「上校!上校!」一道女聲將男人從回憶中拉出——他回過神,女店主嘟著嘴、手插著腰:「叫你好幾次,還以為你怎麼了!」47Please respect copyright.PENANAqKLQUenDgU
47Please respect copyright.PENANAKrPYjJ2REv
暖色的燈光照亮橡木質地的地板,靠在牆上的櫃子擺有花花綠綠的鮮豔布匹,令人眼花繚亂——這裡是麗莎的手做編織工房(Lisa's Handcrafted Knitting Workshop)。47Please respect copyright.PENANAz8LUC9VbEK
而這家小裁縫店內,佇立一位身材魁梧、身高逼近兩公尺的男人,顯得格外顯眼——他便是城市巡防軍的領袖,人稱「雷皇」的克拉克・麥克斯韋爾(Clerk Maxwell)上校。47Please respect copyright.PENANAYVQgi3xZCh
「呵,在想事情……」47Please respect copyright.PENANAaBOAuKZiiC
迷人的唇角勾起、帶動雙頰略微粗曠的鬍渣,深褐色且俐落的後梳西裝頭,克拉克給人一種“拉丁情人”的浪漫感,不過他在私生活上相當自重,可沒流傳出何種風流韻事,嚴以律己、嚴以待人,是他一直以來奉為圭臬的宗旨。47Please respect copyright.PENANAK66l378EL6
畢竟他也是改造士兵,守護人類最後的基地是他的責任,而沒有什麼比“責任”還更為重要。47Please respect copyright.PENANAtLm4c7tyiN
可這抹笑容讓本店店主麗莎害臊極了,尤其還在幫他訂做衣服那麼尷尬的姿勢下。專業不允許她的手指鬆開皮尺、正在為他丈量肩寬,宛如一頭犀牛上的小鳥一般:「好啦,手打開,我要量腰圍。」47Please respect copyright.PENANAWwmv4v1l9e
突然,門前一道清脆的鈴聲響起,兩個人走進來。47Please respect copyright.PENANA76Ieclv7LJ
「您好!上校閣下!」噠噠兩聲,潔姬與米拉作勢學士兵一樣踢正步、進行敬禮。47Please respect copyright.PENANAkfcGCubNhB
47Please respect copyright.PENANAhNJkKPSE8h
「不用那麼拘謹,你們又跑到危險的地方玩啦?」47Please respect copyright.PENANAS84x0uLux5
47Please respect copyright.PENANAG0kjuMVXRy
米拉自知跑到地下城區的冒險是她起頭的,語氣有些慌張:「哇,上校閣下怎麼都知道?」47Please respect copyright.PENANAozaIQtOp4G
47Please respect copyright.PENANAqLa21YaNtj
「我有我的情報網。」克拉克上前拍一拍潔姬的肩膀:「辛苦你了,本來是米拉來監視你,現在反而是你在幫我們管好米拉。」47Please respect copyright.PENANAC9uPr2qpMn
47Please respect copyright.PENANAZWbgVfpthT
一旁的米拉聽到不是滋味地嘟起嘴,潔姬仍保持一貫的微笑頷首,跟同齡人比起來,她的確更像是個舉止得體、行為收斂的紳士,而非活潑的少女(當然,除卻戰鬥時可跟“收斂”兩字毫不相干)。47Please respect copyright.PENANAyhJpdyiMBi
47Please respect copyright.PENANAEJjAFqBuqu
是因為“那計畫”影響下才表現出來的個性、還是她原來的個性呢?現在不重要,只要她仍——47Please respect copyright.PENANALDgkmFRAHA
47Please respect copyright.PENANAYkuyz05MtZ
「來到這裡快一年了,你還謹守與我們全體鎮民的約定,我很高興。」克拉克又是那一抹微笑,比起稱號像是暴雨雷電交加、不怒而威的形象;現在反倒像和煦的陽光一般,流淌著和藹的親切感。47Please respect copyright.PENANA7JlRHhGYWa
47Please respect copyright.PENANAqzpjUyHkPf
「可不可以請你不要突然走動,這樣我要重測。」皮尺套住腰圍、麗莎無言以對,現在是個拉馬車的馬伕了。47Please respect copyright.PENANAuJwYL5JefX
47Please respect copyright.PENANAXWf1fj9NzW
「哎呀,抱歉。」上校返回自己該回到的“崗位”上,悄悄說道:「是我妹妹海倫最近要結婚了,我要準備一套西裝好參加婚禮。」47Please respect copyright.PENANAFRkL6gDOnE
47Please respect copyright.PENANAy0dnzulk2k
「恭喜您,上校!」米拉手捂住嘴,深怕期待與感動從口中逸脫:「對象是誰?」47Please respect copyright.PENANAphDhOdCkFz
47Please respect copyright.PENANAGBFRfA8dez
「我部隊中的一個小子,叫伯特利・戴維斯(Bethel Davis)——你們認識他吧?」47Please respect copyright.PENANASozcnJkZn3
47Please respect copyright.PENANA4lzTPkD9z7
「也是戴維爾生化工廠(Devil Factory)的少東——」潔姬眼神一凜:「總算要切入正題了。」47Please respect copyright.PENANAWC6DFIVcyZ
47Please respect copyright.PENANAptXQp0oyeA
克拉克、潔姬進入狀況,米拉仍糊裡糊塗地搞不清楚,但說到戴維爾生化工廠,樂於汲取各類知識的她當然也有耳聞,那是雷納普首屈一指的化學藥劑工廠,負責重現舊時代已失傳的處方藥,近年還針對地下城區毒氣症狀的新藥物之開發案。47Please respect copyright.PENANA7e2bh0JHex
47Please respect copyright.PENANAhgx3ggoe9B
而最近傳來工廠時常有不肖人士闖入、職員被威脅勒索等情事,拖累了整體開發案的進度——這就關係到米拉偉大的志業了。47Please respect copyright.PENANAccIYZXgJjG
47Please respect copyright.PENANANZ9sDcASvo
「這算在我個人的委託,也就是一名“普通民眾”的請求——揪出是誰在搞破壞。」47Please respect copyright.PENANAlQLUXDRc0C
47Please respect copyright.PENANAheQ5q1kXLn
「收到。」47Please respect copyright.PENANA5nS8HdXWfJ
47Please respect copyright.PENANAVrd9lCzgYg
「很好,這任務就交給你們調查。」克拉克手摸下巴沉思:「至於報酬……」47Please respect copyright.PENANAwNmDYTdjee
47Please respect copyright.PENANA1e0r9N5zcR
潔姬指向店裡一件優雅剪裁、襯有蕾絲的復古黑色洋裝:「我要這件。」47Please respect copyright.PENANA2KHkIeCjM1
47Please respect copyright.PENANAaHslz3HNGa
「欸!這就關我的事了!」正在裁布的麗莎放下剪刀,手插著腰走上前:「這件不便宜喔!」47Please respect copyright.PENANAC5Bd81uvoZ
47Please respect copyright.PENANAu4uF2YmB9l
「無妨,我買下來。」克拉克豪爽開口。47Please respect copyright.PENANA0d12W6hg3q
47Please respect copyright.PENANAoD9VFLlLbG
「那是喪服,你一個參加婚禮的大活人買女用喪服幹嘛?」47Please respect copyright.PENANAazpj9IUb2w
47Please respect copyright.PENANAwZ78qAH6pI
「我出一半的錢,不夠的話給你算利息還。」潔姬即答。47Please respect copyright.PENANASw3JuVoadR
47Please respect copyright.PENANAt76P4w2lPw
「成交。」麗莎返回工作桌,繼續幹活。47Please respect copyright.PENANAGtLl58pYJH
47Please respect copyright.PENANAQyOSSiY2em
「那我們走囉。」任務明白、目標明確、報酬明瞭,潔姬牽起米拉就往門外走。47Please respect copyright.PENANAwsL9bFtoBF
47Please respect copyright.PENANAprfpdCK53N
「對了,還有……」47Please respect copyright.PENANAYjz1aOMOKG
47Please respect copyright.PENANAbSDEtcvSvV
「什麼事?」47Please respect copyright.PENANAxuIJHNk5Cs
47Please respect copyright.PENANAIa9VIh3Qsd
克拉克語氣轉為作為軍人的嚴肅語氣:「小心西方教會(Westminster)的殘黨,他們可能潛伏在這裡。」47Please respect copyright.PENANA6RcrxUxwyT
47Please respect copyright.PENANAJm3FoXbz3I
「我知道。」潔姬等人頭也不回地走了。47Please respect copyright.PENANAJ1o9hWcESW