Tempered

by Britt Ringel

  Sadler kept eye contact and scowled. “You need me. You needed me when you faced Lolz.” He looked between the two women. “You’ll need me to take on this juggernaut, however we’re going to do it.”

  “Kat,” Teki interjected again.

  Kat felt her temper spike at Sadler’s persistence. She opened her mouth to retort but stopped. Breathe, Kat. Stop letting your anger cloud you. Think. She recalled her first argument with Sadler. She’d just narrowly avoided being run over by a coal hauler at the mine by flying a utility vehicle out of its path. She’d been afraid and confused, not knowing how or where she had learned how to fly. Then came the squabble the morning after they’d first made love. Seeing his bedroom’s past had driven her into a fit of jealous insecurity. Both times, she’d been scared, scared of who she was and afraid of losing Sadler before he was truly hers. How often did I hide behind anger to avoid my own fears?

  She took a deep breath. Sadler braced for the oncoming storm but seemed adamant to weather it. Teki had grown silent and appeared to want to be anywhere but next to them.

  “You’re right,” Kat admitted quietly. “You have every bit as much at stake as me. You have every right to face this too.”

  Sadler waited for the “but.” None came. His posture eased but he looked at her askew. “So,” he started uncertainly, “I can help you?”

  Kat took her hands off her hips—hadn’t even realized she’d placed them there—and nodded. She trembled as she took Sadler’s hands to steady her own. She swallowed, worried that her voice might quiver like the rest of her. “Sadler, I love you. I’m terrified of getting you killed but I trust and believe in you. And I do need your help.” She looked up at him pitifully and implored, “Will you please help me? But will you agree to help me in the best way that you can, even if that means not being in the line of fire? Losing you is not an option.”

  Sadler gave her his boyish smile. “I can live with that.” He pulled her close.

  “Kat.” Teki had found her voice. The woman used a hand to smooth her blonde hair before declaring, “We can’t just escape Waytown.”

  “Tess’ FLAT,” Kat guessed as her head dropped to her chest. She took another long breath before looking up. “Teki, you have to trust me. What’s on Tess’ FLAT?”

  The woman nodded gravely. “A coded failsafe to message those loyal to our cause.” She scanned around her automatically for eavesdroppers. “Tess was the heart and soul of the defection movement. She built it from the ground up, recruiting only people she was absolutely sure would agree that the Society must end. She’s the only one who knew all of our members.”

  “You mean you don’t know who else is on our side?” Kat asked skeptically.

  Teki shook her head and her brow crinkled. “I know only one other member.” She shrugged. “Hell, maybe that is everyone.”

  “I guess that kind of paranoia makes sense when you have to worry about mind readers,” Sadler said. “You don’t want an entire resistance collapsing if one member gets exposed.”

  “What about Tess?” Kat asked. “She knew everything.”

  “Tess had considerable mental defenses and she would’ve died before giving up the rest of us,” Teki replied. Her voice grew bitter. “She did die protecting us.”

  “But the contents of her FLAT can change that,” Kat prompted.

  “Tess set up a failsafe on her FLAT so she could quickly send a code out to everyone. The words would be a jumble that, when sorted, gave a location for all of us to meet. The Society won’t tell everyone Tess is dead. Obviously if I received the coded message now, I wouldn’t respond but the rest of the resistance will.”

  “And they’ll be slaughtered,” Kat finished.

  “Okay, but how would the Society know about her failsafe?” Sadler asked. “They didn’t even know Tess was against them until yesterday, right?”

  “Right,” Kat and Teki answered in tandem. Kat continued, “But they’ll go through all of Tess’ possessions with a fine-toothed comb, looking for evidence of her treachery. The Society is thorough if nothing else.” She kicked at the dry earth and began to walk again down the Strip. “We need to get to the Beggar’s Market and see if they’ve dug her body out.”

  They walked a quickened pace through the outskirts of Shantytown. With the increasing foot traffic, more and more Trodden gave the utility belt slung over Kat’s shoulder greater attention. Eventually, she ducked into a vacant alley and reluctantly stuffed the revolver into her waistband before untucking her shirt over it. The weapon was large and unwieldy but she refused to relinquish it. She abandoned the corp-sec radio and keys, however, and cursed loudly when the stun baton proved too bulky to conceal. The long flashlight quickly followed the baton into a trash heap along the wall. An observant Trodden would hit the jackpot today. The belt’s two speed loaders and multi-tool went into a zippered cargo pocket along with the chemical spray. Kat handed Sadler the small first aid kit to carry.

  Less than half an hour later, they skirted several streets around Sadler’s abandoned aircar. Kat wasn’t sure if the vehicle would still be there but if it was, it would likely be under surveillance.

  As they approached the market’s entrance, Kat stopped her group one street short and ushered them to the mouth of another alley. “Let’s just watch for a while.”

  The traffic into the market was moderate despite the calamity the day before. Kat scanned for wolves in sheep’s clothing but failed to find any. Her attention shifted to a group of women walking near her alley. Critical eyes swept over each woman’s clothing. The group passed without fanfare. Kat remained patient in her search despite the midday’s unbearable heat. Eventually, she found what she was looking for. She pulled out her revolver and the reloads before handing them to Sadler. “Hold this and wait here,” she quickly ordered before trotting off to intercept an older woman with a child in tow.

  “Excuse me,” Kat called out as she advanced.

  The woman immediately positioned herself between Kat and the child. Despite her apparent age, her build was similar to Kat’s own and she held an arm defensively around the young boy while staring warily at Kat. “What do you want?” she demanded as she took cautious steps back.

  Kat shamelessly pulled her Porter Mining shirt over her head, leaving her in only a bra. She unzipped a pants pocket next and displayed the 10-centimeter canister of chemical spray. She held both the shirt and spray out as offerings. “Corp-sec strength SEAR spray and a brand new shirt in exchange for your shirt and your hat.”

  The woman’s eyes narrowed suspiciously as a hand ran to her sunhat. It was a dirty yellow bucket design with a wide brim hanging low. Her shirt was simple, a sleeveless synthetic golden smock. The gold had faded to a pale yellow that nearly matched the hat. “Seems a bit too good to be true,” the woman considered. “I ain’t going into no alley to trade.” She gestured to the ground. “Toss them over and I’ll give you mine.”

  Kat pitched her items onto the dirt.

  The woman’s mouth opened slightly in surprise. “You’re serious?” She ripped off her hat and quickly began to strip the shirt over her head.

  Kat’s own surprise took hold when she realized that nobody gave them more than a second glance other than a few leering men. She felt her face flush slightly.

  After collecting the chemical spray and Porter shirt with a hand, the woman tossed her shirt and hat at Kat. Both women quickly donned their new outfits. The older woman practically jogged away, shepherding the child in front of her while continuing to look back distrustfully. Kat spun and trotted back to her alley.

  “Every man out there was enjoying the show,” Sadler noted as she approached.

  Kat smiled under her blush. She slipped a finger under the shoulder of her smock and tugged at her bra strap. “But only you’ve been to the VIP room.” She began to empty her pockets into Sadler’s hands. “I’m going into the market to see what the cul-de-sac looks like. I need you both to stay here, okay?”

  Sadl
er frowned but said, “This is one of those times I can help best by staying back?”

  Kat shot him a look. “There’s no reason for all of us to go. It’ll only make us stand out. This is solely a recon mission and I know how to act in the Beggar’s Market. I’ll be ten minutes.”

  “She’s right,” Teki agreed. “We’ll stay here, Kat, and if we have to run, we’ll meet at Reneta’s.”

  Kat plucked the multi-tool from Sadler’s palm and turned back to the Strip.

  “Kat, how are you going to get that into the market?” Sadler asked before she could run off.

  Kat cast a glance over her shoulder. Her smile was wide. “Magic.”

  Chapter 32

  The line to enter the market moved slowly. Today’s yellow-shirted guards seemed especially untrusting and searched would-be shoppers more thoroughly than Kat had ever seen before. As she waited, she pulled her hat low and remained as still as possible. Looking around nervously and shifting one’s weight made a person stand out. When it was her turn to enter the market, she walked calmly to a guard while palming the multi-tool.

  “Arms out,” the guard ordered.

  Kat stretched her arms out with closed hands as the man knelt. He ran his hands over her shoes first and then proceeded up her ripstop pants. His grip was tight over her calves but loosened as he traveled higher. The guard’s thumbs brushed her inner thighs mechanically and his hands rounded her to cup her butt.

  During the pat-down, Kat saw no pleasure in the man’s eyes, just those of a professional doing his job. As he stood to begin his search of her torso, she concentrated on the implement hidden in her right hand. She cracked open the abyss in her mind and pushed.

  The guard’s hands pressed over her waist, stomach and chest. His hands continued upward, fingers splaying through her dark hair before moving back to her shoulders. Thumbs pressed into each of her armpits and rough hands squeezed their way to her wrists, stopping at her empty, upturned hands.

  “Go,” the guard directed in a bored voice before turning away from her and waving to the next Trodden in line.

  Kat stayed frozen, arms stretched wide until the hammering pressure forced her to squeeze her eyes closed. She tightened her hands into fists at the assault and moved toward the Beggar’s Market gate.

  She walked under the gate and faced a different kind of assault, that of Trodden commerce. Shrill claims of the “best deals in the market” echoed around her. Sticks of freshly cooked murine were thrust in her face and a row of tin hooch huts peddled their poison.

  The sun continued to beat down during its descent from its zenith and the smell of roasted rat set her stomach rumbling. She’d gone over twenty-four hours without a meal save the thin soup Reneta’s mother had provided. Worse still, the prospect for sustenance looked bleak if they were spending another night in Shantytown. They had the necessary credits thanks to pillaging Teki’s operative account but they would need to transfer the electronic currency into Shantytown silver to spend it. That meant risking exposure near Eastpoint.

  Kat blended with the crowd, taking a circuitous route to Reynolds’ cul-de-sac. When she finally arrived at the intersection, she casually glanced down the narrow lane. The destroyed Society vehicles were gone, undoubtedly stripped by quick-acting merchants. Reynolds’ clinic remained closed and Kat hoped it was because the doctor had taken shelter with a friend rather than some darker alternative. Off to the side, the remnants of the building she had collapsed sagged in defeat. Kat’s heart sank when neat piles of rubble and the excavated center of the building came into view. She resisted the temptation to walk closer. Her enemy’s eyes had to be watching and she already knew Tess was gone.

  Instead, Kat meandered past the cul-de-sac toward the water well. When she was halfway to the well, she paused to browse at a food cart. The vendor offered sticks of murine along with thicker, longer cuts that smelled distinctly different.

  “Wild dog,” the man explained after seeing her confused expression. “Higher quality and better for you.” He waved to his culinary morsels on the grill. “More nutrition and less disease.” The strips of flesh were bundled together with twine and rested over lukewarm coals. “Three small for a pack.”

  Kat felt her insides sour at the thought. She shook her head rapidly and stepped back from the cart to allow another customer to take her place. Her stomach grumbled its frustration. After the man ahead of her finished his purchase, Kat stepped back to the vendor. She flashed the multi-tool in her palm. “What would this get me?”

  The man’s eyebrows rose high and he quickly searched the area for market guards. Finding none, he brought a hand to his receding hairline and studied the tool. “That’s a nice piece of equipment. It’d certainly help keep the grill running.” He looked up and down the street again before evaluating Kat with a conspiratorial grin. Reaching under his firebox, he pulled out a warming tray. Kat suspected the tray’s original purpose was to catch ash. Inside it were thick chunks of seared, white flesh. The smell was divine. “Poultry,” he said in a low voice. “Got me a contact in town. I get real, citizen meat in exchange for Elation.”

  “All of it,” Kat insisted.

  The vendor nodded and reached for the multi-tool.

  Kat quickly pulled her hand away. “And two large.”

  The man’s eyes narrowed but Kat set her stance. “You’re still coming out way ahead and you know it,” she told him. “You’ll never have this opportunity again.”

  The man took less than a second to make his decision. He shoved the cooked chicken into a crinkled, grease-stained paper bag. Next, two large silver coins from his till dropped into the bag with the food.

  They exchanged items distrustfully but bore wide grins afterward.

  “Pleasure doing business with you,” the man said. “Come back if you get more of those.”

  Kat waved and then disappeared into the crowd. The meat sung to her the entire trip back to the gate. Her last stop was a hooch hut where she spent one large on a hefty, glass container of home-stilled alcohol. Minutes later, she trotted down the Strip toward Sadler and Teki.

  “Here,” she said as she pushed the bag of food into Sadler’s chest. “Dinner for three.”

  Sadler’s nose wrinkled at first but when he breathed in the aroma, his eyes widened. “Is this actually chicken?” he blurted loudly.

  Kat cuffed him playfully. “Keep your voice down. We don’t need to fight off half of Shantytown for it.” She reached in and pulled out a cube of meat. It was tough, overcooked and dry, yet it still tasted like heaven. The threesome made short work of their dinner.

  “Tess?” Teki asked once she had swallowed her last bite.

  Kat’s eyes lowered and her smile disappeared. “They dug her out, Teki. I’m sorry.”

  The woman stayed silent, eyes fixed on the ground in front of her.

  “They’ll also have her FLAT,” Kat added.

  “I can’t even warn the others,” Teki lamented. She squeezed her eyes shut.

  “How long will it take the Society to discover the failsafe?”

  Teki took an uneven breath. “Tess would have taken every precaution. They probably won’t be able to scrape the information until they get the FLAT back to the campus.” She sighed and her brown eyes locked onto Kat’s. “When the Society mines that code though, they’ll exterminate the entire resistance. Everything that Tess built will be destroyed.” Resolve took hold of her voice. “I can’t ask you to—”

  “I’m going with you.”

  “Thank you, Kat.” Teki sighed again but this time in relief. Her eyes flickered lower. “I was never very nice to you but Tess was right. The whole time, she was right about you.”

  “We’re going with you,” Sadler corrected. “When do we go?”

  Kat looked at the sun. “It’s too late today,” she answered. “They’ll scale back their search during the night, meaning more agents will be at TriLink. We’ll wait until the agents and operatives are deployed again tomorrow morning.
”

  Sadler reached down to the glass container resting near Kat’s feet. He removed the lid and sniffed before pulling his face away quickly. The noise he made was something between a groan and a whimper. “Wow, this’ll help us pass the time.”

  “It’ll help you go blind, you mean. Besides, it’s not for us.”

  He took another cautious sniff. “Then who do you hate so much?”

  Kat smiled wickedly. “Remember how you wanted to fly me home after our first date?”

  “Of course I do.”

  She arched an eyebrow. “Well, I guess it’s time I showed you my first home.”

  With that, the trio filed back onto the Strip. They headed east, away from the Beggar’s Market, on a route that almost felt routine to Kat. By the time they arrived at the mouth of Rat’s alley, it was early evening. Kat looked expectantly into the narrow, trash-ridden lane. As she anticipated, the Tory Boys had resumed their occupation. She marched boldly into the alley, openly brandishing her revolver. Sadler and Teki flanked her with their own firearms.

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa!” screamed the eldest Tory, springing to his feet. He frantically gestured to his offspring to get up. “We were just watching it for you, lady.” He scrambled down the alley with his boys toward the trash wall.

  “Wait!” Kat called out, “I have a business proposition for you.”

  The man was already boosting his youngest over the wall. “The alley’s all yours. No deal needed.”

  Kat lifted the jar of hooch and shook it. “Fine, if you’re not interested in earning this and ownership of the alley, go ahead and run like rats.” She tossed the heavy jar haphazardly into the air and caught it.

  The man’s eyes widened and he thrust out a dirty hand. “Stop! Don’t break it! If you’re serious, I’m interested, but you don’t need to hurt us. We’ll never come back here now that we know you want this alley.”

  “We won’t harm you or your boys.” She smiled dangerously. “I need them.”