Beneath the Fallen City

by Jamie A. Waters

  He leaned across the desk toward Kayla. “I can only guess what we're going to find in here too. Although, I can’t say I didn’t enjoy your little distraction.”

  Kayla bit down on her bottom lip, still feeling the effect of the kiss. With a small shrug, she said, “It’s always nice to take pleasure in one’s work.”

  He raised an eyebrow at her. “You’re going to be more trouble than I expected, aren’t you?”

  Veridian held up his hands. “Leo tells her that all the time. You might want to reconsider whatever offer you made.”

  Carl gave Kayla a long, lingering look and then shook his head. “No, I don’t think so. The offer still stands. I enjoy a challenge.”

  “Glad to hear it,” she replied easily and winked at him. “I’ll enjoy giving you one.”

  She took her equipment from Veridian and turned to look at Carl one last time before heading out. “Thanks again for the tour. It was enlightening. Good luck with your bug problem.”

  Chapter Three

  Kayla woke up in a bad mood. Her comlink had somehow been turned off during the night and she was running late. She’d planned to be down in the ruins first thing in the morning and it was already approaching noon. On top of that, Veridian wasn’t in camp and she didn’t have a clue where he could be. I have to go chase his ass down now too.

  She hurriedly pulled on her jacket and yanked on her boots before throwing the backpack containing her tools over her shoulder. As she neared the exit, Leo came around the corner and stopped her.

  “Where the hell do you think you’re going?”

  She frowned, wondering what could have Leo agitated this early in the morning. He usually saved his tirades for the end of the day. Part of her wondered if he spent the whole day thinking up new colorful insults to try and best her in their verbal sparring matches. One of these days, she was going to retaliate by giving him a hug or maybe a kiss just to throw him off balance.

  Glancing around, she half hoped someone else would appear so he could yell at them instead. When no one else magically appeared, she resigned herself to her fate. Better to get it over with and get on with my day.

  “I’m going back to Section 12 if I can find my damn spotter. My piece of shit comlink got shut off and I’m running late. I doubt Carl will be expecting us back there so soon after they caught us.” She leaned closer to him and lowered her voice. “I’ve got a feeling about that sector, Leo. I’m never wrong about this. There’s something big there. I’m going back.”

  His eyes lit up greedily, but then he shook his head.

  “No. You’re above ground for the next several days until you fully heal from that fall. You’re not to go into the ruins until I give the word.”

  Kayla stared at him blankly and then laughed at his outrageous demand. That's a new one. With one of his scavengers injured and another ruin rat camp in close proximity to their territory, there was no way he would keep her out of the ruins. They were barely able to make ends meet and keep the camp functioning.

  She pulled her helmet off the rack. “Right, Leo. That’s cute. Now leave me alone and let me do my damn job.”

  Leo grabbed the helmet out of her hands and said more forcefully, “Dammit, girl. I said no. Veridian’s been temporarily assigned to another scavenger until you heal up. You’re above ground until I say so.”

  Kayla’s eyes widened and then narrowed. V was hers. How dare he reassign him and threaten to take away the one constant in her life? When everything seemed to crumble around her, Veridian had been the person to help keep everything together. She couldn't lose him.

  Her nails dug into her palms, the pain a reminder that fear was a weakness, an exploitable emotion. She forced herself to push aside her panic and focus on her anger, unwilling to show Leo how much the thought of losing Veridian scared her. Instead, she reached for an emotion she could wield and lashed out, going on the offensive.

  “Where the hell do you get off breaking up my team? Veridian is my damn partner. I’m perfectly fine to go underground. I’ve taken worse falls before and you’ve never given me shit about it. I’m not some precious artifact that can’t handle a few scrapes and bumps.”

  “It’s your own damn fault, Kayla. You had to get involved in Carl’s business and now he’s paying me to keep you above ground. He says you were hurt the other day and if I don’t keep you off schedule until he says so, he’s threatened to increase his cut in future trades. You stay up here for a week and I collect a thousand credits. You go below ground, I lose much more than that.”

  Kayla froze as his words registered. She shuddered at the onslaught of memories and pushed it aside. She refused to think about the past. The idea of a trader trying to control her was anathema to her. Fury made her reckless and she slammed her hand against the wall in frustration.

  “If brains were explosive, yours couldn’t make a ripple in a teaspoon full of piss,” Kayla spat. “He’s playing you, you idiot. He’s trying to control your operation and push me into accepting his offer. That’s what these traders do. Tell him you kept me above ground if you want. Collect your damn credits. But I’m going down.”

  Leo’s face turned red at her words. Kayla knew she had overstepped herself, but she was too angry to care about the consequences.

  “If you go, you’re out,” he shouted. “Don’t you dare drag Veridian down with you either. Just two days ago, Carl had our com system bugged. He’s got the resources to find out if you drop below. I screw with him and we’re out of the game, Kayla. You’ve already screwed up two trade relationships for me. As good as you are, even you aren’t worth this. I’ve got a dozen other people that need to eat.”

  Kayla snatched her helmet from him. She couldn't stay, not like this. Her emotions were weighing down on her, and she was close to her breaking point. “Fine. If you don’t have the balls to handle this, I will. I’ll deal with Carl myself.”

  She pulled on her helmet and headed to her bike, ignoring Leo’s shouting behind her. She flipped on the engine and backed up quickly, spraying dirt. He'd be pissed, but she didn’t care. She was furious and needed to let off some steam.

  She threw the bike into full gear and sped toward Carl’s camp. The landscape flew past her as she pushed the bike forward. That insufferable, pompous ass has another thing coming if he thinks he can coerce me into doing anything.

  Kayla made the trip in record time and shut down the bike’s engine before climbing off. The ride had done little to cool her temper. When she recognized Carl’s bike leaning against the wall, she kicked at it. Keep me above ground, will he?

  Cruncher cut her off at the entrance, curtailing any attempt at storming the fortress. He scratched his head, looking puzzled by her appearance. “Hey, Kayla. I thought that was you. I don’t think Carl’s expecting you today. Did you decide to sign up after all?”

  Kayla yanked off her helmet and tossed it on the ground. Fury lit her eyes and she demanded, “Get your worthless, slimy, piece of shit boss out here so I can see how far my boot’ll go up his ass.”

  Cruncher stared at Kayla, taken aback by her temper. “Uh, I guess that’s a no. I sent him a message when I saw you on the radar, but he’s on a comlink call right now.”

  “Do I look like I give a shit? Get him out here by the count of ten, or I’ll find him myself and it won’t be pretty.”

  Cruncher held up his hand and began, “Kayla, I’m sure he’ll---”

  “ONE….” Kayla narrowed her eyes. “TWO…”

  “Uh, I’ll go check and see if he’s done.” Cruncher turned to go find Carl.

  “That’s not necessary,” Carl spoke from behind him. “I finished with my call.”

  Carl walked toward the entrance to greet Kayla. His brown eyes warmed when he saw her. He wore a loose green shirt and a dark pair of UV pants. He looked as though he had just returned from being in the field, which pissed Kayla off even more. If he was determined to keep her above ground, he had no business going into the ruins himself.
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br />   She strode over to him, clenched her fist and took a swing. Her fist connected squarely with his jaw. He stepped back in surprise and rubbed his face.

  “Where the hell do you get off meddling in my affairs? You had absolutely no right to pay off Leo to keep me above ground.”

  Cruncher’s eyes widened at her declaration. His jaw dropped and he gaped at Carl. “Oh shit, Boss. You didn’t, did you?”

  Carl gingerly rubbed his jaw, but kept his expression neutral except for a slight tightening around his eyes. “If you’d like to discuss this, Kayla, maybe we could do so privately in my office?”

  “Fine,” she snarled and stormed off down the hall toward his office.

  “That woman packs a hell of a punch,” she heard Carl mutter behind her.

  Still fuming, she leaned against his desk and crossed her arms over her chest. She glared at Carl when he entered and engaged the privacy fields.

  “Were you born with your dick up your ass, or did you have to work at it?”

  Carl choked back a laugh, but didn't rise to the bait. Kayla wasn't sure if she should be impressed with his cool façade or kick him in the shins to get more of a reaction out of him.

  “I’m sure I deserve that and probably the punch back there too. But I’m also hoping you’ll give me a chance to explain.”

  He took her stony silence as consent and began, “I contacted Leo out of concern for your welfare and suggested you take a few days off to fully recover. He said he couldn’t afford to have one of his best scavengers lying around for a few days. I simply offered to cover the costs associated with that.”

  “Bullshit,” she accused him, pushing away from the desk. “Leo said you were going to cut into future trades if he didn’t agree.”

  “Ahhh, well, yes, I might have indicated something to that effect.” He gave her a sheepish look and held out his hands in a placating gesture. “Leo, as well as yourself, can be difficult sometimes. You’re both stubborn and I had to be a little firm with my request.”

  Kayla put her hands on her hips. “You have absolutely no right to make any such requests. Call it off. Now.”

  Now it was Carl’s turn to be stubborn. “Forget it. I view you as a potential asset and as a pain in my ass. Either way, it benefits me exponentially to have you above ground for the next several days. If you come to work for me, I need you healthy. If you decide not to join me, then a few days out of the ruins will only help my bottom line.”

  “You’re nothing but a scum-sucking OmniLab bootlicker who couldn’t hack it in the pits. If you think you can control whether or not I go underground, you’ve got another thing coming.”

  “Watch it, Kayla,” Carl warned, his eyes hardening. “You can only throw insults at me for so long before you cross the line.”

  Kayla crossed the room to stand directly in front of him, challenging him with her eyes. “You don’t intimidate me, Carl. You may have your crew and the rest of the ruin rats wrapped around your little finger, but I won’t be one of them.”

  Carl held her gaze for a long moment. Suddenly, he grabbed her and yanked her to him. He lowered his head to hers, almost punishing her with his lips. His kiss wasn't gentle but was entirely consuming.

  If this was what it felt like to be plundered, she would gladly surrender. His tongue invaded her mouth, questing and demanding a response. She whimpered and felt her body melt against his. Unable to resist, she returned his kiss with equal fervor.

  She vaguely registered his hands moving to unzip her jacket and tug it off. When he began kissing and teasing the sensitive areas of her neck and shoulder, she could barely think beyond the sensations she was feeling.

  She purred in his ear and nipped at his neck as he lifted her up and put her on the edge of the desk. She wrapped her legs around him, pulling him close to her. Her fingers worked their way down his muscular chest and up under his shirt to touch his bare skin.

  He groaned in response. Pressing his lips against her throat, he inhaled deeply. He murmured her name as his lips reclaimed her mouth. “You’re driving me crazy.”

  His words seemed to bring her back to reality. Kayla broke the kiss and stared up at him. “What the hell am I doing? I’m a complete idiot.” She pushed him away. “Okay, stop. If you keep putting your hands on me and kissing me, I’m going to forget why I came here.”

  “From my point of view, that wouldn’t be a bad thing,” he said huskily and pulled her closer to nuzzle her neck.

  Kayla shook her head, trying to clear it and pushed him back firmly this time. “Get back. I can’t think straight when you’re close. You’re too damn pretty.” She slipped off the desk and out of his grasp.

  Carl stared at her and then burst into laughter. “Pretty? I don’t think I’ve ever been called that before. I’m not sure men qualify as pretty.”

  “Yeah, well, you’re not seeing yourself from where I’m standing.” She shoved her hands in her pockets and took another step away from him. If she stayed any closer, she'd be all over him again.

  “And you’re absolutely breathtaking.”

  Her stomach fluttered as he gazed at her, desire clearly etched on his face. Her eyes widened and she said, “Oh man, V’s gonna’ kill me. A freaking OmniLab trader. What the hell am I thinking? I’m beyond stupid. I’ve gotta’ get out of here.”

  She grabbed her jacket and headed for the door. Carl caught her hand and stopped her.

  “Kayla, wait. What will it take to get you to join my crew?”

  She turned to peer up at him. “I’m not joining your crew, Carl. What happened just now has nothing to do with your offer.”

  His mouth twisted into a teasing grin. “Should I scan for another listening device?”

  She gave him an exasperated look. “Oh, like you wouldn’t suspect that. Give me some credit, will you? I was just returning the favor. But no, I’m not joining your crew. It’s not that part of me isn’t tempted. But this life? For me? Not in a million years.”

  “Why not?”

  Something in his voice made her pause and she turned to study him. He seemed to be sincere in not understanding why she would reject his offer. “Do you really not get it? You’re an OmniLab trader. From what I’ve seen, all you traders seem to do is try to run our lives. We’re constantly held under your thumb and have to tiptoe around you. If we piss off the great trader, we’re screwed. Our lives mean nothing to you. I mean, look at what you did earlier today. You threatened Leo, took away my freedom, and split up my team. Now you think I should join you? So I can give you and OmniLab more control over me?”

  Carl blew out a long breath and released her hand. “I see.” He lowered his gaze for a moment and rubbed the back of his neck. When he looked up, she saw the frustration and disappointment in his eyes. It wasn't what she expected from a trader and she wasn't sure what to think about it.

  “It’s obvious you have some pretty strong feelings about the matter. But not all traders are the same, Kayla. I’m not sure what you’ve been told or what you’ve experienced, but each of us has different styles. I try to guide my crew, but I wouldn’t say I control them. I trust them and rely on them.”

  It was a nice story, but everything she'd experienced led her to think otherwise. She knew firsthand how cruel and manipulative traders could be in their dealings with ruin rats. Even though he seemed to be more trustworthy than others, it might be a ploy to manipulate her further. She wasn't willing to take that leap of faith.

  “I find that hard to believe. Your actions earlier were classic trader. Do you handle all your crew members the way you handled me earlier? Do you decide you know best and order them around?”

  Carl sighed. “No, I don’t. But then again, most of my team is much more sensible and cautious than you seem to be. From everything I’ve seen over the past several months and from what I’ve heard, you consistently push the limits. You’re talented, Kayla. You’re probably the best scavenger I’ve ever seen, but you’re also the most reckless.”

&nb
sp; When she didn’t reply, he took a step toward her. “I don’t want to control you. I respect your talent. I just don’t want to see your potential go to waste either from recklessness or an idiot like Leo who doesn’t know how to utilize your skills.”

  Kayla glared at him and crossed her arms over her chest. “Leo may have napped on the wrong side of the ion shield a few too many times, but he doesn’t try to control me. He may yell, scream, and threaten, but up until today, he’s always let me go my own way. You changed that and it pissed me off.”

  She wasn't sure what Carl saw in her expression, but his eyes softened. He was silent for a long moment as though choosing his next words carefully.

  “You’re right. I admit it wasn’t the best approach. I didn't understand how important your independence is to you.”

  His admission surprised her. Just when she was convinced he would react in a certain way, he would do or say something unexpected. She bit her lip, unsure about how to handle this situation. The man kept throwing her off balance. The intense chemistry between them didn't help matters either.

  As though sensing her turmoil, he took her hand in his again. “Kayla, I want you on my crew. I’ll try to give you the freedom you seem to want. I can offer you things and opportunities you’d never experience as a ruin rat. If you decide this isn’t the life for you, you can always leave. You have nothing to lose.”

  Kayla shook her head and pulled her hand away. It was too much. His touch, him, the whole OmniLab trader thing. “I can’t. Look, I appreciate the offer. But I won’t ever join a trader’s crew.”

  A loud beep at the door interrupted them. Carl cursed at the interruption and pressed the button to open the door.

  Veridian entered the room, panic on his face when he saw Kayla and Carl together. He looked anxiously back and forth between them. “I came as fast as I could. Are you okay?”

  Carl raised an eyebrow. “She’s fine. Why wouldn’t she be?”

  Veridian shook his head. “Not her. You. Leo called me and told me Kayla was pissed off and headed here. I was worried she was going to come over here and try to kick your ass.”