Story 09 – Part 2 – Cold Water

“So, is he really all right with us, well, dating?” Jordan asked.

“I think so,” Vire said as she checked the pipe fittings. “It depends on if you’re fine with it.”

“I’ll admit I still feel a little rusty when it comes to the dating game,” Jordan sighed.

“Not as bad as me.”

“Don’t we make a lovely couple?”

Vire started laughing. Last month, Jordan started asking her out quite often and soon they had been doing several things together. When she had first met Jordan she had flirted a bit, but then hesitated since she was a single mother. As much as she treated Tech like any normal child, she honestly could not date a man who was not willing to deal with Tech. The fact that Jordan was learning sign language had really won her over. Not to mention he could talk weapons with her.

“You idiot!” a voice yelled down the tunnel. “No, not that one!”

“What’s wrong Steve?” Vire called.

“It’s about to get really wet in your area,” Steve hollered back. “Pea-brain used the wrong fitting and busted the pipe.”

“That’s cold,” Jordan said as a few inches of water rushed through the tunnel. “How far away is he? The echo in the tunnel is messing up my hearing.”

“I think he’s just around the bend,” Vire said as she stood up, her knees dripping.

“The bend is five minutes that way.”

“Hence why his voice reached us just before the water.”

“I thought the water main was shut off,” Jordan said.

“Me too,” Vire agreed. “Let’s check it out.”

“You know,” Jordan added, “in my experience, every time some one says that there ends up being a booby trap.”

Vire snickered as they sloshed through the water. That sort of thing only happened to people in the movies, and to freelance agents. Still, she was not particularly worried. Steve had been repairing pipe works for years and was the primary trainer of apprentices for the entire city. He had been through worse situations than the water main not being shut off.

When they rounded the corner in the tunnel, Steve had already gotten the leak mostly under control. His helper was standing to the side, looking a little sheepish and yet annoyed at the same time. Vire remembered now that Steve’s helper was supposed to have recently received masters status. Damaging the pipe to the extent he had done was a rookie mistake.

“Need a hand?” Vire asked Steve.

“You’re better than he is,” Steve snapped. “Seriously. Who trained you? I know it wasn’t me you incompetent fool. I’d like to get my hands on whoever gave you masters status.”

“You’re being awfully harsh,” Vire said quietly, as she knelt next to Steve.

“I don’t like him,” Steve grumbled. “I had told them that all I needed was one assistant that I selected and they insisted on stick me with that incompetent idiot. He can’t even do the job. He keeps wandering off. I have to fix his mistakes. I could have had this job done already if it was just the two of us. Even if the guy had just sat aside like your boyfriend.”

Vire had to agree, even though it was a harsh assessment of a person. The guy had really mucked up the pipes badly. In fact, it looked like the pipe had been corroded. There was the sound of a scuffle and Vire moved just in time as she heard Jordan yell followed by a splash. Jordan had Steve’s incompetent helper on the ground, just barely keeping his head out of the puddle of water that was still lingering.

“Jordan!” Vire snapped.

“Where is it?” Jordan growled. “I’m an explosives expert and I know bomb work. So, what are you trying to blow? I’d rather not go looking.”

“Explosives? Seriously?”

“That’s new,” Steve grumbled.