by Wesley Chu
“I don’t know. Stuff that looks like it’ll sell. Nothing stupid.” She clapped her hands several times. “Hurry up. Military and medical first, then survival, and Ganesh help me if I catch one of you stealing DVDs again.”
“What about electronics?” asked Hinata.
Ella shook her head. “Nothing stupid, I said. We’re not here to decorate your apartment. Nothing bolted down.”
The oldest and largest of the Burglar Alarms, with spiky hair and a broad frame, pointed with a heavily tattooed arm at one of the large screens mounted to the wall above his head. “That one’s mine.”
“Nothing. Bolted. Down.” Ella stood near the center of the room and oversaw the score as each Burglar went about their assignments. Lee climbed a ladder and disappeared into a crawl space. Kaoru began to run her fingers along the walls, searching for hidden latches. Hinata started pilfering a metal workbench stacked with assorted tools and gadgets.
Ella scanned the premises. “Where did Daiki go?”
Kaoru frowned. “He’s supposed to be checking the closet on the opposite wall.”
Ella saw a yellow light shining from the kitchen. Scowling, she went to investigate, and caught the boy hunched over an opened refrigerator.
The very best people, hm?
She crossed her arms, leaned against the door frame and cleared her throat. “Find anything in the fridge worth selling?”
Daiki gave a start and turned toward her, his mouth messy with a dark brown substance. “I was just checking what’s here.”
“Really?”
He had the decency to look abashed, and hung his head. “I’m about to fall over,” the smallish boy protested, his mouth already half-stuffed with food. “Okaa-san had to work double shifts all week. I’ve eaten nothing but ramen packs for two days straight.”
“You should learn how to cook.” Ella stopped herself. Not knowing how to cook wasn’t why the boy was eating only instant noodles. “Make it quick. We’re not here to stuff our faces.”
“Hey, why does he get to eat?” Lee yelled from the other room. “I want…”
“Back to work,” roared Ella. “Unless you’re about to pass out from hunger, you can wait until the job is done.”
“Bosu,” called Kaoru. “I found the guns.”
Ella let Daiki stuff a few more bites in his face before hauling him by the sleeve to where Kaoru had uncovered a hidden room behind the false wall with the samurai sword. The secret door creaked open. Kaoru stared inside, her eyes widening. Lee, who was passing by with a bundle of thermal blankets in his arms, stopped and whistled. “That’s a lot of killing.”
Ella broke into a grin. Shelves and drawers lined the walls inside what appeared to be a fully stocked mini armory. Atop each shelf were rows upon rows of guns. Guns of all shapes and sizes. Big ones, long ones, funny-looking ones, even a tiny cute one in the corner.
That one is not even a gun.
“Does it shoot things?”
Yes, crossbow bolts. They are like arrows.
Daiki rushed inside and came back out hefting a large cylinder on his shoulder. “Look at this funny fat thing.”
“Put that back,” snapped Ella. “No one is going to buy a bazooka.”
Technically that is a surface-to-air missile launcher.
“It looks expensive,” said Daiki, defensively.
“It’s junk if no one buys it.”
“There’s a lot more stuff here than we figured, Bosu,” said Kaoru. “Should we clear it out?”
Take a little bit of everything so as to not arouse suspicion. Remember what I told you. Make it a garden. Harvest it little by little. Take no more than a fifth. The best victims do not realize they are victims.
Ella did some quick math in her head. She really hated leaving anything behind at all, but they had already agreed the best way to handle this facility was to bleed this place slowly instead of cleaning it out. That way they could come back in a few months. Still, assault rifles fetched a lucrative price on the black market in a country where guns were illegal.
Leave the medicine.
“What? You’re crazy. Medicine always sells.”
Not in a country with universal healthcare. There is no market for medicine if everyone here gets it free. The inventory is just going to sit on the shelves.
Io’s words almost swayed her. Almost. Medicine back in Crate Town was always in high demand and awfully expensive. Ella had a hard time believing something so valuable in her old home could be worthless somewhere else, especially since the one time Io gave her horrible advice during a heist involving stolen tetanus and hepatitis doses from a bunch of gangsters. Besides, guns, ammunition and armor were heavy. Medicine was small and light, and would probably fetch the most money by weight. The Burglar Alarms weren’t exactly the burliest group.
Ella decided to trust her gut. She pointed at the medicine cabinet. “Clean out the medicine. Go equal parts on the guns and military hardware. Spread out your pickings though and don’t get too greedy.”
You are making a mistake.
“I’m a businesswoman. I’ll find a way to unload it. You’ll see.”
In a short amount of time, her crew had efficiently worked through the facility, skimming just enough from the supplies to accumulate a decent haul. Ella took a quick inventory: nine cartons of medical supplies, four crates of guns, six cases of ammunition, five boxes of clothing and survival equipment, and an assortment of high-end surveillance instruments, including two Penetra scanners. This was more than enough to keep them afloat for the next few months. Best of all, they could come back in three months.
Better make that eight months to be safe.
“That’s forever from now. Let’s compromise on six.”
That is not how it works, Ella. Remember what we talked about.
Ella gave the room one last scan. Satisfied, she slapped the nearest crate. “Load the goods onto the truck. We still clear outside, Pek?”
“Yes, Bosu,” came the sullen reply. “Did I hear that right? Is there food down there? I’m hungry too.”
“You’ll get noodles soon enough.” Ella did one last pass of the area, grabbing a few random knickknacks. She watched as the Burglar Alarms left the facility single file, two to a crate as they made their way above ground. She took up the rear hefting a duffel bag. “Remember, right, another right, then a left to the truck,” she called, her voice bouncing through the tunnels. “I want to be out of here in fifteen. I’m getting hungry.”
Fifteen minutes may have been ambitious. That or the Burglar Alarms had tried to steal a bit more than they could handle. Transporting the heavy crates down three hundred meters of sewer tunnels, then up a rusty ladder through a manhole, and then onto a truck, and repeat, took far longer than she originally anticipated. Their getaway vehicle was a rickety flatbed truck with a worn canopy full of holes parked next to the sewer manhole. There were actually several entrances closer to the surface, but this one was near the back of an alley and offered better privacy.
They finally finished forty minutes later. Hinata and Lee were struggling to push the last crate onto the truck bed when Kaoru tapped Ella on the shoulder and pointed at the alley entrance. Someone was coming. Ella furiously motioned to Hinata to drag the crate under the truck and for everyone to hide. The two boys followed orders and scampered underneath the truck. The rest ducked inside the bed while Ella pulled the canvas flap down.
She crouched and slowly drew a knife in each hand, the blades hissing free. Kaoru, next to her, pulled out a rubber mallet, while Pek behind her nearly dropped a broomstick. Ella signaled for him to just stay still. The Burglar Alarms was not an outfit built for fights, but it didn’t mean they weren’t ready to mix it up if necessary.
A gun would be more suitable in this situation. In just about every situation.
“I don’t want to push my luck tonight.”
Point taken. One day, you will bring knives to a gun fight. Then the last thing you will hear before you die is me telling y
ou I told you so.
“At least I’ll be rid of you then.”
The footsteps grew louder and were soon joined by chaotic voices. A man and woman were exchanging sharp words. Several silhouettes sped past the canvas and then the outside quieted. Someone moaned. Another argument erupted. The woman began barking orders in a stern voice. Ella couldn’t quite make out what language they were speaking.
It is English.
“It doesn’t sound like English.”
That is because your English is awful. In your defense, they are speaking with a heavy Icelandic accent.
Kaoru, who was peeking through a slit between the canvas, whispered, “They stopped right behind the truck.”
Ella tensed and adjusted the grip of her knife. Her heart hammered in her chest. If these strangers laid even a hand on the truck or poked their heads through the tail cover, they were going to get a knife right in the face.
“I think one of them is hurt,” whispered Kaoru. Seconds passed. Finally, she signaled that they were in the clear. “They’re gone. They went down through the manhole.”
Ella flipped the tail cover up and stuck her head out. “Everyone here?”
Hinata and Lee’s heads poked out from under the truck. Lee made a face. “We parked over a puddle.”
She turned to Kaoru. “How many were there?”
“Two, three, or four.”
“Which is it?” she snapped. “There’s a pretty big difference between two and four.”
“I couldn’t get a good look,” said Kaoru. “They were in a hurry and carrying something heavy.”
They are without a doubt heading down to the lair. We should leave as soon as possible.
Ella couldn’t agree more. “It doesn’t matter anyway,” she said. “We’re done here. Load up the last crate. We’ll drop it off at the World-Famous and get some noodles.”
Kaoru looked around. “Where’s Daiki?”
The rest of the Burglar Alarms exchanged looks.
“I thought he was with you,” said Hinata.
Lee shook his head. “He was still down in the room when I left with the last crate.”
“Does he have a comm?”
Kaoru shook her head. “We only had three so you, Hinata and Pek got them.”
Ella checked the front of the truck. The stout, bald teen with the bottomless stomach was nowhere in sight. She cursed.
He must still be down there. Leave him.
Ella was awfully tempted to do just that. It would serve him right. The boy had the attention span of a koi. Maybe he would learn to listen. Problem was, if he got caught, there probably wouldn’t be a next time for him. Ella had also met Daiki’s mother just last week. The old woman had fed the crew cake, told them how happy she was Daiki had friends.
She clenched her fists. “Keep the engine running. I’ll be right back.”
Lee frowned. “You’re going after him alone?”
Ella ignored him and climbed back down the manhole. She landed in ankle-deep water and carefully crept down the curved tunnel toward the lair. It didn’t take her long to catch up to the strangers who had so rudely interrupted her heist. She slowed and waited until they were just about to turn the second corner. These strangers were making a lot of noise as they splashed through the sewers.
She kept to a safe distance, hugging the wall and using the running water to mask her footsteps. There were three of them. The woman was in the lead while the two men were encumbered carrying a heavy load. She hoped they would get lost down here so she could cut ahead of them and find Daiki, but they knew exactly where they were going and headed straight to the lair. They stopped at the entrance.
“Something is wrong,” said the woman. She pushed the vault door, watching as it lazily swung open. She drew a gun. The others began to put down their load.
“No,” the woman shook her head. “It’s filthy out here. Put Asha down just inside and sweep the room.”
The group disappeared into the facility. Ella held her breath, waiting to hear the immediate outcry. When none came, she crept closer to the facility and peered inside. There was a woman lying just inside the door. Her clothing was wet, and a moan escaped her lips as she writhed in pain. The remaining three were spread out inside, weapons drawn as they swept the room.
“You two finish sweeping,” the woman in charge yelled. “Asha’s bleeding through the dressing and losing too much blood. Look for an abdominal tourniquet.” There were more sounds of doors slamming open, drawers opening, and cabinets banging. The leader woman cursed. “It’s gone. There’s nothing here.”
“What do you mean, nothing?” yelled one of the men.
“I mean, I’m staring at the medical cabinet and it’s completely bare.”
Ella bit her lip. “Damn.”
I told you to leave something. What did I say?
“How was I supposed to know someone was going to come here bleeding like a stuck pig?”
That is the whole purpose of these facilities.
A moment later, the high-pitched squeal that Ella was expecting carried across the room. One of the men appeared out of the kitchen, yanking a sniveling Daiki by the collar, a pistol to his head.
“Who is that?” asked the woman.
“A thief,” the man said. “I caught him stuffing his face with chocolate cake.”
“How can he eat that stuff?” the other man said. “That dehydrated crap taste like rubber.”
“You, boy,” the woman demanded, speaking in Japanese. “Where are our supplies?”
The man cuffed Daiki and knocked him to the ground. “Talk, boy. Where is all of the stuff that belongs here?”
Daiki began to blubber.
You need to leave. Now.
“They’re going to kill him.”
It is too late. You will only get caught if you intervene.
Ella almost obeyed Io. She took two steps backward and was nearly out the door when she hesitated. As much as she knew leaving the boy was the right thing to do, she just couldn’t. Instead, she pulled out a knife and dropped to a crouch. She moved up to the injured woman and pressed a blade to her throat.
“Let him go,” she yelled.
Every set of eyes turned toward her, as did three sets of guns.
Now you have done it.
Ella did her best to look mean. “Let him go or your friend gets it.”
“Let her go,” yelled the woman.
“I said it first,” yelled Ella back.
None of them moved a muscle. In fact, they looked like they were taking aim. Ella flattened as close to the body as possible. The woman’s breathing was shallow and her face pale. Ella hoped she didn’t die on her before they were done with the standoff. The injured woman was her only leverage. “We just want to leave. Let him go and no one gets hurt.”
For a moment, it appeared as if these people were going to call her bluff. Then the woman exchanged looks with the others and lowered her gun. The two men followed suit. Daiki picked himself off the ground and sprinted to Ella.
“Thank–” he said.
“Shut up and get to the truck,” she snapped.
Once Daiki was safely out of sight, Ella slowly released her hold on the woman and retreated out of the vault entrance. She ran at full speed through the sewer tunnels and then back up the ladder and out the manhole. The truck was waiting for her. Daiki was already inside. Kaoru and Lee were waving for Ella to climb on. No sooner had they grabbed her arms and her feet left the ground than it began to roll away. The adrenaline drained from Ella’s body, and she slumped over.
Good job. I still would have left him, but you did well.
“Shut up, Alien.” She paused. “And thanks.”
Ella leaned against one of the medical cartons and stared at the red cross painted on the side. She closed her eyes. “Crap.”
No, Ella. It is too risky.
She should. She couldn’t.
“Stop the truck,” she ordered.
“What?” said Hin
ata.
“Stop it. Now.”
The truck screeched to a stop just before it left the alley. Ella grabbed one of the medical cartons and lugged the damn thing back down the sewers and backtracked to the safe house. The people inside had closed it this time, but the code remained the same. The vault door swung open and Ella wobbled in carrying the heavy carton.
The group had moved their injured friend to the kitchen table and were huddled around the body. Ella dumped the contents of the emergency field kit onto the floor. The three people looked at her, alarmed. One of them pulled a gun, and then slowly lowered it when he saw what she had brought.
“Here,” said Ella.
The woman saw the medical supplies and then rushed to pick up what she needed.
Ella turned to leave.
“Wait, stop,” said the woman. “Who are you? Why are you helping us?”
Ella ignored her. “I’m nobody, and none of your business, Prophus.” As she closed the door behind her, she yelled out, “And change the locks on your front door.”
Chapter Three
Makita
Ella Patel is the daughter of Anu and Ada Patel. The Prophus have scrubbed her official identifications and records, but there was not much that was useful anyway except for her extensive arrest record. Her parents were in the military and fought on the side of the Prophus during the Alien World War when it enveloped the entire globe.
Her mother was a major in the Republic of Singapore Air Force. Died during the Genjix Third Wave blitzkrieg. Her father was a havildar with the Indian Army. Declared MIA after the fall of Gujarat.
Both are presumed deceased. Ella became an orphan at ten years old. Their deaths have made her naturally biased against the Genjix, although her trust of the Prophus is nearly as tenuous.
The man known as Makita leaned against the wall and felt the dull ache all through his body. He hunched over to rest on his knees, and took a couple long breaths. In, out, in, out. Pain, pain, sharp pain, oh-that-last-one-really-hurt pain. After a few more labored breaths, he stood up and threw his head back, letting the air rush into his body. The ache in his chest softened.
Makita closed his eyes. He was angry. There were several people he could blame: the Genjix – the pretty boy Genjix assassin – the Prophus, Jill Tesser Tan, his own rotten luck, or that little missing punk. Take your pick. Just about everyone he could point at for putting him in this situation.