The Free City

by Marius Pitigoi

  “Good afternoon, Mr. Dylan. How can I help you?”

  He barely comprehended they already knew who he was. Obviously, they did thanks to the bracelets.

  “Well… I don’t know… I can’t find my gun.”

  “Are you saying that you’ve lost it?”

  “No… I didn’t lose it… I don’t think I lost it, I simply cannot find it.”

  “Have you used it since you arrived in New Hope?”

  “I just arrived. I haven’t had the chance to use it. I came straight here from the subway.”

  “Do you remember if it was crowded in the train? Had you been jabbed or pushed into anyone?”

  What! That was it! The group of party people was not at all what it seemed; they were thieves.

  “Yes. Someone who was apparently drunk had fallen over me.”

  “Probably that was the moment when it was stolen from you. This kind of situation happens frequently. Newcomers are easily spotted. They display a certain inquisitiveness and they check their bracelets a lot. The same way you’d recognize some foreign tourists in your city.”

  “Gosh… what can I do?”

  “They can’t use your gun. You’re the only one who can use it. After a while, somebody will declare they found your gun—obviously with no ammunition—and they will ask for a small bounty in return. If you agree, you will wire the money into their account and you’ll get it back right here in the ward.”

  “Is this legal? Don’t you see that you’re encouraging theft?”

  “First of all, in New Hope there are no laws. Secondly, the state gets a fee of twenty percent of the amount of the transaction. Thirdly, this will tempt you not to get revenge.”

  “And what if I don’t agree to pay for it?”

  “You can wait. Maybe they’ll make you another offer, or maybe you’ll be able to buy a new one from here. It costs five thousand dollars and you’d receive it within forty-eight hours after payment. You’re the only one to decide how much you’ll need your gun.”

  “How much do they usually ask?”

  “It depends—at first, maybe about twenty-five hundred dollars. Then the price may decrease. There have been cases where it was received back for only a few thousands. There’s no rule. And, as I said, all this negotiation may take some time. If we receive a request, you’ll be informed through your bracelet.”

  Welcome to New Hope! Dylan thought. He wondered how many similar situations he would have to endure. Maybe this was one of the most common things that could happen here. Maybe in a month or two, when he’d really have to deal with a truly ill fortune, he would laugh remembering today’s misadventure. He left the ward to head for his new home. He had been given “studio” 3892, in Z44 block—a four-story building about one kilometer from the ward. It would probably take him ten minutes to get there.

  Along the way, he noticed that some people traveled by bike, skates, or rollerblades. If he wanted to cover larger distances, he, too, would have to get hold of a bicycle. But he was too upset to think about that now. As he approached his block where he was assigned to stay, he saw that it was covered in graffiti—as were many others, for that matter. However, the drawing was quite interesting: a landscape of an imaginary planet, populated by robots and spaceships.

  His room was on the first floor. He climbed the stairs, which were located at the very entrance, and noticed that every floor had narrow corridors to its right and left. If two people wanted to get through, probably one of them would have to turn aside.

  He opened the door to studio number 3892 and walked in. As it had been previously described to him, inside he found a bed and a table. Not even a chair. Since there was no furniture, the twenty square meters did not leave the impression of a prison cell.

  He tried to call Lydia but realize that had no money. He wanted so badly to tell her how much he missed her.

  Chapter 5

  Gabriel Hall was in the office of Johnson & Howard’s company. It was one of the best law firms in the state. He was conversing with Alan Johnson himself, the grandson of the cofounder Prince Johnson. Alan Johnson had a neat desk on which stood only a cup of coffee near the surface, which displayed 3-D images. Smartly dressed, he appeared to have the answer to each and every possible question put forth by Gabriel Hall. The fact that he was one of the company’s shareholders made him work harder and expect more from himself.

  “So the pig refused the confrontation?” asked Gabriel Hall.

  “For now. He filed a statement informing us he postponed his decision. He can do that. It’s his right. As I told you, he can make his final decision within a year. My advice is to wait a bit more. It’s too early now. Not everyone adapts to life in New Hope. Upon confronting the reality there, many decide to do whatever it takes to leave, including accepting the confrontation.

  “And how long am I supposed to wait?”

  “It depends on how long you are willing to, and what your intentions are.”

  “I’m not willing to wait at all. I want him dead. He killed my son. He deserves to die, too.”

  A moment of silence followed. The lawyer had already been informed that Gabriel Hall was an extremely determined man. And since he proved to be uncompromising, what was the use in trying to change his decision?

  “We don’t deal with either morals or ethics. We'll help you no matter your decision. You must understand, however, that there is a fee even for our discussion today, in case you reconsider going all the way.”

  “That’s not a problem. I’ll pay whatever the cost. I have money. Have you seen the video recording from his apartment? I did. I saw my boy with his throat cut. That is the last image I see before I fall asleep. I won’t rest until his killer gets exactly the same. And not just that—I want to kill him myself.”

  “You know… You’re not so young anymore…”

  “So what? I am still able to handle a knife. It’s my right, and I want to make use of it.”

  Alan Johnson was silent for a few minutes. He let Gabriel Hall calm down a bit. He understood that Gabriel was too fervent to have a civilized discussion right now. Alan had seen a few shots from the video recording. Yet again, he had seen many scenes like that. For him, it was becoming a common sight.

  “Yes… it’s your right. But you should know that according to the law, only those willing to travel there are allowed to locate him using GPS, which means you have to go to New Hope yourself. And, as you know… there are risks.

  “I stand by the risks. But you also told me that I could have bodyguards.”

  “Yes…. depending on how much you’re willing to pay. However, we prefer to call them agents not bodyguards. And the price of a single agent is four thousand dollars per day.”

  “Hmm…These agents are not cheap.”

  “You’re right, but I can assure you they’re the best. They are very thoroughly trained physically, and are professionals in their fields.”

  “And how many agents and days will this take?”

  “That’s a difficult question. It depends a great deal on Dylan Smith’s behavior. Whether he hides, or made friends who could defend him. We will do whatever it takes to help you take him down as quickly as possible. You’ll have to pay up front for five days. If we come back sooner, the difference will be refunded to you. However, if five days are not enough, you will have to pay for another group of five days, and so on. In order to ensure your safety, you must be accompanied by at least five agents. We recommend seven, so that few inconveniences will occur.”

  “Let’s make a rough calculation,” said Gabriel Hall. “Five agents, four thousand dollars each multiplied by five days is one hundred thousand dollars. Well, that’s a large sum. Since you’re taking so much money from me, do you guarantee I will kill him?”

  “We cannot make that guarantee. We only guarantee that we’ll do whatever we can to assist. But that’s not all. There are other potential expenses that will be accrued.”

  “What other expenses could there be?”<
br />
  “To name a few, the transport to New Hope and the rent in an area safe from criminals, which is called “The Island of the Rich.” There are other expenses, too. The following will occur: You’ll remain in an apartment the authorities assign to you with an agent who will ensure your safety. The other agents will begin to locate and chase Dylan Smith. When they catch him, they will bring him to your apartment. From then on, you will decide his fate.

  “The retrieval will not be simple. In New Hope there’s a kind of solidarity among its residents. When they see a man taken off guard, they suspect he was captured for the purpose of being knocked off. So the residents attack the agents. Three agents from a different company recently died in a fight that followed their capture of a resident. It’s a jungle out there—a fight for survival. When they find themselves cornered, people turn into beasts. By the way, if an agent dies in New Hope, you will be charged twenty-five thousand dollars.

  “What for?”

  “It’s the amount the heirs receive…”

  “That’s odd—if you choose to work as an agent, it’s obvious that you’re exposed to risks, right?”

  “Yes, but no insurance company covers any liability damage that takes place in New Hope or writes life insurance policies for agents. Not to mention, twenty-five thousand dollars is still a small financial benefit for heirs. We are offering them just as much as you are being charged. That’s the standard contract.

  “But I can assure you, this is a rather bureaucratic measure. We never lost any agents. That’s why we are the most respected company in the state.”

  “Should I understand that you have had this kind of request in the past?”

  “Yes, that’s why we also have standard contracts.”

  “What about the success rate?”

  “Unfortunately, I cannot provide you with the statistics. It’s confidential. Moreover, it’s not relevant. There have been cases when our customer went to New Hope with the purpose to kill an individual, but then changed his mind.”

  “That won’t be the case for me!”

  Alan Johnson's fingers glided on the surface of the computer.

  “So… after a rough estimate, a deposit of one hundred fifty thousand dollars is required.”

  “Hmm…”

  “As I explained, you will be refunded the difference if he is killed within the first five days.”

  “Fine… then what are the next steps?”

  “If you are indeed determined and you have the money up front, then we can leave as soon as possible. I know that I recommended that you take your time and think about this, but, in the end, the customer is always right. If your mind is set, then we won’t wait until he decides to agree to the confrontation. We have to take him by surprise. We mustn’t give him time to find accommodations in New Hope. And most importantly, he mustn’t get the chance to make friends there—nobody must be able to help him out. Oh, I’m so absentminded! I forgot to tell you something important.”

  “What is that?”

  “There’s also a ten thousand dollar fee for finding the GPS coordinates of the criminal. That means you’ll know where he is in real time. On the other hand, once the request to find him through GPS is filed, the application for confrontation is canceled and you’ll never be able to submit another one. It will be considered that you’ve decided to do justice on your own, which is true. But once the application for confrontation is withdrawn, his lawyer will know and will let him know. Even if we hurry to take him by surprise, he will expect us to eventually show up. It’s best to have the procedure completed as soon as possible so that we catch him while he hasn’t acclimated to his surroundings yet. He will certainly try to hide. But here is where our professionalism comes in.”

  “Hmm… and what if my wife files a separate application for confrontation and pays the charge?”

  “Then, you’ll have to convince her to travel to New Hope. In addition, once an application for confrontation is withdrawn on the assumption that the coordinates are revealed, it will be crystal clear to him that we are after him. There is no point. Trust our company. We’ll catch him and let you do whatever you want with him. Then we will bring you back home safe and sound. That’s why you are paying us this large sum of money.

  “Huge, I’d say. Anyway, when can we leave?”

  “The processes and the approval will be ready in two weeks. Then we’ll be ready to leave.”

  “What should I take with me?”

  “Nothing. We’ll take care of everything.”

  “Perfect. Where do I sign?”

  Alan Johnson smiled. “You don’t have to sign anything. This conversation was recorded and will pass as our contract. You’ll receive the special clauses via S-email, the standard service offered by the government to send and receive secure emails, together with the recording of our discussion. Since we’re in the offices of our own building, we can record without the prior consent of the other party. Of course, we can’t use this recording for any purpose other than for our trade. When you read the addendum with the special clauses, if you have any questions, send us an S-email. All communications via S-email are an integral part of the contract. After all, that’s why we pay the state—to offer S-email services to us.

  Alan Johnson had a way of speaking and presenting things that gave Gabriel Hall confidence. The amount of money he had to pay was very large. There were probably cheaper options. But why risk it? He had the money and, on top of that, he also had estates he could sell. He went home satisfied and ready for action. There was no point in hoping that eventually Dylan would decide to agree to the confrontation. Let this be over as soon as possible.

  “Will this bring Tyler back?” his wife asked him when he returned home. “This isn’t worth the effort. It’s enough that you asked him for confrontation. If he doesn’t agree to it, he probably won’t be able to ever leave New Hope. Let him spend the rest of his life there, among other criminals—thieves and rapists.”

  “Have you forgotten that there are others who go to New Hope willingly?”

  “Yes, but they are the ones who visit the other part, called the Island of the Rich as far as I remember. And Dylan cannot go there so easily.”

  “What about the parties there?” asked Gabriel. “Orgies, alcohol, and all kinds of drugs. Aren’t you upset by the thought that after he killed our son he’ll live a life full of parties? He might even be happier than living here?”

  “Drugs are addictive,” said his wife. “He will quickly meet his end if he takes that path. The mortality rate is very high in New Hope. Even if he doesn’t die young, he may undergo a trauma that will make him physically or mentally frail. Plus, he doesn’t have access to the health-care system that we have here. According to the latest statistics, life expectancy is thirty-five years lower there.”

  “That is, if he doesn’t have someone to pay his expenses. You know he had a girlfriend who was there when the murder happened. Maybe she even helped him.”

  “I don’t think so. She underwent a polygraph test. The prosecutor said that the test was very conclusive. And they weren’t married. Are you sure she’s willing to help him?”

  “It doesn’t matter. In two, three weeks maximum, he’ll be dead.”

  His wife didn’t say anything. She didn’t agree with him, but she didn’t want to argue with him either. For her, the loss of her son was so great that she had even renounced her religious principles.

  Chapter 6

  The following day, Dylan actually received a call. Somebody “had found” his gun and offered to give it back for only $2,000. He turned it down, thinking he’ll get a lower offer, better than that. He didn’t even have that amount of money anyway. Lydia wired him $3,000. But since his possessions that were sold at the auction didn’t cover what he owed to the state and to the heirs of the victim, 50 percent of the money in his account was held until the balance of his debt was reached. So, only $1,500 reached his account. He was going to spend as little money as possib
le and only if he had no other option.

  Dylan went to dine at the ward. The breakfast turned out to be very modest—about four slices of bread that was slightly toasted and a cup of fruit compote. He found a few pieces of fruit here and there, but couldn’t say exactly what they were. They all had the same taste and they were all chopped. At this rate, he’d certainly have to buy food.

  Since he was already at the ward, he figured it was a good time to take a tour. The information desk was right at the entrance. Then there were the toilets, the showers, and the related lockers. Men were to the right and women to the left. In the middle there were the escalators and the elevators that could carry you to the upper floors. The employees had a separate elevator and there was another one that transported capacious goods and injured people. The canteen was on the first floor. It was divided symmetrically, with two serving booths on each side. The tables were all alike, with four chairs around them. At the window of the booth, there wasn’t anyone who served food. Each person in line was identified by the signals sent by their affiliated bracelets, and a food tray would automatically follow. There were slot machines that provided you with drinking water.

  The next three floors were full of personal lockers that were used as deposit boxes. Reaching up to a meter high and half a meter wide, residents couldn’t store much, but at least they had somewhere to keep the things they valued. The next three floors were used as creative workshops for those who could afford to pay for them. Here, all kinds of tools or gadgets were available in case a resident had an idea and wanted to put it into practice. Since the fee for the use of the workshops was pretty high, they were empty almost all the time. The last two floors were dedicated to the hospital and the storage of medical supplies.

  The rest of the floors were designated to the sheriffs and other personnel who worked here. Personnel had bedrooms, a fitness room, a dining room, and even a swimming pool. Although they had optimum conditions, they were the ones to feel as if imprisoned. They could not leave the building (they would risk being attacked by a resident who recognize them as personnel) and were brought here in armored vehicles. Of course, after a shift was over, they could return home, but a work cycle could last several weeks.