by Dave Austin
It took me some time to think about what to say. It was too much information at the same time, "I... knew nothing about it. Did Ashen know my father? Was he a rank S before the first group?" I asked, Gordon's words about Ashen's secret past echoing in my mind.
"Maybe. I don't know much more than I told you. I know Ashen believed in him, but not if they ever talked. I don't think so. Ashen would still be a young Hunter when your father was already rank A." She replied, paused and looked at the albino man once again, "He was rank A at the time of the first group. There was a period between what happened to the group and him calling me in which he spent the days somewhere between drinking and vanquishing monsters. This led him to be rank S and to be awarded individual honors which he refused to accept. Come on, enough of this, drink what's left and let's get to it. I have a plan. Don't ask what it is, just follow my lead."
I drank what was left and followed her amongst sweaty men, droplets of alcohol skipping in my face, the lights on the ceiling falling on the white and stained T-shirts and the curly and moist mustaches on the tips. We were passing by our target's table when Elisa, without me seeing, set her foot in front of me and I tripped, bumping into one of the man's security guards. He fell to the ground and in a few seconds the other two had their weapons pointed at me. The game stopped. Silence flooded the room from one end to the other. They grabbed me and removed me from over him, holding my arms, looking at the albino. They waited for him to get up and walk towards me. Behind the confusion that had arisen in the area, Elisa snuck past everyone, her hand grabbing an envelope whose paper-cream corner came out of his pocket.
"I'm sorry. I don't even know how I tripped. Damn, this alcohol...alcohol is strong." I said, pretending to be out of my mind, pausing to sob.
"Boss, can we kick his ass?" The man I had thrown to the ground asked. He was frowning with his fists closed until a vein popped up in his forehead.
"Let him go. There is no fighting at the market, much less at the tavern. Those guilty of what happened earlier will be punished." The albino said and warned me to go back to my life, "Don't come back here."
They shoved me and dragged me out. I released a "shit" before noticing that Elisa was leaning against the wall, laughing, with the letter in her hand. I had in mind what I wanted to do to her, but I also knew it wasn't the right place. At that moment I just wanted to get out of there.
She told me to follow her and so I did. With the streets empty except for a few men returning to see what was left of their stalls, the path to the entrance was peaceful. We didn't cross paths with the group I had had a skirmish with, nor with the hooded men. The blue lights were off, and the entrance was open. Of the 6 security guards from before, there were only two left. They checked the few people in line, carelessly, letting them in after wishing them a good afternoon. There was no longer a dusty blanket up in the air and the flames had been extinguished.
We stepped into one of the tunnel's branches; water was flowing above the black ceiling, a few drops finding its way into the tunnel. The side walls were covered in moss, damp and even yellowish mold. I won't even talk about the smell. If I thought the tavern smelled terrible, what could I say about it? Even worse. It entered through the nostrils and liquefied the brain. I used two fingers to cover my nose. The smell didn't seem to bother Elisa. In the glow of the light that illuminated the whole tunnel, her hair seemed on fire and her cheeks glowed contrasting with her sea eyes. Her ass swung from side to side like a hypnotizing watch.
It took us about 10 minutes to reach a door whose side facing the tunnel was white and the side facing outwards was black.
"Doesn't the smell bother you?" I asked her as soon as I closed the door and we found ourselves in a garden where the group of trees were cramped, and few rays of sunshine escaped through the dark green wall.
"I have no sense of smell. I had a problem with my nose, and I lost it." She said as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
The grass was short and had recently been watered. The bushes grew to our height and were dark as pitch. Everything in that garden seemed to have been plunged into a cauldron of black fumes. I assumed the news of the attack had spread once I saw that only two men were in line to get in. The wet mud on the floor still had recent footprints on it, and there was a specific smell of cheap perfume in the air, not to mention that I heard the two old men commenting that the remaining friends had given up going. They complained that they would have to go by themselves to the tavern and get strangers to join them and play Swedish.
The garden was in an ancient history museum. The satin red framed walls, with old paintings, from the Renaissance to the Romanticism, themes that I had been taught in class, to more contemporary pieces like heroic photos of Hunters in combat. Some statues along the way and some manuscripts inside crystal vaults protected by security sensors.
"I live nearby. You better stay at my house today and I'll take you to Ashen tomorrow. What do you think? I'll let him know you're with me." She asked as soon as we left the museum.
Chapter XI
The violet horizon disappeared behind dark clouds that flagged that it would rain in the dawn. Elisa lived in one of the continent's 7 main cities, in a conglomerate of cheap, grayish buildings, all of which had nothing to differentiate them. In front of the building, there was a small playground for children, but it didn't seem to have been used in years. The slide full of graffiti and only one of the swing chairs was still attached to the metal bar. There were also some posters advertising promotions on Hunters' weapons and shields. The price tags were covered in a layer of dark brown dust.
The color in the objects had been lost over time and now only adults used the park to use drugs. Elisa told me that she had already had some problems with some of her neighbors due to the excessive noise during the warm dawns when they would head over there and play music out loud.
We entered her house. There were no pictures on the white walls and except for some magazines about Hunters on a crystal table in the living room, no one would say that anyone lived there.
"Now that we're more comfortable, what the hell was that in the tavern? Couldn't you have warned me?"
"I needed a genuine reaction from you. The albino would know if it was engendered. It went well, didn't it? Do you really want to waste time on this?" She asked and took off her top, keeping only a black bra and her trousers.
"But who is he? And what the hell is in the envelope?" I said, trying to keep my eyes off her sharp curves as she unbuttoned her pants.
"I'll tell you in the morning if you're not too tired to hear it."
Her pants dropped down to her knees. The light bulb on the ceiling shone over her slender body, her lengthy hair covering the contours of her breasts, and her black panties with a thin thread between the cheeks of her butt.
Well, I suppose I deserved it. After the long day, I had had, of having sacrificed myself, of having almost died about three times, the least I could do was end the night spending what was left of my energy fucking until I got wasted.
I walked up to her and kissed her neck while I quickly removed her bra to her surprise. One of those that you have to untangle three pins until it falls off. She told us to go to her room, where we could lie on her king size bed, but now she was the one in my habitat and at my mercy. I pushed her back against the wall, kissing her neck and lowering her panties. The growing moans filled the room and then the whole house. Her breasts slammed against the wall, as well as part of her face. My erect cock was already rubbing against the fabric of my boxers, wanting to free itself, as if it were attracted by the sweet nectar that was on the surface of her. We didn't stop there. I turned her around. We kissed each other like crazy, tossing what was in the way to the ground, from magazines to a small lamp in a corner, to the sound of the little rain sweeping into the blinds. I sat on the blue pillow sofa, which was suitable for up to three people, and she knelt in front of me, shamelessly throwing herself at my pants, removing the belt and pullin
g them down.
She rejoiced with my length until threads of saliva ran down her mouth, descending over her body, some getting stuck between her wet lips. Her mouth was warm and not once did her teeth rub against me. She had plenty of experience and after a while, all my movements were automated. My mind was cloudy with thoughts and desires for intense pleasure and everything else, the problems and the solutions, remained in the background. She sat on top of me, on her back, leaning down until her face was next to mine, the hot breath on my neck as she moved up slowly to get used to me.
It was intense, dirty, passionate and ephemeral. The screams drowned out the thunderstorm that had set in outside. The smell perfumed the room, mixed with the sweaty aroma that ran all over our bodies. We spent about 10 minutes in that position until I put her on her feet, on all fours, and thus it was over. She didn't even look like the person from before. There were no mysteries when she was naked, and she did not hide behind lies and slight sarcasm. I finished up in her mouth. She showed me the thick white liquid descending from her red tongue. We stayed on the couch, naked, leaning against each other, our breathing still accelerated, each lost in their thoughts. It was not only sex that had happened there, but the union of two people who had put their lives on the line for each other a few hours before. We did not exchange any more words that night.
I fell asleep shortly after, still to the sound of the roaring wind and rain, leaning against her, sweaty and exhausted.
I woke up early, with the sun's rays peeking through the window cracks. Elisa was already up. The air conditioner was on and the engine roared loud enough for the sound to repeat in my head even after I left the living room. I put on my pants and left my sweater and cloak next to the hot air gusts.
She was in the kitchen, surrounded by eggs and milk, preparing breakfast. I stood behind her, rubbing myself against her ass, and ended up beating the cream as she broke the eggs into a bowl.
"Good morning. We have a long day ahead of us." She said, still drowsy.
"Yeah, did you phone Ashen yesterday? I fell asleep quickly. I was tired."
"No wonder," she replied and laughed, "Yes, I did. I explained what happened. He thanked me for the help and said he was waiting for you tomorrow. Today." She added.
"Excellent. If I remember correctly, you were supposed to tell me something yesterday. Who is the albino? And this time don't you think you can avoid the question."
She sighed, licked her lips and finally spoke, "You're right. Have you ever heard of the council? He is one of the members. The envelope contained details of where the next meeting is." She said as she poured hot milk into a glass.
"I have so many questions. Why letters and not messages? If they know that someone knows where it is, won't they change the place?"
"It is good that you have questions. Corruption finds its place in the trenches because not everyone asks their questions. As for your questions; messages could be captured and decoded while letters are always with them and, the truth is, they didn't think anyone would challenge them. Until now. Even so, they won't change the place. Planning a meeting with the 10 bosses takes months and they know that I am neither a hunter nor a policeman. They have informants in both. Reapers are not the only problem in society. There is more beyond the shadows." She said, calmly, without feeling the need to pause.
I thanked her for her answer and sat down at the table. There was toast, omelets, fresh milk and some blackberries in a small box. I hadn't eaten in almost half a day. I had slept for about 10 hours and my stomach was already growling. I devoured everything I laid eyes on.
Before we left her house, we took a quick shower. According to Elisa, the gas there tended to fail, and it was better to use it together while it was working. I knew that even if it was true, it wasn't the main reason she wanted it, but I played it off.
We repeated the previous night; from kissing to groping, to touching our bodies. We didn't leave an inch unexplored. Her shower gel smelled like raspberry. The bathroom also had one of those sprinklers that spreads lemon-scented perfume every hour. The aromas mixed and overlaid the animal-like and primitive smell of what we had made there, with her leg tilted and her back against the wall.
We left her house. My mobile phone marked 11 pm. I already had two net traces, but the battery was running red.
That place was even uglier during the day. There wasn't a beautiful sun, or colorful reflections, to save it. It was all gray, lifeless, and so were the people. Two boys smoked a cigarette in front of the front door. Faces punished by life; sharp lines, stiff black beards, and calluses on their hands. They nodded their heads and wished Elisa good morning.
That place bothered me. It was the opposite of where I came from, the happy and sociable neighbors, the karaoke bars open until late in the morning and the clean streets, without rotten orange leaves, to the spicy aromas of the market that opened every day.
We stepped into her car; an old one, the sooty bonnet at the top, and with room for just two people. The engine rumbled and didn't run at more than 80 per hour. It was a Tuesday and the streets were empty at that hour. She got on the main highway and it took no more than 20 minutes for us to get to the detour that led us to the hideout.
The sun shone on the damp ground, reflecting on the puddles, part of it still behind the steeper slopes.
"I forgot to tell you. Don't say anything to Ashen about this," she said and pointed to the envelope inside the glove compartment, among some old, almost colorless papers.
"It's not like I can just tell him that I helped you steal from the council, is it? I hope this doesn't turn into trouble for us."
"You are lovely. Don't worry. I'll take care of everything myself."
"Are you going to attack the council alone?" I asked her, still confused by her words.
"No, obviously not. I'll have help. But you better not get too involved in this. You already have other problems to deal with." She said, before her voice gained a sarcastic tone, "It looks like your fans are waiting for you."
At the end of the muddy corridor, flanked by the two rocky slopes, Kendra and Maggie waved at me. Maggie was holding Kendra's arm, which appeared to be struggling to maintain a certain distance without kicking her off. In front of the house was the car that we had left in the rich part of the city, which, to be honest, I no longer remembered. There was no sign of Lipa, nor of Ashen and Gordon. As soon as I got out of the car, they both ran to me, hugging me until I could hardly feel my bones.
"This is a one-time thing. Just because you sacrificed your life for me." Kendra said, as her hands grabbed me from the right side, while Maggie settled for the other side.
"By now you should have known that I wouldn't leave you like this. We still have many adventures ahead of us." I answered while stroking their hair.
"Don't scare us like that again." Maggie said to me, her eyes swollen and moist, 'You don't know how much I cried."
"She spent the whole night like this. Even after Ashen said you were okay."
"Will the children take long?" Elisa said, already in the doorway. She walked in and closed the door.
They both looked at me, wondering who that woman was and why the hell she was still there. I asked them to be patient. I told them that she had saved my life and that she was a friend of Ashen's. I knew it wasn't the best time to hide the truth from them, but I also knew that we didn't have time for that. The past was the past and all that mattered was what awaited us in the future.
I kissed each one's forehead first and we headed for the house.
Ashen, Gordon and Elisa were on the second floor, exchanging a few words, as they watched street images, from all over the continent, on the various screens. The map was still flashing red. Sometimes a black one would appear, but it would disappear at that very moment. I assumed that maybe there were other groups like us, that we weren't in that battle alone and that more reliable Hunters were fighting the status quo.
"Elisa gave me a summary of yesterday. You did well,
James, but don't take that chance again. If they had caught you and made you reveal what you were doing there, you could have thrown it all away." Ashen said, pressing a few buttons until a 23-second video of a burning city appeared, "While the market was under attack, this was happening in a suburban town.”
"He's never pleased, is he?" Kendra said as low as a sigh.
I was going to answer her when gruesome images unfolded on the screens. During the fog a human shadow emerged, moving like a robot, one step at a time, raising his knee to his belly before lowering it again. He raised his arm and pointed it toward the security camera. He fired two energy beams; one struck a car, the explosion covering him up with smoke, while the other beam destroyed the security camera. There was a period of hesitation in everyone in that room. The video kept repeating until Gordon finally stopped it.
"They did it. I never thought they'd make it, not even that they'd go this far." He said, turning off all the screens.
"What?" Maggie asked, lowering her gaze when Elisa stared at her.
"Monsters. Human monsters. This is just the beginning of what they intend to do. I never thought he'd do it."
"Him? What aren't you telling us?" I asked and took a step forward.
"I suppose everyone here has secrets, don't they?" Gordon began, "I was once a Reaper. At the time we had no name, let alone the intention of imposing rules in the world. We were only 3 youngsters who had fun building robots. Sometimes we entered competitions in the big cities, sometimes among ourselves. But one of us, Damien, wanted more than that. He wanted to sell our talent to military companies, but we refused. We didn't want to be the cause of death, you know?" He said and sat on the chair. He put his neck against the cushion part before continuing, "When me and the other boy, Chris, found out what he was doing, it was too late. He had gone behind our backs to ask for funds to create bigger, stronger monsters that could give him the power he longed for. After that, he disappeared. Chris walked away from all this. He dedicated himself to teaching in a college and I, well, here I am. I know that a few years later he asked the government to do unethical experiences and they rejected. Then, it all started."