The man took a step backwards, his foot hooking into the exhaustion pipe and suddenly his arms were waving for balance instead. He came to a stop at the bottom, metal and debris slower at settling around him like miniature waves, gleaming and sharp. Frey could see he would never walk again.
Before Jin could grab her, she slid down the side, going as fast as she dared. She ran towards the unmoving heap and saw that he was still breathing… barely. He was going to be dead very soon.
She kneeled next to him just as he opened his eyes. They were grey, and full of pain. There was blood on his face, but his eyes were clear and stayed right on hers. His lips moved, and at first there was no sound. Then it came in a whisper so silently Frey had to lean in to hear him.
“They wanted me to forget…” big tears rolled down his dirty cheeks. “They exiled me… put me here… they-they are watching.” His hand crept towards his chest. Frey took it on impulse and placed it on his slightly moving ribcage so he wouldn’t have to struggle, but his fingers continued to grope at his neck. “Do not let them…”
The man’s head rolled to the side, his grey eyes going dull as the breath left him.
Frey knew he had been crazy, and crazy people said strange things. But still… She pulled his blue collar to the side to check for a necklace, but there was nothing there. As her hand went over the fabric she felt something solid and hard seeming to come from within the collar. The fabric was incredibly soft to her touch, the tiny, white ornamental stripes almost invisible as they were so delicate. Her fingers snagged at the shirt.
Looking around she saw a shard of glass. Frey could hear Jin calling her name together with the sound of him sliding down the hill. She hurried to cut a small opening, pulling out a white object. It was tiny and compact. It was also crystal white and sleek.
The first thing that hit her was how much it reminded her of the container from the drop…
Frey slid it into her pocket just as Jin grabbed her good arm hard and yanked her hard to her feet.
“Stop running away like that! You like giving me heart attacks?” He half yelled, refusing to let her arm go as if he was scolding a little child.
Frey swallowed her initial response, seeing that his anger came from worry. She sighed and smiled to herself, not able to be angry with him for getting worried about her all the time. “Yeah, yeah. Sorry, Jin.”
Frey looked over her shoulder at the dead man. The dogs and rats would be feasting on him before long.
Frey felt Jin’s heavy hand on her head as he sighed as well. “Well, whatever. Come on. We might still find something useful.” He nodded towards the body. “You search him?”
“Yup. Nothing,” she said, already walking away from the scene, Jin following. Keeping Frey out of trouble seemed to be Jin’s number one mission. It meant she couldn’t show him the strange object. He would see it as a threat and get rid of it, and she wasn’t about to let that happen. The tips of her fingers gave it one last curious caress before slipping it into a pocket within her bandana.
The sky was getting dark fast and the digital stars became visible while Frey and Jin made their way into the big market. You could walk through it for half the night and not have seen all the junk that was being traded here. The steam and noise of China Town was more intense than normal, the sea of bodies even thicker and the smells like an explosion in the nose, both foul and strangely intoxicating.
Bloody love the night markets.
Those who couldn’t get a good spot for their stalls on the main street hung their wares from the windows, small neon signs luring people up dark, crooked stairways. Frey tended to avoid those.
Beggars and street rats were shoved to the very edges to leave room for everyone else. The extra signs and lights made the whole of China Town light up in spite of the surrounding steam and fog. It was messy and smelly, crowded and on the border of chaos, but she liked it this way. She felt she could blend in with everybody else. Stay out of unwanted attention.
Jin pressed close to her, the two of them moving from stall to stall as best they could. Frey had pulled up her bloody bandana against the sewer stink and steam, now breathing the smell of iron instead. Jin’s proper gasmask covered the lower part of his face, only leaving his eyes visible. His eyes were relaxed, his posture giving away that he enjoyed it as much as her.
They sold their findings to a bald man with a missing arm, a mechanical one in its place that badly needed repairing. His gas mask covered his entire face, and the black reflection made it impossible to see his eyes. How he saw anything in the darkness, Frey could only guess. But Jin seemed to know him and got a good trade out of it.
Jin exchanged his broken gun for a car battery; Frey took more time to choose, her broken radio worth considerably less.
“Frey, please,” Jin moaned when he saw what she was looking at. “Get something for yourself for a change.”
Frey ignored her friend and pointed at the remote controlled car. It was small, and fit snugly inside her jacket.
Jin carried the battery in his arms like a precious child. He was happy enough with the bargain that he didn’t stay cranky at her for long. Frey felt good as well, smiling as she thought how the kids would love the new toy.
There were a few gunshots in the distance, but they were too far away to be of any immediate danger to the market, so they were ignored. Otherwise it had proved to be an unusually calm night for a change. Frey looked up at Jin and couldn’t help but grin as she saw his face. A sign close by spilled warm colors, making Jin look like he had as a little kid. They were just able to walk side by side again, and Jin had pulled his mask down, twisted around and resting between his shoulder.
They rounded a corner and found themselves facing two men at the end of the street. A few people strolled to or from the night market, but otherwise the street was empty. It wasn’t hard to guess for whom the two thugs were waiting for.
They must have spotted us at the market. So much for a calm night. Frey sighted mentally. Oh well, their funeral.
They walked towards the men, not even bothering to slow down, which the thugs certainly didn’t seem to be expecting. Frey took her good hand out of her pocket. “I’ll take the big one,” she said.
“Damn these small fry,” he said. “They so much as scratch my battery, you’ll have to drag me away from their unconscious, friggin bodies.” The battery was plenty scratched already, and Frey found herself grinning, not taking her eyes off the two men. She bent down and snatched up a rock.
“Bet on who takes one out first?” She asked with a smile.
“Sure!”
They were only a few meters from the duo that now stood there dumbfounded, not knowing what to expect anymore. Frey snaked her arm back and let the rock fly. There was a solid thunk, and the big man’s head flew back. He fell like a tree, eyes rolling up into his skull, his whole body going rigid. It all went so fast that neither Jin nor the remaining thug knew what had happened until the man was down.
“Hey!”
Frey grinned up at him. “Not like I cheated.”
The other guy turned and bolted, and Jin wrinkled his nose in disgust at the man’s retreating back. “Leaving his partner like that. Scum.”
Frey circled her arm around his midsection and hugged him tight before letting go. She only stopped long enough to turn the big one to his side so he wouldn’t suffocate if he threw up from the concussion. Jin smiled at her, the battery tucked under one arm, other rubbing her head playfully.
When he led her into the western districts Frey already had a bad feeling burning in her guts. Now her stomach acids seemed to be boiling. They were walking into gang territory, and she was far from relaxed about it.
She must have hid her fear poorly since Jin leaned towards her and whispered that he wouldn’t let anything happen to her.
Frey felt her stomach lurch, like her insides wanted to fuel her fear. Idiot. I’m not worried about me. It was clear that Jin had somehow started hanging out with
the wrong sort of people, and Frey knew it almost always led to the same thing. I’m worried about you…
Chapter 4
Frey rolled to her side, rubbing her eyes, judging the time to be around noon. Her eyes stayed on the coarse blanket, seeing Father Patrick tiptoeing back down in her minds eye. Sleeping at the orphanage always made her feel safe. Her smile faded as she thought of Jin. She rubbed her face with both hands before clasping them behind her head. “Damn idiot,” she said.
Frey walked along the rooftops of China Town when night came. Her eyes scanned the streets for any sign of Jin’s familiar movements.
Once she spotted Tim, his small frame snaking between the masses of people, his too big clothing almost comical on his thin frame. He wasn’t being chased by anyone so she guessed he was staying out of trouble for now. A small smile played on her lips. Probably ran before he could crawl.
Frey gave up trying finding Jin and walked towards the west, the scrap yard visible between the buildings. The chances of falling to your death escalated when you couldn’t see where you put your feet, so it was pretty much deserted at night. A shudder passed through Frey as she looked at the dome, reminded that no stars were projected tonight.
Friggin makes me uneasy…
Her head snapped back to the scrap yard. What the hell was that?
If it had been a rat, it had to be a bloody big one. It shouldn’t have pulled her attention like a moth to flames, but it did… Suddenly she wondered if the man with the smooth shirt still lay were he had fallen or already reduced to a pile of bone by the scavengers. Or maybe someone had gone looking for him… and the thing he had been carrying.
Frey jumped over rooftops, only then realizing she was running. She knew it was stupid but couldn’t stop herself more than she could stop the citizens craving the Yellow Pill. The scrap yard opened up like the big explosion of junk that it was.
She stayed in the protection of the buildings, gazing around the mounds of metal.
There!
A group of black shadows moved out of view.
The distance and darkness made it hard to make out more than just contours. She followed, sneaking from one pile to the next. Frey strained to pick out any sounds, but to no avail. The group moved out of view a second time. When she spotted them again they were just climbing one of the piles of metal debris. With the blackness of the dome behind them, only the odd reflection separated them from it.
She followed as silently as she could, easing her head above the ridge. But they were gone...
Frey scrabbled up the last bit, turning in a circle on the top. There’s nowhere to go!
She picked her way through the scrap yard faster than was wise, stumbling up the slope to the very top. Now that she stood there looking around into the darkness she wondered if she was going crazy…
Exploring new buildings could be a very good or very bad idea. Good in that they could actually contain something of value, bad since they might shelter bad people. At least it was taking her mind off what had happened on the scrap yard.
No sign of anyone living here so far.
Frey hoisted her worn, dark blue backpack higher on her shoulder. It was empty now, but she was hoping to leave with it filled.
Frey strolled along the open spaces on the top floor, surprised but not complaining that there still wasn’t any sign of life. Frey moved from room to room, a couple of computers. They were big and bulky, the screens black and dusty. There wasn’t enough power to supply one of them anywhere she knew, but parts were always harvested and everything that might be valuable, taken to the markets. Whichever gang had the monopoly of the electricity would pay a high price to get their hands on these.
Frey picked her way through the room, opening every drawer to make sure she wasn’t missing anything of value. She laughed out loud at the sight of a package of unopened biscuits. Using her sleeve, she revealed some long forgotten cookie-brand. The next few rooms proved to be pretty much useless, although she did find another package of biscuits.
Frey paused. Wonder what it was like when all this stuff was working. If the coating of dirt and destruction was anything to judge by things had been like this for a long time. Did the pill do this?
She had seen it happen so many times, seen the crazed look take over, twisting the features of those she had known to something she certainly didn’t.
A small voice reminded her of the signs Jin had started showing, but she was pushing the fear away. If he’s taking the pill I have to find a way to stop him.
Frey could feel the burning from tears, a warm hand clenching the insides of her throat. She leaned over the desk, hands flat on the surface while breathing even and slow, staring down at some scattered tacks half buried in dust and filth. There was mold on the sides the wood had probably once been a deep red, the carvings on the legs clear and unscratched.
The dome flashed as it allowed another drop, immediately followed by a second.
It’s getting worse…
Frey wasn’t sure if she meant the addiction itself or the distribution of the pill. Probably both…
Something, a sort of tickling sensation at the back of her neck made her look away from the fading sky towards the wall at her back. She couldn’t have said why, but her eyes were drawn to the painting hanging there.
The sensation of being watched was still there.
Frey moved towards the painting slowly, eyes traveling to the small black dot acting as a nail. The sky behind her was fading fast but there was enough to see the glimmer of a lens.
It wasn’t just the fact that she had just found another camera. What made her heart go cold was that it readjusted to her face being so close.
Frey backed away slowly, heart in her throat.
“Frey! Jesus-Holy-Moley,” Tim yelled as he came bounding towards her.
Frey loosened her grip on the pipe. “Damn, Tim!”
“I asked around if anyone’d seen you an’ finally Axel said he saw you go in here. I found’nother camera-“
“Quite,” she said, clamping her hand over his mouth, ushering him back the way they’d come. It was time to leave this building.
But her racing heart and speeding mind reminded her there was probably nowhere to go to escape the sensation of being watched…
“Tim, this is important, so you have to listen, like really listen,” Frey said, waiting for him to complete a wide-eyed nod. She sighed and sat back against the Volvo’s drivers seat, looking at the seven year old that had followed her around like a pup ever since she had saved him from the east gangs clutches.
I should have been more carful when telling Father Patrick about the cameras…
Frey swallowed hard, trying to suppress the panic that someone might have seen or heard them. And was anyone listening now? Was this what made people disappear? By being caught doing something they shouldn’t? “Tim, you need to stop looking for cameras,” she said, voice low as she leaned in towards him, forcing him to meet her eyes. “You know the once we’ve found so far?” He nodded. “I think there’s someone at the other end, watching us. I don’t think they’re turned off at all.” Now Tim looked truly frightened and Frey almost felt sorry enough to stop. “So don’t say anything out loud about these things either, you understand?”
“But you’re sayin’ things out loud now!” Tim said.
Frey stroke his dirty hair. “It’s okay this once, Tim. But I’m serious. You understand?” He nodded against her shoulder. “Good.” Frey cocked her head to the side. “Com’on, lets go home.”
Having dropped off Tim, and the biscuits at the orphanage, she made her way along the dark street, walking in the shadows out of habit. Frey couldn’t help glancing at street signs, wondering how many black lenses were hidden all around them.
She was tired, but kept moving, never remaining still for long and always where there were people, rather walking with the scum of the night than stay in a dark empty room with a camera.
There were no artificia
l stars tonight either. A sour taste filled her mouth as her gut clenched. She spat and moved away from the beggars fire, shoving her hands in her pockets and moving on, trying to dismiss the growing fear festering inside. I’m not liking this at all…
When “daylight” finally crept over The Wall she was still walking through the city, hands in her pockets, hood up to hide her face. Today she would find Jin, whatever district she had have to enter to do it.
Frey walked towards the orphanage. Tim needed to understand she wasn’t joking around and that he had taken her warning seriously.
As soon as the black building came into view she knew something was wrong. Before she knew it, she was running up the stairs to the boy’s room where a few sleepy kids were heading down the stairs to find some breakfast. A couple of boys were even still asleep. The kids being tired at this hour wasn’t normal.
Frey leaned against the doorframe as she stared at Tim’s corner. She felt her legs go weak, throat clenching in on itself. She was looking at Tim’s bed, and it was made.
Tim never made his bed.
Frey moved as in a daze. She stared at the sheets that were smoothed too well.
“Oh my god…” she whispered. “They took him.”
“What?” Father Patrick asked, just having entered the room. “Frey? What’s wrong?”
Her knees bent, and couldn’t stop the silent tears from falling, face resting against Tim’s bed. She didn’t feel Father Patrick’s hand on her shoulder and didn’t hear his confused questions. She only knew one thing right then and there, and that was that she couldn’t tell him. Couldn’t tell him anything at all, for who knew who might listen?
Chapter 5
Somehow she knew they would be coming for her next. The only thing she was sure had saved her last night was the fact that she kept moving around.
Frey jogged through the shadows of day, knowing she would be in trouble when night arrived. She needed to find Jin, and do it fast. After failing to spot him on their usual spots she gave up and moved on to the rougher part, hoping to find him there and yet dreading that she would.
The Yellow Pill Page 3