by Gavin Magson
Now that his brain had caught up to speed Ajax realised just how much Ilya had changed since his time away. She had put on a little weight, though still fell firmly under the petite category, and was certainly dressed to impress. Her coat, trousers and boots all appeared to be professionally tailored, the fur of the coat suggested that the animal might have been endangered before it was skinned; perhaps the same could be said for the source of leather for her boots.
“You look fantastic, too, I see your new man has been treating you well. I was hoping you would be in the tavern yesterday, but I suppose you aren't spending too much time here anymore.”
Ilya hesitated momentarily, caught off guard by the truth of his comment; she recovered well. “No, I suppose I don't, but I'm here now, aren't I? I wanted to catch up and see how you are doing - it's been far too long. I don’t know why we haven't seen each other, it is not like you were holed up in a desert prison.” she grinned at her own attempt at a joke, which only made Ajax laugh harder.
“I could not agree with you more. Do you mind talking over lunch, there is a risk of me eating you if I don't get something soon. I truly meant it when I promised myself to avoid cannibalism at all costs.”
He regretted the comment instantly. His mind was awash with the scenes he had witnessed only days ago, it took all his mental strength to suppress them once more. The rendering of flesh, soft organs and intestines spilling out into a steaming pile as bodies were carved apart by blood caked hands. Ajax shook his head and put a hold on the memories that would never leave him.
“That would be great! How about we go somewhere new to you? There is a great place only a few minutes away.”
With the horrifying thoughts finally pushed from his mind Ajax realised that he wanted nothing more than something to eat this second, but there was no way he could say no to Ilya. Ajax shut the door behind him and followed the woman's lead, ignoring the protests of his empty, rumbling stomach.
Chapter 3
Ajax was surprised to find that Ilya had not underestimated the distance. They were only a few minutes away from the tavern when she led him inside a small restaurant. When they had walked past its large windows Ajax could not help but peer inside, curious as to her choice in eateries. For the time of day it did not seem too busy, only two of nine tables were occupied, both by well-dressed clientele. Ajax was getting the impression it was not a cheap place to dine.
As they stepped through the wide doorway a waiter appeared and ushered them to a table in the front of the restaurant, with a view of the quiet street outside. They were presented with a menu each, the extortionate pricing only confirmed what Ajax had suspected. The extensive descriptions were enough to have him salivating at the prospect of food; he was glad the kitchens smell was only faint in the extravagantly decorated room.
The restaurant was certainly different to the usual places Ajax ate, which up until yesterday had been a damp and dark cave. Padded red leather seats on high backed chairs cushioned him as he inspected the different paintings that hung from every wall of the restaurant. A fire crackled away in an alcove and provided some much needed warmth, as well as the smell of fragrant wood-smoke. He was still surprised that such an upmarket restaurant existed so close to the Haven, or even in this sector for a start. How it managed to turn a profit eluded him.
“Have you been here often?” he asked Ilya.
“A few times now. I like the décor, as Henry calls it. The food is simply sublime.”
“It sure is a lot more upmarket than what I am used to. I’ll be honest with you, I’m asking because I need to know if you recommend anything. It all sounds a bit more exotic than what I usually eat. I can’t even pronounce half this stuff.”
Ilya pointed out the few items off the menu she had tried before and gave him a brief explanation of the dishes. Eventually Ajax decided on the meal with the most amount of adjectives he recognised. When they had finished ordering their waiter gave him a look Ajax recognised as disdain, before disappearing to the kitchen. It took all his restraint not to snap the man’s limbs in half.
He definitely could not feel more out of place in this restaurant. Ajax tried not to look too threatening and dishevelled, no small feat for a hired killer; the other diners were unsubtle in scrutinising the couple.
As they waited impatiently for their meals to arrive Ajax and Ilya enjoyed a glass of pale, bubbly alcohol and made small talk about what had happened in the last few weeks. Ajax was loath to go into detail about Justice One, and Ilya shied away from prying about the subject. He knew that there were more pressing questions he had for Ilya, but could not bring himself to voice them.
Mercifully the dishes were soon brought out, much to Ajax’s delight; he attacked his meal with gusto. Ajax did his best to control himself and at least eat with more dignity and decorum in front of Ilya. It took great restraint, he was only two days out from scooping food with muddied hands and still found cutlery as fancy ways of slowing him down.
As she ate Ajax stole glances of Ilya, seeing for himself the changes she had undergone, both stark and contrasting to her former self. Seeing Ilya dressed in such finery, using words he struggled to interpret, no visible evidence of the woman who had begged her captain to kill him, it made him long for things to return to how they once were. When she looked up from her plate Ilya gently chastised him for using the wrong fork for his main dish; it made him uncomfortably aware just how uncivilised he could be at times.
“Oh, I almost forgot,” said Ilya, plunging a hand into her coat pocket, “Henry bought me one of those tablets, so that he and I could get in contact easily when I'm out. Give me yours, I'll pair mine to your contact list.”
Ajax put down the correct cutlery and pulled his tablet out of its pocket before handing it over. He noticed that the one already in Ilya's hand was a different shape and size to his, its appearance more sleek and attractive in comparison. He had not realised that there were so many variations on the tablets until now, so far he had only dealt with two varieties, both seeming very similar to each other. Ilya handed his tablet back within a few seconds.
“Now you can contact me whenever you want. Since I'm normally with Henry I might not get to see you very often; it would be nice to keep in touch.” she said, smiling even when Ajax returned an awkward grin.
He knew that this was as good a time as any to tell her about the promise he had made to Henry Steel in exchange for his freedom. The fact that Ilya did not show any signs that she knew about it was worrying, he had thought her fiancé might have told her about the conditions as well. Then again, he had not forbidden Ajax from sending messages to Ilya, merely seeing her face to face.
“You are right, it would be nice if we could still talk. Obviously I haven’t had much chance to get to know many people, not in a permanent capacity anyway, so friends are a very valuable commodity to me. I had been meaning to tell you about my meeting with Rine today, that's why I was not in my room when Duke knocked on the door.”
“Does that mean you are now the proud owner of more money than sense?” she asked, still trying to keep the mood light.
“Well there is now a million credits sitting in my room, minus the fifty thousand I transferred over to my implant. It's going to be great when I hand it over to the captain, I can imagine he'll be a happy man tonight.
“There was something else mentioned at the meeting. Rine somehow knew about my plans to give a lot of the credits over to Duke. I can't say I was surprised; it wouldn't be out of character for him if he could tell me everything I did whilst imprisoned. Rine offered me another job, nothing as risky as going to prison again, which would pay a large wage each day to reward the danger. He is expanding his business into the slums and needs men to clear out his competition, flat rate of ten thousand a day before bonuses; I was considering taking him up on the offer. After all there isn't an awful lot that I am qualified to do, and now that I am free I’ve got to do something, right?”
Ilya could not keep the s
mile going as he told her of the meeting, even as he spoke she knew what he talked about was more than a little risky. The idiot had no experience of the city and was rushing in to things he did not understand. Her stern expression surprised him, it left Ajax a little afraid of what she was going to say.
“For fucks sake, Ajax! Am I right in thinking you have been back barely two days and are already signing up for another dangerous job? And in the slums of all places! I think you were safer in prison, maybe all this fighting has finally scrambled your brain. You have been to Sector Six, not even for a full day, seen it first-hand for what a murderous shithole it is. I have heard what is going on there, half the city knows about the gang warfare plaguing the slums. Those guys aren’t subtle about it, people are getting butchered in the streets, made examples of to deter others.
“Don’t be so naive as to think Rine has your best interests at heart. Sure, he is a powerful man, just paid you a million credits, and probably without batting an eyelid. Spent wisely that is enough to comfortably last someone a lifetime. He is never going to leave you alone, there is always going to be another job lined up until he has sent you to your grave. Why don't you start up a business, or at least get a safer job; this city offers plenty of opportunities to those willing to look for them. The captain is going to need someone to fill my position within the crew, now that I am soon to be unioned and become a socialite, whatever that is. You could have a job working alongside friends, people who would not put you in mortal danger every day of your life.”
As Ilya spoke Ajax came to realise the truth of her words, all of which he had suspected but never voiced. Rine always had work for him, and Ajax had yet to turn down a single job from the man. What would happen when the time came to say no? He knew that then he almost certainly would be presented with only one choice, and it would be a life he’d have to take without a second thought.
“I wish that I could say you are wrong in thinking the worst of Rine; I’m sure that you could not be more correct. Unfortunately none of that sounds like me, Ilya. All I know is how to kill. It's not the most pleasant job on the planet but I need to live, and I never feel more alive than when I’m fighting for my life. If I took the job it would mean that I could afford to give Duke all of this money. He's going to need a lot just to get the ship up and operational. Perhaps with the little bit left over he could upgrade or afford some much needed repairs as well. You yourself told me the thing was falling apart, this could really turn his business around.”
“I'm not going to change your mind, am I?” she asked, watching the slight shake of the man's head. She let out a heavy sigh; he was just another stubborn man who wouldn’t listen to reason. “Just make sure you don't get yourself killed out there, I won't forgive you if you do. I can't believe that we only just got you back and already you are talking about leaving.”
“Don't worry yourself, I will be infinitely more reachable now that you have a tablet as well. I have a knack of surviving everything your world can throw at me, so what is one more job? It's not like an entire desert will separate us this time as well.”
They finished the remainder of their meals in silence, both slowly chewing through succulent food as they enjoyed their time together. Ajax savoured it more than Ilya could ever know. When the bill came Ajax snatched it away before Ilya had a chance to pay, he even tipped the waiter generously just to prove he wasn't the poverty stricken vagrant the man thought of him. Nevertheless he was glad to see that back of the place once they left; he would not willingly be returning in a hurry.
“I am freezing, do you know anywhere I could buy another jacket?” Ajax asked as they stepped outside into the streets.
Ilya nodded, slipped her arm inside of his and almost dragged Ajax down the street. They passed shop after shop, all selling weird and wonderful wares he had not seen before, some not even identifiable for what their purpose might be.
After the third clothes shop had passed them by Ilya lead him into a small building that he had almost not noticed. The entrance blended in well with its surroundings, barely a shade darker than the red brick around it. The door was heavy and the entrance too narrow for him to reach around to help as he watched Ilya strain to pull it open.
The shop’s entrance was barely wide enough to fit Ajax's shoulders. He was thankful that the walls eventually tapered outwards and opened up to reveal a single small room filled with clothes of all colours and types. Out of the bedlam a small, wizened old man appeared, who wore thick glasses that magnified his eyes as he tried to crane his neck and look up at Ajax.
“Miss Frey, I see you have been true to your word and brought a friend to survey my wares. What can I help you with today young man?” asked the shopkeeper, moving with a hobble closer to Ajax.
Ajax was a little taken aback, he had known Ilya for several months and only now learned her surname, yet this man acted as if they were long term friends.
“I'm in need of a new jacket, preferably something that can stave off the worst of the winter weather. I also need a lot of pockets; I tend to carry numerous things at once.”
The man gave Ajax the once over, a knowing look in his eye that made Ajax think this man knew exactly what his needs were. Ajax's lean, hardened appearance undoubtedly left people with the impression he wasn't likely to break into song and dance for a living. His lack of subtlety had been the cause of grief for him many times of late.
“Just give me a few minutes, I think I might have just the thing you need in my storeroom.”
With barely a sound the old shopkeeper disappeared out of sight behind another display of clothes and through a door Ajax only heard but could not see. He turned around slowly to survey the items on display and was surprised by the variety such a small shop had to offer. Mostly they comprised of women's dresses, men's trousers, and shirts for both genders, with some formal shoes on a small rack towards the rooms centre. Ajax had no idea what he was doing in such a strange place, none of the outfits would suit his needs at all.
“Do you come here often?” asked Ajax, when the silence extended for too long.
“It's my favourite place. Henry doesn't like me wandering far from his home, if I do he insists a driver takes me there. I normally have to lie and this is the place I sneak off to when he lets me leave unaccompanied. David is such a nice person to talk with and he usually has a good story to tell. It's true that I promised him I would try and bring people in, as you can see he does not have a lot of customers to deal with.”
David reappeared from behind a stack of trousers carrying a bundle with both hands, his face beaming above the clothes. When Ajax turned to look at him David unfolded the jacket, his satisfied expression suggested that his potential customer would be very pleased with the item.
It was high quality black dye, easily the best he had seen so far, and it certainly met his criteria on plenty of pockets. Ajax was impressed by the colour, it was not a deep, high-quality black that would show up against dim night-time lighting, as he had expected. David handed the jacket over and Ajax unzipped it, especially satisfied by the smooth zip that was near soundless. He felt the thick lining and was surprised to find several more pockets hidden from sight, all deep enough to be of great use.
“Try it on, my friend, the jacket is useless if it does not fit.” said David.
Ajax took his invitation and slipped into the jacket, a near perfect fit that started warming him the moment it was on. He zipped it up, felt around each pocket to see how easily he could reach them, even in a rush. He did the same for those on the inside, and was pleased they were intelligently placed so that his hand was not bent at an angle to reach them.
“It's exactly what I needed, almost as if you read my mind. I will take it.” said Ajax, grinning at the stranger.
“Good, I am glad it fits your needs. I also have a matching pair of trousers, hard wearing, warm, and with several pockets of their own. Could I interest you in them as well?” asked David.
The old man held out
the trousers he had been carrying, which indeed matched the jacket and seemed to have been fashioned in a similar way.
“Ilya was not wrong, you definitely have a good eye for these things; I'll take both. How much do I owe you?”
“For a friend of Miss Frey's? Let's call it four hundred. That is at a discounted price.”
He did well not to blanch at the price, Ajax knew what that would have bought him in Beryl's gun store, and it was definitely a lot more than two items of clothing. David was not wrong about them being high quality, Ajax just hoped they would keep him warm on the winter streets and serve him well for many days to come. If ever he needed an incentive to not develop bullet holes in his clothing the sheer cost to replace them would certainly do the trick.
A few minutes later they walked out of the shop, with David accompanying them to the door. Ajax now wore the jacket and carried a bag containing his trousers. His implant had taken a heavy hit on its first day back in action; he intended to get his worth out of the clothes.
“That is far better, I can't feel ice growing on my skin,” said Ajax, warming at Ilya's laugh. “What would you like to do next?”
Ilya pulled back her sleeve and looked at a silver watch he had not noticed before. It was a good thing the streets were so empty today, even in this district anyone seeing the expensive watch would be tempted to rob the couple. Ajax was sure he saw the light catch diamonds around the watches face.
“It's getting a bit late, I'm meant to be picked up from the Haven soon and I don't want the driver telling Henry I wandered off around the city. He worries about me, can’t seem to understand that I grew up in far worse than Four.”
He knew of a time, not so long ago, when the wishes and wants of men were of no concern to Ilya. This man had her obeying his every command, and was robbing her freedom from Ilya. His heart sank at the thought of Ilya’s free spirit seemingly crushed by the manipulative bastard.