She eyed the inside of the tent—a small oval space crowded with men on the floor smoking long pipes. A low fire burned in the middle, the smoke curled up and pooled on the ceiling. “I’m not so sure…”
Gen shoved her again. “Sorry.” She smoothed her hair down again when they’d all piled in. Such a nervous habit was a strange sight in a robot, but Delilah had learned Gen was full of surprises. “Authority bots are coming.”
Delilah absently rubbed her arm again. “I think you’re starting to like that.”
Gen smiled. “No more shoving unless it’s completely necessary,” she promised.
Zane took them both by the arms and steered them through the tent. Patrons looked up with cracked, red eyes, but most stared vacantly ahead. “Unfortunately, this shortcut is necessary to get us out of the public eye.”
He reached the other side of the tent and felt around. The echo of stomping boots and shouts came closer as Authority bots searched nearby tents. They had a distinctly high-pitched whine that sounded like a whirr, which at least made it hard from them to sneak up on you. It was the sound of nightmares though.
“Here.” Gen pulled back a hidden flap and ushered them through.
“No pushing!” Delilah squeezed through sideways and emerged behind a long bar. Gen only smiled and hid the curtain again as Delilah examined the unmarked bottles on the rickety shelves behind them. The makeshift tavern was lighter, at least, but Delilah wasn’t sure that was a good thing.
Zane eyed the bar. It was a long table, held up on both ends by barrels. A few glasses perched precariously on it, filled with dark liquid. Two old men on rickety stools didn’t even lift their eyes. “We should be safe here for a while,” Zane said. “But we should keep moving.”
“Moonshine?” Delilah pursed her lips. The odor was strong from just a few feet away. Moonshine, all right. And it wasn’t watered down.
The corner of Zane’s lip pulled up. “Only the best.” The bartender rounded the end of the bar, a blonde number in a low-cut shirt with her gaze pinning Zane down. And there was not a smile on her lips. His face changed as he turned on the charm, but she cut him off.
“Well, well.” The girl made a show of wiping down an empty glass. She looked alternately happy to see Zane, and ready to murder him. Delilah knew the feeling. “Thought you were going to call me?”
Zane had the good sense to at least blush. “Mia.” He approached her, his hands in a prayer motion.
“It’s Mena,” she replied, through clenched teeth.
“That’s what I said, isn’t it?” He smiled. “I would have called, but I’m on the miscreant list.” He looked away, then back up at her through his long lashes. Masterful, really. “I didn’t want to get your fine establishment in trouble.”
Down the bar, one of the two patrons snorted as his head fell forward and hit the bar with a crash. The wood was stronger than it looked. It shook, but held as the man started to snore.
She raised an eyebrow. “Again, on the list?” she asked.
“That’s what I said,” Delilah mumbled. Gen nudged her with an elbow.
“Who’re they?” Mena asked, replacing the glass on the shelf behind her.
Zane turned back with a mischievous smile. “Friends who need quick passage out of here. I was hoping…”
“Oh, you were, were you? I was hoping too. Weeks’ worth of hoping, but did you come back to see me? No. You sure didn’t.”
Still, her tone softened. Her eyes had a certain sparkle, and she leaned over the bar, spilling her ample cleavage.
“It’s a bit of an emergency,” Zane answered. “I can’t call if I’m in an Authority holding cell.”
A high-pitched whirring noise took their attention, and everyone turned toward the noise. Even the man asleep at the bar snorted and moved his head the other way. The sides of the tent shook. They were looking for the entrance. It was well hidden, but Delilah didn’t know how long it would stay that way.
“Mena,” Zane implored.
She blew out of the corner of her mouth. “Oh, all right.” She removed bottles from a space on the shelves behind her, then pushed it out a bit. “Bad business to be caught with a miscreant in my establishment, anyway. No matter how hot he is.” She rolled her eyes.
Zane led the way to the crawlspace. “Mena.” He took her hand and kissed it. She pursed her lips and turned away, but her cheeks had picked up color. “I owe you.”
“You sure do,” she answered. “Hurry, now.”
Zane pushed the thin wood to the side and got down on his knees to crawl out. Delilah followed, but Gen stayed back.
“I’ll be okay.” She waved them on, then sat at a barstool. “I’ll lead them another way.”
Delilah studied the bot’s face to make sure she wasn’t lying, but Gen showed everything. It was a Gen One defect, or perk, however you chose to look at it. But, the bot wouldn’t want to go outside in the rain. It pounded on the canopy, and by Delilah’s estimation they were close the river. She got down on her hands and knees to climb out the small hole in the tent’s side that led to a dark crawlspace.
“Call me!” Mena called out as they shimmied through the opening in the tent. Zane pulled the hidden door back into place, and the opening slid back easily before they plunged into muddy darkness. Delilah started to crawl and ended up sliding on the mud right into, and through, the flap. She would have ended up in the river if she didn’t cling to the tent flap.
“Ugh!” The rain pelted her, and she held tight to the flimsy plastic. They’d emerged right next to the rushing river. Almost on top of it, with only the sparse vegetation on the banks preventing them from falling into the rushing water, a sound and location that caused panic to swell in her chest. The proximity to the river was the reason the whole place was called the Banks. When it flooded, the west annex went first. That’s why the seedier places located there. They were the quickest to pack up.
Zane stood up, slipping a foot or so in the mud, then righting himself. His pants, which weren’t pristine before, were covered in mud. “Believe it or not, that’s not the first time I’ve had to make a quick getaway.” He offered her a hand and looked around. “Though it’s been a while since I’ve been out this far. And the river is higher.”
Delilah batted his hand away and stood up on shaky legs, but immediately regretted it when she slipped and fell. She tried not to scream as she slid down in the mud toward the river. Its rough current was all she could hear, and she imagined swallowing mouthfuls of water. Panic overtook her before Zane put his arms around her waist and pulled her up.
She took a deep breath as she leaned back into him. “You’re okay,” he whispered.
“I know.” She tried to sound brave, but her hands shook as the image of the water filling her lungs slowly receded. Despite the fact they were in a rush to get away from the Authority bots, and if they were caught, Zane would be punished, he held her there for a solid minute until she stopped trembling.
“I’m sorry.” She scooted away. Mud covered her long skirt. She wrung it and let out the water, but the mess stayed. At least she looked like she belonged in the west annex now, not that it was a good thing.
“It’s all right, Dee,” he said. He stood up, eyeing her warily. “They won’t find us.” He looked back at the tent as if he weren’t sure of his words. “We should go, though.”
He offered his hand again, and this time, Delilah took it.
She wiped a wet curl off her face, trying not to imagine what she must look like. “Oh. It’s ruined.” She bent down and picked up the tweed cap she’d been wearing. Zane took it and put it on his own head.
“Not ruined. Just a little worn and muddy.” There was a sparkle in his eye. “Like us.”
She laughed and batted his shoulder. “Let’s go,” she said, keeping hold of his arm.
They made slow progress, keeping
close to the tent and as far from the river as possible. She couldn’t get away from its rushing noise, which sounded monstrous to her, but Zane kept a hold of her hand. He led the way, and when she started to freak out, he whispered encouragement, or reminded her of some other scrape they’d been in. There had been plenty.
“…and then you hid in the wine barrel.” Delilah laughed as she finished the story. “Surprising you didn’t drown.”
“No.” He shook his head. “But I was pretty damned drunk.” The corner of the Banks’ long tent was close. They’d be coming out the south side, where there shouldn’t be a lot of traffic. A long bridge marked the end of the Banks, which separated them from the Rez, the broken down living quarters for thousands of humans. A few people milled about, but not many. With the rain, they must have stayed under the relative dryness of the Banks, even with the threat of Rank’s men and Authority bots. At least it would make their passage home safer, though wet. She loosened her death grip on Zane’s hand, but only slightly. Mud caked between them.
She focused on the bridge, taking each step one at a time, but Zane’s words trailed out. She lost track of the story he’d been telling when she sighted something under the bridge. Just a twinkle, really, but she was used to spotting things no one else noticed. They scavenged, after all.
“What’s that?” she asked, her happiness about being off the riverbank suddenly tempered.
Zane slowed and squinted. The rain had let up but a heavy mist remained. They were a wet mess, and they’d have to avoid Authority bots on the way home. There was still a lot of danger, but it was about to get a lot worse.
“That,” Zane replied without emotion, “is a body.”
Delilah let him pull her to the edge of the tent where she grabbed the pole that held up the makeshift commercial zone. The smell of roasted nuts only slightly overpowered the refuse from the river. And inside, a band played somewhere, their lively music escaping the south entrance flap. Zane eyed the entrance, but it was too far away to take much note of. They could barely see the guard station where a man sat inside checking for weapons and papers. People flowed in and out, but at that angle they wouldn’t be able to see the body under the bridge. The flip side was the guards wouldn’t see Zane.
A cold breeze blew by, and Delilah got a chill. “We should leave it.” She was surprised by the words coming out of her own mouth. She could accuse Zane of being irresponsible, but she was as much a part of their adventures as he’d been. In fact, a lot of times she’d been the instigator. But this time, though, something was off. Maybe it was because of the extra guards inside, or the Authority bots, or the fact they were both chasing Zane. The miscreant list was usually only a way for the Authority to bully a fine out of troublemakers, of which Zane certainly qualified. Today, though…
Zane took a step away from her and shielded his eyes from the rain. “It’s not a bot,” he said. “Look at the shoes.”
Delilah only reluctantly let go of the pole and stepped onto the soft grass, thanking the stars she wasn’t on mud anymore. Mud was on her, though, and plenty of it.
“How could you possibly know?” the tone of her voice betrayed her interest, despite herself.
He looked at her, raised an eyebrow, and pointed along her sight line. “See the boots? Know any bot that wears army boots?”
Delilah glanced at the guards’ station and pushed Zane’s hand down. Thankfully, no one was looking. The closest couple to them was making out under the awning.
“Bots are as varied as we are. You know that,” she chided him. “They could wear boots.”
Zane shook his head, droplets of rain falling from his dark hair. “Something’s off,” he said. He put his hands in his pockets and paced as he watched the guard booth. He raised his voice over the sound of the rain. “I think we should check it out.”
This time Delilah grabbed his arm, and it was only partially because she was still freaked out from the almost drowning episode—even if it was in her head. “The Authority bots are searching for you…”
He tilted his head and interrupted her. “It’s not the first time that’s happened.” He put a hand over hers as if he were escorting her to a dance. “They won’t catch me. And if they do,” he shrugged, “I’ll pay their fine.” That damned twinkle in his eyes again. “This is worth it.”
She leaned back, but didn’t let go. “A dead body is worth it to you?” she accused, but there was mischief in her voice.
“A mystery.” He’d pulled her along a couple steps, but they had a choice to make. Turn right, up and toward the bridge, where she could go home to a lukewarm bath before her shift started. Turn left, toward the entrance to the Banks, which wasn’t even an option. Or back down the riverbank where their movements would be hidden, and a dead body waited.
“It’s probably a bot,” Zane tugged her arm. “Maybe we can salvage it…”
She shook her head. “You just said it wasn’t.”
“Or someone in trouble?” He tugged her to the edge of the riverbank. Another step would commit her. The river was less ferocious here. The sound of music from the Banks overpowered the bubbling, but Delilah still hesitated. She fought the urge to back off.
“They might need help,” she said, more to convince herself.
Zane hesitated. He wouldn’t force her. She’d have to take the next step.
“Just hold on to me,” she told him. He took the bank slowly, step by step, a steep decline.
“I won’t let go,” he promised.
This part of the river wasn’t as muddy. Delilah was able to step in the grass and stone without slipping, and, more importantly, freaking out. Her breath steadied, but she forced it that way. She kept her eyes away from the dark, polluted water, and the raindrops falling like knives onto its surface. Instead, she trained her eyes on the body, half-hidden under the bridge, only the legs sticking out.
“Couldn’t have been here long.” Zane helped her over a slippery rock.
“No,” Delilah agreed, thankful for the distraction. “Too many people come down here.” In fact, the underside of the bridge had been a hangout for all kinds of people who found themselves on the miscreant list, but the Authority bots had begun chasing them out a few months ago. Better to funnel them into the Banks so the Authority could at least get tax money for their misdeeds. The thought of Authority bots made Delilah look over her shoulder. She felt that same sense of foreboding dread, but this time it was too late. Her attention lapsed, and she slipped. Zane caught her arm before she went down, and the heat from his fingers burned into her skin.
“Careful,” he told her, but his eyes were already trained ahead.
The sounds of the Banks faded away, replaced by an eerie quiet under the stone bridge only broken by the babbling of the river. It reeked of human waste and filth, but no worse than the bad sections of the Rez. Delilah stepped from soft grass to gravel. A mouse skittered from under a rock, across the clearing, to a hole between stones.
It wasn’t one man under the bridge, but two. They lay propped against the side of the bridge. Zane put a finger to his lips as a group passed above them laughing and shouting on the bridge. Their voices faded.
“They’re not bots.” Blood rushed from her face at the sight of the heavily muscled men. Their throats had been cut. That much was obvious. Blood ran down the front of their black vests and pooled on the ground beside them. She had to turn away.
“I know,” Zane answered gravely. “They’re Rank’s men.” His voice fell to almost a whisper, but she thought she heard him say something about a tank and spade.
Delilah looked up over the bodies to meet Zane’s eyes. “If we’re caught here…” She searched the closest streetlights, but cameras in the Banks were notoriously broken. No one wanted to see what went on here, especially under the bridge. It was a place to go to be anonymous. To get in trouble.
To die.
Delilah lifted her skirt and ran past him. “Farther down then.” She grabbed his arm when he wouldn’t move. “Zane, we need to go.”
The shouting got closer. That got Zane moving.
He shook his head. “I don’t know if we can outrun them,” he said, but then his feet moved and they rushed away from the scene. “But we’re sure going to try.”
By the time the bots reached the bodies, Delilah and Zane had gotten so far away they had to pause to catch their breath. They’d made it back up onto the path, but this section of the path only led further into the industrial section of town, closed and dark at this time of night.
“Is it the Authority?” Delilah asked, bending over her knees.
Zane shook his head and squinted at the activity under the bridge. “I can’t tell.”
She stood up straight. “How will we get home?” She eyed the bridge. It was awash in blue lights, and people poured out of the Banks.
“There’s another bridge a couple miles down,” he suggested, but it was a couple miles through dark, industrial territory. They’d be as likely as Rank’s men to get their own throats slit.
“Or we could mingle with the crowd,” she suggested. “Doesn’t look like they’re checking papers.”
Zane raised an eyebrow and looked her up and down. “We don’t exactly fit in,” he said.
She blew a breath out of the side of her cheek. “Looks like we’ve been rolling around the river bank, doesn’t it?” She smiled. It wasn’t an uncommon occurrence in the Banks.
Zane took her cheeks in his hands and kissed her on the lips. She hoped he couldn’t see her blush under the mud. “Genius,” he said. “I only wish we had a nip of alcohol so they could detect it on us.”
Gen One Page 3