip, studying him carefully. What had he done? Oh...Lord! The program!

All the things she and Maximus had been experiencing since the chips had been inserted.

Had he actually managed...had he somehow...? He set down a heavy box, then leaned

back flexing his right hand in that way Maximus had. It was the gesture of a swordsman.

She held her breath. He had done it. Somehow he had done it. She looked at him not

knowing whether to feel disgusted or amazed.

He still looked like Sid...smooth cheeks...sharply defined jaw line, a different muscular

build than Maximus. But the ocean wind was blowing his hair as he worked. His perfect

coif was gone. That, combined with the smile on his face, did serve to give him a whole

different air. But he was still Sid. Therefore, he wanted something.

He'd taken off his shirt and was barefoot. Sid never appeared unless he was fully suited.

He must be making some supreme effort to allow himself to be seen like this. It must be

part of some plan.

It was, indeed, the first time Sid had ever felt sand under his toes, the first time the wind

had ever blown his hair. He quite liked it. It brought back memories of...of...his boyhood

in Spain. That was it! He had memories of a boyhood. He stopped what he was doing and

stood still, just looking at the ocean, remembering. He knew the feel of a horse between

his thighs, knew the scent of warm grapes, the sound a cypress makes in the wind. Sitting

down, he wrapped his arms around his knees, exploring all that he now knew that he'd

never known before. Reaching his right hand down beside him, he filled it with sand then

let it sift, blowing away. He understood why Maximus did that! Turning his head, he

looked at Brianna with wonderment in his eyes.

"I understand," he said, his voice low, almost breaking.

From the edge of the trees, someone asked, "What is it you understand?"

Both Brianna's and Sid's heads turned to see Maximus standing there, his hand

clenching and unclenching on his wooden staff.

ON TO PART 7

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