The Engine What Runs the World

by Quinn Buckland

  “Why not leave this place? Sell it to one of your girls and come live with me,” Smoke said giving her an easy way out.

  Glass gave him a soft smile. He knew she’d refuse before he had said a word. “I’m flattered,” she said as she took a sip of her wine, “I really am. Too many years have passed between us though. I don’t know if I could handle it. I have become accustomed to this floor, this lifestyle. I don’t think I could leave it after this many years.”

  “It’s not too late to start a new life,” he said, making it look as if he were actually trying to convince her.

  “I think I’m going to pass. It’s really appreciated though,” she said with a smile. “So you’re on a case,” she said changing the subject right on cue.

  “I am,” Smoke said calmly. He had no intentions of relaying all the information on her all at once. If she asked he’d answer truthfully. There’d be no real reason not to. Glass was the safest person he’d known.

  “What are you able to tell me about it?” Glass asked.

  Smoke gave her a wide smile and cocked his head slightly to the side, “I guess it depends on the questions you ask.”

  The silent stand off as Glass decided which questions to ask would have been hilariously tense to observe. The crowd around them paid no attention to the two; though there may as well have not been a crowd making a cacophonous noise around them for all they cared or noticed. They were busy staring each other down.

  “Who’s the target?” Glass finally asked.

  “Her name’s Blue. She’s a girl from the second above.”

  “Classy,” Glass said with a whistle. “Didn’t think you’d ever get a job like that on the first below.”

  “Me neither,” Smoke admitted. “Though this could be my ticket out of the underground.”

  Glass nodded, “How much are they paying you? If I may ask.”

  “Two million skins, though… I don’t think I’m going to get to enjoy it for any amount of time.”

  A look of worry crossed her face as Smoke took in a deep breath. She ran her finger around the brim of the wineglass. She took in a deep breath as well before sighing deeply, “What did you do?”

  Smoke looked at his glass of wine. Almost untouched with the exception of the initial sip. “I escaped the fourth floor.”

  “Fulcrum?” she asked with a concerned look, knowing exactly to what Smoke was referring.

  “Fulcrum,” he confirmed.

  “Hide here,” she said. “He can’t get you here. None of his men would dare get themselves blacklisted by all the women on the third floor, not even Fulcrum would be so bold.”

  “You have that sort of power?” Smoke asked surprised.

  “Like I said, I’m good at what I do,” Glass said with a slight hint of a smug expression. “Very good at what I do; and I’ve been doing it for a long time.”

  Smoke smiled internally as he maintained his straight face. She had learned the politics of the third floor and had become a major player without him knowing. He really could live the rest of his days on the third floor and be safe from Fulcrum’s guns. His thoughts immediately shifted to Blue.

  He smiled, leaned across the table, took Glass by the face and planted a small kiss on her lips. “You have no idea how much I want that. I would stay here but I need to finish this job. If anything for my own integrity, I’m not having you take care of me while I grow fat living off you. If I abandon this case I’d never get another job again.”

  “What if you can’t find her anyway? She could very well not even be in this area,” Glass asked.

  “Then I tell the family they will have to get more eyes out there. I am only one man and while two million skins is a lot, I can only do so much before then.”

  “The money is not worth your life,” Glass said as he watched a tear begin to well in her eyes. She had been trying to talk him out of it and was failing.

  He couldn’t tell if they were crocodile tears or genuine. He didn’t want to risk getting it wrong. “It’s not the money,” he said softly placing his fingers beneath her chin. “It’s a matter of my credibility as a detective.”

  She nodded as she pulled her face away from his fingers. She looked away from him as she closed her eyes, “When you find her, get your ass back here then.”

  Smoke nodded and smiled softly, “I will.”

  “Good, I don’t want anything to happen to you. You’re kind of important to me.”

  Smoke let out a sharp breath as he took a second sip of his wine. “One last case and then I’ll do my detective work here. I may have to give Fulcrum all the skins anyway if I happen to run into him. It may buy my safety.”

  “I will personally make sure Fulcrum doesn’t do anything to you,” Glass said sharply.

  “I don’t doubt that,” Smoke said with a mild laugh. “I think I can deal with him though. He’s not expecting two million skins.”

  “Whatever you have to do. Just get back here to me.”

  Smoke couldn’t blame her for wanting him to come down to the third below instead of her going to the first below. She had built a name for herself here, she had skins and influence. What did he have? A small home and a slowly failing detective agency doing jobs he didn’t want to do. While he wasn’t especially keen on moving to the third below, considering it was a little too close to the fourth, he would move to keep himself safe and to be near the woman he’d loved for so many years.

  He thought to why the two of them had parted ways. She didn’t want to leave her career no matter how she hated it, and he wanted to reach for the unobtainable goal of living on the surface to get away from the Cartel. Now here they were a decade later, ready to move in together at the drop of a hat.

  “Do you remember how we met?” Smoke asked suddenly.

  The question seemed to have shocked Glass because she almost dropped her wine glass. A small dribble of wine fell to the floor from what had escaped. “I remember,” she said bluntly. “I don’t want to remember those days though.”

  “I understand,” Smoke said with a smile.

  It had been three days since Glass had taken them into her brothel. Constance had begun to wonder if they would ever be getting off the floor. The morning of the third day Constance had taken a walk to see the lift driver. The lift driver had apologized profusely before going into a lengthy explanation as to what was wrong. Constance didn’t understand much of it, but she got the gist that something was wrong with the pulley system and she had to wait for a part from the first floor. There was a possibility it would be done that day, but odds were it would be finished the day after.

  Smoke had spent the majority of the past three days with Glass. They seemed to be catching up, though there looked to be some long pauses in their talking as they stared at each other with dreamy gazes. They were adorable.

  There were times though when Smoke would leave the brothel and begin asking questions around the third below. Constance didn’t go with him on any of his interrogations; she felt she wouldn’t be needed. Besides, a bit of time off was nice.

  She sat in the tub soaking the hot water into her skin. She loved the feeling of a good long bath. The feeling of cleanliness was something of a luxury traveling with Smoke in the underground, as she had learned. She leaned back and allowed the water to envelop her entire body leaving only her mouth and nose clear from the water.

  Glass had been a pleasure to visit with. It was the happiest she had ever seen Smoke in the short time she had known him. She could see how much the two of them cared for each other and she wondered if or why he would ever leave the third below. She wasn’t going to mention it to Smoke or try to force him into something he may or may not have wanted to do. It wasn’t her business what he did. If he chose to continue after Blue she would follow. If he chose to stay she would eventually have to make her departure. It would upset her to do so, but she wouldn’t find what she needed if she stayed.

  At least the odds were quite slim that she’d find it if she sta
yed.

  She knew Smoke was a good detective. He was skilled at noticing things she hadn’t even thought to look for. However, the man got really cocky and believed he had the ability to notice everything. She had shown him on occasions he was not as great as he believed. Though, if anyone could find Blue by themselves it would be Smoke Callahan.

  She carefully took in a deep breath as she ran her hands down her body. The feeling of flesh on flesh contact within the hot water was titillating; even if it was just her hands on her own body. She had been given offers from the male prostitutes from the third floor. She had refused them; the repulsion of buying another person’s body persisted even through the loneliness of having her own room and being virtually ignored by Smoke. She found she’d rather be alone over spending a night of meaningless sex that she had to pay for. It wasn’t worth it in the long run.

  The thought of what she’d done with Smoke crossed her mind, though she shook it off. Sex with Smoke was a tactic to better convince him to bring her along. Men were often more agreeable after a night with a woman.

  She didn’t know how long she had spent in the tub but the water had almost gone ice cold by the time she pulled herself from the murky water. She dried herself with a woolly towel and collapsed onto her bed. She stared at the ceiling as she felt her bare chest continue to move up and down with every breath. She didn’t know how much longer she’d be able to handle being here. She wanted to get out, but anywhere she went she was met by nothing more than bare breasted women and males who either wanted her to buy their time or by men who wanted to buy hers.

  Eventually she sat back up and dressed herself. She’d realized she had gotten hungry in the time between going to see the lift driver and finishing her bath. Her traveling clothes had been clean from the day before. She didn’t really go anywhere to soil the clothes so they had remained clean through the rest of the day and all night.

  Constance opened her door to see Smoke’s door closed. A slightly muffled sound of moaning could be heard from the other side. She was reminded of her days back on the surface working in the tavern. It had been her duty to keep the peace as well as keep the tavern girls safe from the over drunk and aroused patrons. She had been good at her job.

  Constance chuckled under her breath and shook her head in amusement. At least the old boy was having a good time. He’d need it as a bit of relief for where he was going. Though Constance had sex’d with him the one night she didn’t seem to have any real desire to sex him again. He had been a hapless stranger who was only staying at the inn until the lift could take him down. Her desire to travel with him had been on a whim and the ability to go where she needed to go with a bit of protection. Even the anonymous tryst line had been a ploy to better ensure she got her way.

  She thought to the hidden shortblade she kept in her room. She had been thankful for Smoke buying it for her. She had more than enough skins to buy the shortblade herself, but Smoke had insisted. Who was she to argue with a free weapon, especially a weapon as fancy and expertly crafted as the hidden shortblade? It had understandably been forbidden for her to carry it around the brothel. Her room was a safe enough place for it.

  The tavern had a familiar smell to it. She ordered a small cup of ale to wake her up and a plate of synthetic venison and darkplant on the side. She didn’t know what it was about the taste of darkplant, but she loved it. She had seen Smoke almost keel over trying not to laugh as she ate the vegetable.

  The food was pretty good. She didn’t care for the synthetic venison as much as she thought she’d might. She’d had real venison on the surface and the two tasted nothing alike. She ate it regardless, Glass was paying for it.

  As she left the tavern she came face to face with the lift driver. The two of them almost colliding as she exited. “It’s ready to take the two of you down to the fourth floor.” She said quickly and with a smile.

  “Fantastic!” Constance said with a massive grin. “I’ll go get Smoke. You’ll wait for us right?”

  The lift driver nodded her head, “Of course I will. You just get your friend and I’ll be waiting.”

  Constance’s spirits lifted. She didn’t expect her luck to hold out and have the lift repaired that very day. She didn’t want to jinx anything and leapt up the stairs to Smoke’s room. She could no longer hear any moaning from the other side of the door. Any sex that had been going on was over. She breathed a sigh of relief and knocked on the door. It took a moment before she heard a muffled, “Yeah!”

  “Lift driver stopped by,” she said as loud as she could without being disruptive to the other men who were behind some of the other doors. “She said the lift is ready to take us down to the fourth below.”

  She didn’t have to wait long before she heard Smoke shout, “Alright, I’ll be right out. Just give me a bit.”

  Constance didn’t think she needed to respond to it. The thought of Smoke being naked behind the door was not exactly a flattering thought, especially since he’d be naked behind that door with a naked Glass. She shook her head in amusement again and proceeded to get her stuff packed up.

  “I’ve got to go now,” Smoke said softly between kissing Glass’s face and neck.

  “I know, you have a job to do,” she said with a gasp.

  She soon tossed him to the other side of the bed. He laughed genuinely before standing. She watched as he dressed. He grinned as he saw her eying his crotch and backside. “Do you ever wonder what the world would have been like had magic never faded?”

  “That was out of nowhere,” Glass said with a chuckle.

  “It’s just something I’ve been pondering for the last couple days. Just something to amuse myself,” he said with amusement.

  “Wishing abilities like yours were not so uncommon?” Glass asked as she sat up in the bed.

  “No, not really,” Smoke said casually. “It’s just been a fun thought. I’ve had some of the best days I can remember since coming here and if I’m being honest, I really don’t want them to end. Once I walk out that door I’ll have a job to do and any level of enjoyment will have to wait until my return.”

  “However long that takes,” Glass pouted.

  “I promise to come back as fast as I can,” he said with a gentle smile.

  “You’d better,” she said as she covered herself with the blankets.

  Smoke let out a small amused huff of a chuckle as he strapped his suspenders up and placed his hat on his head. As he walked towards the door he looked back at Glass. She looked more beautiful than she had when he had first met her back in their youth.

  Her eyes said everything he needed to hear and wanted her to say as he left the room.

  7

  The days spent with Glass had refreshed Smoke in ways he didn’t know he’d needed. It wasn’t the days off the case; he hadn’t had many days working the case to begin with so he wasn’t over-exhausted from that, it was life in general. If he could find a way to bring Blue home safely and alive and if he found a way past Fulcrum he’d finally be able to live an easy life. He’d be able to live out the rest of his days in comfort. Glass could live as a major political figure for the third floor, maybe going as far as to cut supplies off from the fourth floor until the Cartel got choked out completely. A plan was brewing in his head.

  The urge to stay on the third floor with Glass had been difficult to resist. He knew he had a lot of work to do and that he needed to get this case finished. There was something pulling him forward that he couldn’t explain. It bothered him that he had to leave, but he knew he would be happier once he returned - if he returned.

  The lift driver was nice, not very talkative before the trip downward, but nice. Smoke doubted he’d so much as remember her face a half an hour after they’d left. She seemed to have struck a chord with Constance however. He didn’t think the two of them would ever be friends; he had a hard time imagining Constance staying on the third floor.

  The ride down to the fourth below took longer than it had with the other lift d
rivers. He wasn’t angry or upset by any means over this; the longer it took to get to the fourth below the better. Once there he’d probably try camping out by the lift to the fifth floor just so he could be there as quickly as possible. If it were possible he would pay off the lift driver to get below sooner.

  During their time on the third floor he had neglected to tell Constance of his history. He hoped it wouldn’t have to come up at all. She may see his secrecy as a breach of trust and may decide to part ways with him. The thought of Constance leaving upset him, though it wouldn’t bother him so much to have her away from him; it was that he would worry more about her personal safety in the underground. He doubted he’d be able to forgive himself if something were to happen to her while they were separated. She was a tough woman who had managed to keep the peace in an inn on the surface through her physical strength, but the fourth below was a dangerous place and the lower floors would only get more so.

  As they left the ceiling for the fourth below he could see the massive lights that illuminated the entirety of the floor. He could see nearly the entire town; he even managed to mentally point out the places where he had once hung out and gotten into trouble. He could see the warehouses where weapons and narcotics were made and those where bloody interrogations happened. A feeling of anxiety began to flow through him. He did his best to keep a straight face and do what he could to pretend that being back where he had been born and raised didn’t bother him. The feeling only grew as he and Constance stepped off the lift platform.

  A plan began to take form in his head. If everything went perfectly, both he and Constance would be on their way to the fifth below before anyone knew they were there. If they did get noticed though, the plan would have to adapt.

  Constance looked over to him with a straight face. She could sense this floor was bad news and that they needed to get out as quickly as they could. “What is this place?” Constance asked once they were off the lift. “It feels wrong.”