Constance slapped her forearms together twice, “Okay, I think I get it.”
Smoke put his hand over Constance’s right ear, “Do the same,” he said calmly. She obeyed, “This means well met. It’s a must and the one you’ll probably use most often.”
“Well met?” Constance asked confused.
“It basically means hello.”
“Well met,” she repeated. “This is good.”
“Okay, now put both your fists on your biceps,” he instructed.
She gave him a look of confusion as she obeyed.
“This will tell people you’re from the surface,” he said.
“Why would I want people to know that?” she asked. “Don’t I want to fit in?”
“Yes you do,” Smoke replied. “But you’re not going to know the lay of the land, nor the general history of the levels. You may pass easily in the first two levels, but you will be spotted pretty easily from the third and lower. This is important because it’ll show everyone you’re from the surface but you care enough to learn our sign language. They will respect you for it.”
Constance nodded, “Alright. Anything else?”
“This is all you will need for now. I’ll answer questions if you have them, but a lot of the underground is pretty secretive. We don’t share everything with anybody off the hop. You get me?”
Constance nodded, “I get you.”
“Besides,” Smoke said with a slight smile. “You’ll pick things up pretty quickly. I have no doubt that by the time my job is done you’ll be able to live comfortably in the first two levels.”
“I don’t think I’m going to want to do that,” Constance said with a chuckle.
“Good,” Smoke said looking toward the old man and the rising sun. “I think our ride is getting ready to leave. We should get going.”
Constance nodded as she followed Smoke to the lift.
4
Smoke watched as the old man turned the crank to allow the lift platform to descend down the quarter mile shaft. The distances between the floors had to be sizeable to prevent cave-ins from large amounts of people in one place as well as the weight of the tower, though they varied in depth it was the distance between the first below and the surface that remained the longest. He looked over to Constance, who watched the massive chain that ran through the lift contraption allowing their descent.
The old man carefully continued to do his job in silence. A lift platform could typically carry a dozen people at a time, and in all the time Smoke had ridden lifts, not one person had ever spoken a word the entire time. The fear that the lift driver would lose focus or become distracted and send all riders to their deaths frightened everyone. Though there were safety precautions in place to prevent the platform from crashing down on the lower floor, nobody wanted to take the chance something could fail.
He looked back to the old man as he concentrated on his job and then back to Constance again. She had a look of amazement and wonder as she watched the rocks and dirt blocked in by closely knit wire mesh pass by.
It had taken an hour and a half for the old man to bring them down to the first floor. Smoke thanked the old man and walked away. Constance followed with a concerned look of confusion on her face. “Aren’t you going to pay the man?” she asked.
“He doesn’t get paid for his service, at least not in skins,” he replied without looking at her. “When the drivers are down here they get their food and housing for free. Their lifts are also well guarded when they’re getting food or rest, not that anyone would dare touch it to begin with.”
“Why do they get so much for free?” she asked. “It looks like they get one hell of a deal for only a few hours of work.”
Smoke supressed a laugh, “You really are from the surface. It is rare for someone to have the commitment to be a lift driver. It’s a lifetime contract that cannot be subverted without great reason. They get treated as kings in the underground because they are our ticket to the other levels. If they all quit everyone would be trapped.”
“Nobody would take it up?”
Smoke shook his head as he continued walking, “Some might try, some would succeed. Ultimately it would result in a few being able to move around and the rest being trapped. Did you notice we went at a constant pace the whole way? It was a safe and hazard-free descent. All because he knew what he was doing, he trained for it and built his stamina and endurance to be able to turn that crank no matter the weight on the platform. I thought you’d been to the underground before.”
“I have,” Constance said as she looked toward the floor. “It’s just been a while and I always paid the lift driver during my trips up and down.”
“Okay,” Smoke said as if he were only half paying attention. “Just follow me and do as I say, alright?”
Constance nodded and followed. Smoke continued through the well-lit market place of the first floor. The smell of freshly baked goods filled the air as he looked towards the bakers and underfarmers - people who had figured out a way to grow edible vegetables and fruits without sunlight or artificial light, all of which were aptly named darkplants. The darkplants typically had a bitter taste, but were filled with all of the nutrients the body needed. Smoke didn’t know how they did it, nor did he really care. It didn’t matter anyway; so long as he and everyone from the nine levels had something to eat he was happy.
The first two levels were known as the market places of the underground. The first level typically got some of the food from the surface, which was then mixed with the darkplants. Smoke had been surprised when no surface vegetation had been on the lift downward this time around, an oddity to be sure. It didn’t bode well for the shoppers who would be looking for surface vegetables; though darkplant was a more than suitable alternative.
“Where are we going?” Constance asked above the sound of the crowd.
“My place.”
Constance stopped in her tracks, “Why? I thought you were on a case.”
Smoke stopped and turned to face the defiant woman. “I need to get some supplies. I don’t think Blue is here on the first level. Regardless, I plan to take a look around, but I’m not holding my breath. That said, I’m going to need to pack a bag. Much like the one you’ve got there,” he finished, pointing at Constance’s pack.
“Okay,” she said with a frown.
“What crawled up your ass all of a sudden?”
“The fact that I hardly know you and you’re already taking me to your place.”
“You chose to follow me,” Smoke said dismissively. “You didn’t have to do that. You knew me even less then.”
“The personal home is more intimate,” she finally said with a small voice. “Besides, you said to follow you.”
“Is this because we sex’d?” Smoke asked, shocked, “Woman, get this clear. What we did last night was fun and a great release, but that’s all it was. I’m not going to get possessive nor am I going to go domestic on you. You’re free to come along if you want; you’re free to sex if you want, you’re free to leave if you want. I’m not going to ask or force it on you. I have a job to do and I don’t have time to be going rounds with you.”
He could see her face darken and Smoke could see the idea of leaving enter her mind. Suddenly the beginning of a smile appeared on her face as she lightened up a little. “Good,” she said as she continued walking.
“Fucking women,” Smoke muttered silently.
They’d been at Smoke’s home for about twenty minutes before he finally told Constance to stay put. This would be the last chance for a real rest she’d get so it would be wise for her to get it while she could. Constance didn’t fight back or try to argue. Smoke was thankful she didn’t, about as thankful as he was she continued to stay. The more he thought about it, the more he knew having someone like Constance around could be an asset. A second set of eyes, and a self-proclaimed skilled fighter could always be utilized.
He made his way to the lift between the first and second floors. He chatted w
ith the lift driver for a little while asking when he’d be able to go the second floor. Once he had his answers he thanked the man and left as quickly as he had arrived.
He’d considered asking the lift driver if he had seen Blue, but decided it wouldn’t be worth the time. Lift drivers saw over a dozen to two dozen faces in a day. Unless she stood out, which Smoke highly doubted she would, the odds were fairly low she’d be remembered by any of the drivers above the seventh below.
Smoke also believed it to be a waste of his time to ask around the first floor if anyone had housed Blue for a night or to check the inns. There’d be no way she’d still be here in the first floor; without a doubt she’d be lower. Second floor or lower.
Still, he’d have to check and make sure; to see if he could find anyone who knew where she’d be going. Anything he could find would be worthwhile. He just didn’t think he’d find it here. Blue wouldn’t want to be near to the surface; it’d be too easy to find her. He sighed in anguish when he knew he’d have to piss his day away asking pointless questions just in case.
His first stop was a small inn named THE MOLE’S HIDEAWAY. He shuddered as he entered. The place was dingy and poorly lit. If Blue had been looking for a place to avoid detection this would be the place. Nobody would expect a high class girl from the second above to stay in a place like that.
He approached the innkeeper, a tall lanky man with a rat like face. The tufts of black hair made him look like a mangy rodent. The sheer look of him told Smoke he could fall over and die at any moment. “What can I do for you?” the inn keeper asked.
“I’m looking for someone,” Smoke said casually.
“You’ll want the third below for whores. You a surfacer?”
Smoke glared at the man and put four fingers on his bicep. Smoke had to stop himself from letting out a loud laugh at the man’s frightened look. “Look, I don’t want any trouble. Especially from your sort,” the innkeeper stammered.
“I’m not with them anymore,” he said with a frown. “Don’t think that doesn’t mean I don’t remember every little thing I did.” A bluff, but a good bluff none the less, one shrouded with truth. He looked to be buying it. “I don’t think anyone would miss a little worm den like this.”
The man began to shake, “I’m sorry,” he said six times before Smoke told him to shut up.
“Now, let’s start this again,” Smoke began. “I’m looking for a girl. Roughly sixteen, maybe seventeen. She’d look highborn, maybe looked like she tried a little too hard to look like she belongs here, but would still stand out.”
The rat man nodded, “I saw someone like that. Only she didn’t try to stand out. She was looking for a man. What was his name… Smoke?”
“Smoke Callahan?”
“That’s the one!” he said with a grin.
Smoke couldn’t help but be insulted. Marla had done research on him and she still believed him to be the sort of man who frequented places like THE MOLE’S HIDEAWAY. “Did you know where to send her?”
He shook his head, “No, I’d never heard of the man. Figured he’d be some first floor pansy P.I. and never gave him another thought.”
Smoke’s reaction didn’t change at the insult. He didn’t feel anything towards the man’s suppositions towards him, they didn’t know each other and it would be foolish to get worked up by this man’s opinions. “Did you see anyone like her before?”
He shook his head, “No, She was the first I’d seen. Obviously from above the surface. Don’t know why she’d have been down here. Not my place to guess, I guess.”
He was telling the truth, not that there had been any reason for the rat man to lie. He slipped the rat man five skins and promptly left the inn. He got more information than he had intended, but not in the right direction. Now he resented his employers even more than he had before.
His next stop took him to a more high class place named UNDER INN. The place was decorated with expensive tapestries and lights. If Blue hadn’t been in the dirtiest place in town there would be a possibility of her having been in the cleanest. He walked to the inn keeper and placed his hands on the front desk. The inn keeper wrinkled his nose at Smoke, “Hello good sir, you can’t afford to stay here. Please leave.” The inn keeper said.
Smoke looked down to his clothes. He had changed when he had returned home from the dusty clothes he had been wearing before into the clean red plaid button shirt he wore now. His trousers were held up with grey suspenders, though they were hidden under a fabric longcoat. He knew he didn’t look high class by any means though the rudeness from the inn keeper was uncalled for.
Smoke flashed the fourth below symbol, hoping that would get a response. He hated doing it, but he didn’t have time to fuck around. The inn keeper didn’t seem phased anyway. “That doesn’t frighten me,” he said with a straight face. “You think I haven’t fought your type before?”
It was a fair point; the Cartel had tried to take down and intimidate the high class places of the first floor before and failed.
“Look,” Smoke said, “I’m looking for a young girl. It’s a job of mine from the second above. I’m pretty sure if I gave them a call they wouldn’t be too pleased you’ve impeded my investigation.”
“You’re a private dick?” the inn keeper asked with a look of shock.
“You didn’t think I was here for a room did you?” Smoke asked smugly. “Now, are you going to comply with what I want or am I going to have to tear you down? I know the Cartel couldn’t do it, but let’s see what someone from the above can do.”
Panic began to flash all over the inn keeper’s face. “No, don’t do that!” he said almost in a falsetto shriek.
Another bluff. There would be no way for him to get the message to them with his communicator and have Marla or someone else from the Lang family come down to do something about it. Even if he did, it would be days before they made it down, every day counted and needed to be used finding Blue.
“Tell me what I want to hear,” Smoke demanded.
The innkeeper swallowed hard and spoke, “I don’t know who you’re looking for. If I had a family name I could look through the register and see if anyone had stayed.”
“Her name is Blue Lang,” Smoke said, slipping the image across the counter.
The inn keeper’s eyes shot wide open, “You’re dealing with the Lang family? Fuck! Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck!”
“What’s wrong?”
The inn keeper shook his head wildly, “That is not the sort of family you want to fuck with. What are they doing getting a fourth floor roughian?”
Smoke gave the inn keeper a look of suspicion, “What do you know about the Lang family?”
“Nothing I can repeat,” he said as his body began to shake. “I know where Blue is though, or at least I know where she was going from here.”
“Where?” Smoke asked a little too forcefully for his own comfort.
The inn keeper shook his head, “I can’t tell you that either. I’m sorry I said anything.”
Rage began to build in Smoke’s head. He grabbed the inn keeper from across the counter and pulled him across. He picked up the little man and pushed him against the wall. “Look,” Smoke said trying his best not to shout. “I don’t have all day. Fuck, I don’t have much for time as it is, if you know something, I highly suggest you tell me. I really don’t have time for you to tell me you have information and then beat around the bush or straight up refuse to tell me what I need to know.”
“I can’t,” the inn keeper said with bulging eyes filled with fear. Tears began to run as he spoke again. “You can kill me, beat me to a pulp or worse but there’s no way I can tell you. What they’d do to me…”
Smoke could feel his power beginning to rise as he looked into the inn keeper’s eyes, “Tell me what you know,” Smoke said firmly.
The inn keeper began to relax under Smoke’s control. “This goes way deeper than just a missing girl,” he said in a voice much calmer than before.
“How do you know this?”
The inn keeper managed a warbled smile as he said, “Walls have ears. Nothing said in an inn is ever a secret. It can be kept for a price, that’s all.”
Smoke took in a deep breath as he let the man down. “So that’s what you do? You listen in and blackmail their secrets?”
“More or less,” the inn keeper said. “It’s tough having a high-priced inn in the first underground. People from the upper levels do tend to come down here for dirty deals. Sometimes what they pay for a room isn’t enough to cover the extravagance. Not to mention the rarity of seeing someone from the above levels coming down here. On top of that I do have people from other levels trying to tear my place down.”
Smoke gave the inn keeper a disapproving look. People from the upper levels had secrets; he knew this from the Lang family, but dirty dealings… while not surprising, would be something to look into at a later date. What he cared about was where Blue was going.
“You’re not going to turn me into the authorities are you?” the inn keeper asked.
The authorities would have congratulated the man on his way of saying ‘fuck you’ to the upper levels. The authorities in the upper levels would probably have an idea of what was going on, though Smoke doubted it would make any difference. The families wouldn’t go to the authorities unless they didn’t mind their secret being revealed. Not to mention the lack of authority the officers in the upper levels had down in the underground. They’d be killed by an unnamed person before they’d have found who they were looking for. A death nobody would ever investigate.
“No,” Smoke said in response. “However, you are going to shut down your blackmail scheme. Charge more for the rooms, you’ll get more that way”
The inn keeper nodded, “Yes sir.”
Smoke nodded his head once, “Wonderful. I’m still going to need to know where Blue was headed though.”
The Engine What Runs the World Page 5