「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!」134Please respect copyright.PENANA5uHsrSMsCF
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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)。134Please respect copyright.PENANA65bKtZDEx5
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。134Please respect copyright.PENANA7t05Wa2FBL
「呵,在想事情……」134Please respect copyright.PENANAsSi0RBGxdA
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。134Please respect copyright.PENANACLWLYNp7tu
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。134Please respect copyright.PENANAWneVWxdhnq
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。」134Please respect copyright.PENANAfqrW21mINl
突然,門前一道清脆的鈴聲響起,兩個人走進來。134Please respect copyright.PENANAQbw9kjDP2F
「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。134Please respect copyright.PENANAqyLXv6ihr1
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「不用那麼拘謹,你們又跑到危險的地方玩啦?」134Please respect copyright.PENANA7uBz2APuQi
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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?」134Please respect copyright.PENANAsiNYTi1mLW
134Please respect copyright.PENANAoi2l3vp3rK
「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。」134Please respect copyright.PENANAu7CSB66rTy
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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)。134Please respect copyright.PENANAlGG3ChUUC4
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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——134Please respect copyright.PENANAm6HYI12x8B
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「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。134Please respect copyright.PENANAwLW6soVOCn
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「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。134Please respect copyright.PENANAe0dlJ1foa8
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「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。」134Please respect copyright.PENANAJEsqtyBiVU
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「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?」134Please respect copyright.PENANA7agKfKeBp2
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「我部隊中的一個小子,叫伯特利・戴維斯(Bethel Davis)——你們認識他吧?」134Please respect copyright.PENANAFjL4AgOe1H
134Please respect copyright.PENANA4AKWXaS89s
「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。」134Please respect copyright.PENANAgME8X5gJDd
134Please respect copyright.PENANAlQ65wyVK4k
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。134Please respect copyright.PENANAXVYRIpqiJd
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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。134Please respect copyright.PENANAPPUtlSblus
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「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。」134Please respect copyright.PENANAGfEipBgiXY
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「收到。」134Please respect copyright.PENANA0PLXrz9epR
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「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……」134Please respect copyright.PENANAB0neW7kFQX
134Please respect copyright.PENANAxL96pHzj2a
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。」134Please respect copyright.PENANAIezs6g5eYc
134Please respect copyright.PENANA8YnNsyKXGR
「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!」134Please respect copyright.PENANAq7eGTIuk6r
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「無妨,我買下來。」克拉克豪爽開口。134Please respect copyright.PENANA0HwxuHCL4m
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「那是喪服,你一個參加婚禮的大活人買女用喪服幹嘛?」134Please respect copyright.PENANATYx7kcQb4g
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「我出一半的錢,不夠的話給你算利息還。」潔姬即答。134Please respect copyright.PENANAhydEQ3smHz
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「成交。」麗莎返回工作桌,繼續幹活。134Please respect copyright.PENANA7ZhkaDdhqI
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「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。134Please respect copyright.PENANArni3ccBFk6
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「對了,還有……」134Please respect copyright.PENANAWmRF5yTWBo
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「什麼事?」134Please respect copyright.PENANAnoEbXefpPI
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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。」134Please respect copyright.PENANAkbnlK6tHGE
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「我知道。」潔姬等人頭也不回地走了。134Please respect copyright.PENANAiGKIxTiN35