by Ann Bakshis
“The minute you exit the docking area you will be recognized,” she says, shoving me down onto the toilet, grabbing the bottle, and squeezing the liquid into my hair.
She soaks my hair thoroughly after placing a filthy towel around my neck and back to keep the dye off my clothes. She leaves me to let the dye do its work while she makes sure everyone is ready to leave. As soon as Naomi returns, she rinses out my hair in the sink and begins to chop it off. She cuts my hair to the length of my earlobes, parting it on the left side.
I look in the tiny mirror hanging over the sink when she is done. I don’t recognize myself.
“How do we get out of the docking area? There are cameras and Regulators stationed all over,” I inquire, as we head back across the hall to the bedchamber.
“Faber and Cass are going to cause a distraction, which will allow the rest of us to escape. Quin will stay behind to arrest Faber and Cass. They will meet up with us in an hour.”
My nerves begin to fray. I know this plan is not a solid one; too many variables can go wrong, but they put it together, so I just have to see how it plays out. I wait in the room with Jagger and Naomi as Faber and Cass leave, heading for the docking area, their voices already rising in anger.
Canisters begin to clank onto the cement floor. I peek my head around the doorframe and see Faber push Cass hard into the conveyor belt, knocking the steel containers onto the ground, some spilling open from the force. Three Regulators are immediately there to break them up, but I can’t tell which one is Quin as they’re wearing the same outfits. Cass gets up and jumps in-between Faber and the Regulators, giving us our chance to escape.
The three of us go past them, running along the undercarriage of the conveyor belt to stay out of sight of the cameras that hang down from the ceiling. I hear shouting behind us, more scuffling. The conveyor belt takes a violent jar to the right, spilling everything onto the floor next to us. Jagger and Naomi are far ahead of me, almost out of the docking area. I turn back to look for Quin, but all I see is Faber lying on the ground with his neck torn open, blood pouring out of his wound.
I knew the plan wasn’t going to work.
Too bad about Faber. What will the others say? How will they react?
As long as there are no hysterics. I can’t stand overly emotional people.
I turn around and catch up to Jagger and Naomi. We exit the area through a small ventilation shaft, crawling on our hands and knees through dust for about twenty minutes. Naomi stops ahead of me, reaches into her pocket, and removes a small screwdriver, using it to remove the bolts of the screen covering our exit. Once the screen is removed, we step out into a small alleyway, and Jagger quickly replaces the screen as Naomi and I step out into the main thoroughfare.
The temperature is quite cold, and the air stale. We walk past others dressed like us, shivering from the chill. We stroll by small shops filled with smoke, simple food, and laughter. We keep heading towards what appears to be the center of the place. A large blue energy field at the heart of the city cascades skyward, disappearing into a reflective metallic ceiling.
“What is that?” I ask, as we move around it.
“It’s an energy core. The heart of Acheron. It’s what keeps the city alive,” Naomi responds, as we turn a corner and walk down another alleyway.
We enter a door on our right, walk towards the back of the establishment, and sit down at a small booth. A young woman with bright yellow hair, facial piercings, silver bracelets down one arm, and carrying a green glowing tray, asks us what we would like to drink. Jagger and Naomi both order a Cloud Tea. As I’m not sure what to have, I ask for the same.
We sit in silence, waiting for the others to join us.
The woman returns with our drinks in tin cups, steam billowing from the brims. I take a small sip of mine, enjoying the flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, and warm milk with something else in the mixture, but I can’t quite tell what it is. I take a bigger sip and begin to feel my insides warming up, my head getting a little lighter. I’m in the process of taking another mouthful when Jagger places his hand on the top of my cup.
“You’re going to want to drink this stuff slowly,” he says, as he guides my cup back to the table’s surface. “It tastes good now, but you’ll be floating later if you drink it too fast.”
I smile at him in thanks and put down my cup.
We keep an eye on the entrance, waiting for the others to walk through. I see a couple of Regulators walk in, sit down and order drinks. Many other people in the place look run-down, and worn out. Some remind me of the occupants of the Wasteland, others look like Laics who left the Boroughs a long time ago. There are a few individuals who are finely dressed in silk suits, freshly pressed linens, and wool coats.
“What is this place?” I ask.
“This is the Underground. It’s like a waste disposal for people. Those fortunate enough to have escaped the Boroughs, or vile enough to mingle down here with those they can’t control, live down here,” Naomi replies quietly, as if she is afraid someone will overhear her.
“The Superiors and High Ruler know this place exists, but they don’t dare do anything about it since most of them come down here to have a temporary escape from their lives above the surface,” Jagger adds.
He points skyward.
“See that man over there,” he begins, pointing to an older gentleman wearing a gray silk suit and tie. “He is the Superior of Education, but the woman he is fondling is not his wife.”
The man gropes the woman’s breast, then nuzzles her neck as his other hand slides up her short skirt. She squeals with delight and the two soon part, his communicator beeping incessantly, though he pays no attention to it.
We sit there for half an hour before Quin and Cass walk in. Quin has disposed of the uniform and is wearing dark blue pants, black shirt and jacket. The two sit down with us and order Cloud Teas.
“Where’s Faber?” Naomi asks, as she finishes her drink.
“He’s not coming,” Cass says, as he begins to sip his drink as soon as the waitress sets it down.
“What do you mean he’s not coming?” Naomi’s voice rises, “where is he?”
“Dead,” I utter, before anyone can stop me.
Naomi stops and stares at me, shocked, before she bursts into tears, her body heaving uncontrollably. Cass puts his arm around her and rocks her back and forth while Jagger gives me a nasty look.
I’m shocked at my candor about the matter.
How could I just blurt something like that out? Why am I not that upset about it?
I determine it’s my detachment training kicking in. Trea responding, not Meg.
Quin leans over and whispers in my ear.
“You might have tried a little discretion. Faber was her twin brother.”
I sit quietly and drink my tea while the others try to console Naomi.
I notice that the monitors down in the Underground don’t display any of the cities emblems or news flashes, but instead show snippets of women dancing provocatively, men drinking excessively, and couples in the throes of passion. Each segment lasts five minutes before moving on to a new one. The display currently on screen is of a man lying face down on a mat, two women massaging his back with oil. The caption at the bottom reads Acheron Baths, as soft music plays and candles burn in the background.
The screen changes to a semi-dressed woman clinging to a pole, her body moving with the chaotic sounds from behind her. The woman’s long auburn hair is pulled behind her in a braid, and the harsh spotlights bounce off her dark skin. The camera changes to show a face with deep brown sad eyes, bony cheeks, and no smile.
Kedua.
“Where is that place?” I ask, pointing to the monitor. My arm jerks so fast I nearly knock Quin’s cup from his hands.
Everyone follows my hand and stares at the screen. In the bottom right hand corner the words Club Alasti flash then the scene changes again to men drinking.
“You don’t want to go there,” Cass states
.
“Why not?”
“You’d have to be depraved to go there,” Jagger says, as he orders another round of Cloud Tea.
“How depraved?”
“Meg, you’re insane. First off, you’re a female so they’ll never let you in. Second, it’s strictly for the Superiors and those who work for them. Laics like us are not welcome.”
I look around at all the concerned faces, but I’ve made up my mind.
“We’re getting inside…tonight.”
Cass and Naomi try to argue, but Jagger seems to be thrilled with the idea and begins to hash out a plan. Quin looks at me and mouths Kedua’s name, to which I nod.
“It’ll be best if we go in during a shift change. Quin, do you still have the Regulator’s uniform?” Jagger asks, as he pushes away his tea and begins to map out our next move.
“Yes, I stashed it in a waste bin around the corner.”
“What do you plan on doing once you get inside?” Naomi asks, having regained some of her composure.
“I haven’t thought that far ahead.”
Cass and Naomi continue to argue about going, but Jagger has it all worked out. He seems very interested in getting into Club Alasti, even though I haven’t said why, since they’d be tortured if caught.
Once I get Kedua out of there, we’ll need to get out of Acheron quickly, so we’ll need to use the boat again, which means getting back into the docking area. I’m sure their boat has been seized, so how we get off this floating city to me is the real challenge.
Chapter 16
Naomi and Cass decide to stay at the bar while Jagger, Quin, and I go to the club. Quin goes and gets the uniform he stashed, while Jagger and I wait over by the energy core. I finally tell Jagger why I want to get into the club. He seems skeptical at first, but then I show him the marks on the back of my neck. It’s easier to see now that more than half of my hair is missing.
Jagger seems unsure of how to react.
Quin nudges me as he walks past.
Since Regulators don’t socialize with Laics unless it’s for work, Quin has to keep his distance from us. We follow him around the core and towards a crowded alleyway. He manages to get through the crowd easily, but Jagger and I are not so fortunate. I’m stuck standing behind two men in blue silk suits complaining to a Regulator about how they’ve been denied entrance to the club.
“Yes, Superior, I understand your frustration, but we have our orders. No one is permitted into the club tonight as it has been reserved by the High Ruler himself.”
Jagger pulls me back and we step over to the side.
“There’s another way we can get in.”
He takes my hand and we go back to the core, around another corner, and down a walkway between the club and another establishment. There’s a back entrance guarded by one Regulator. Jagger approaches the man and easily overpowers him. He strips the man of his uniform and begins to put it on while I work the lock on the door. It breaks easily in my grip, and the door swings open. I drag the man inside and shove him into the first room I see, which, unfortunately, is a broom closet. Jagger closes the door behind me and stands guard outside.
The hallway I’m in is dark, but I can see light shining from beneath a curtain at the end. The scent of sex and sweat fill the air, almost choking out any oxygen that is pumping through the vents overhead. I hear voices echoing through closed doors barely discernable in the darkness. Distracted by the noise, I don’t notice anyone around until someone grabs my arm, halting my forward motion.
“You’re too dressed up to be working here,” the woman with smoke on her breath says. Her grip is light, but her manner is acidic. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m looking for someone.”
“Aren’t we all?” she says, winking at me. “What’s her name?”
I’m about to say Kedua, but if her protector changed her name like Devlan changed mine I won’t have a way of knowing what it is.
“I’ve forgotten her name, but she has long auburn hair, kept in a braid.”
The woman looks at me with a suspicious sparkle in her eye, but releases her grip and holds out her hand for me to shake it.
“You want Deanna. And you are?”
“Ash,” I say quickly, taking her hand and shaking it.
“Well, Ash, I don’t know if you’re going to get a chance to talk to your friend, but you can watch her from backstage. She is giving a special performance tonight to the High Ruler himself.”
The woman shows me to a small stool to the left of the stage where Kedua is dancing. I watch her move gracefully with the music that is blaring around us. She straddles a pole that stands in the center of the theater and begins to twirl her body around it like a snake. I peek around the curtains that are blocking me from the audience and see the place is more than half empty. A man in black robes is sitting at a table at the end of the stage, surrounded by personal bodyguards in blue and gold uniforms, with the city’s emblem blazoned across their lapels.
The man in the robes appears to be in his seventies, with short white hair, cruel eyes, shallow features, and long thin arms. The voice heard over the loud speakers earlier doesn’t match the man sitting there. I scan the area one more time and notice a figure standing in the shadows.
“Who’s that man?” I ask the woman, as she is still standing by my side.
“That’s Deanna’s owner. He owns several of the young women who work here. She, however, is his favorite.”
I continue to watch Kedua dance, her movements changing in perfect time with the music. The man remains standing in the shadows as Kedua steps down from the stage and begins to seduce the High Ruler. She pushes his head back as she begins to remove his robes. He closes his eyes, a smile growing on his face. She works her way down to his waist. He moans in delight.
Kedua’s owner, unnoticed by anyone else but me, sidles behind the High Ruler.
The blade in his hand slices so quickly the High Ruler doesn’t have time to utter a cry. Blood pours down his chest, spattering Kedua. She rises from the chair, holds her owner’s face in her hands, and begins to kiss him passionately as the spot-light cascades onto them.
I bolt upright from the chair and am instantly struck in the face, feeling my jawbone crack, blood trickling down my lips. I grab the woman’s hands before she can cast a second blow and close my hands tightly, her brittle bones crunching in my grasp. She lets out a shriek from the pain. I know Kedua and the man are coming, but I don’t move.
Trea wants to play.
“Midge, are you…?” The words trail off as he sees her down on her knees, with me holding her there.
“Hello, Artemis, nice to see you again.” I smile wickedly.
“Trea.”
I hear my name but it’s not spoken by Artemis, but by Kedua, standing to his left.
“Hello, Kedua. Long time no see.”
Tension begins to build between us. I feel electricity flowing through the air, though nowhere more so than in my right arm. The Quantum Stream is boiling under the surface of my skin, looking for a weapon to hold. I remember the Levin gun in the sack around my shoulder and begin to reach for it, but am stopped by Artemis.
“Why don’t we find a better place to talk,” he says, as he holds my hand against the strap of the bag. “Somewhere a little more private,” he whispers into my ear, practically biting it in affection. “Midge,” he turns to the woman who cowers at my feet, “please make sure the mess out there gets cleaned up, and then reopen in a half hour so the gentlemen can have some entertainment.”
Midge nods and steps through the curtain onto the stage, walking with her arms in front of her. The High Ruler’s bodyguards have already begun to remove the man’s body and wrap it in black tar paper.
“I take it the guards knew you planned this?” I probe, as we head towards the back exit.
“Of course, why do you think it was so easy? Money can buy you anything, including a position of power. After all, they report directly to t
he High Ruler, which is now me.” He smirks, winking at me.
I swing wide, nailing him in the temple. Kedua is on top of me in an instant, banging my head on the wooden floorboards. Artemis pulls her off and helps me up.
“Now, now, ladies, there is plenty to go around.” He leans over, wraps his arm around my waist to pull me closer. “Try that again and I will have Kedua here make sure you don’t self-heal,” he says through clenched teeth, snatching the sack from my shoulder after kissing me on the cheek.
Kedua grabs a long fur coat that hangs from a hook by the door before we step out. She’s covered in blood and manages to wipe most of it from her face, but she’ll still need to bathe in order to remove the rest of it. She wraps herself tightly in her coat.
Jagger is still standing guard when we exit. He looks at Kedua, who is walking in front of me, and Artemis, who is holding onto my hand, caressing my palm with his fingers. I make brief eye contact with him, but not enough to draw attention to him.
“So, High Ruler,” I say, a little louder than I should. “Where are we going?”
He simply smiles at me, tightens his grip, and pulls me along the alleyway to the other end. As we turn the corner, I catch Jagger hastening to catch up to us, joining the rest of our entourage.
We stop in front of a set of large steel doors, which open as we approach. The interior is decorated in plush gold walls and flooring; ornate wall sconces encapsulate soft glowing light bulbs as violin music fills the air from well-hidden speakers. Jagger tries to step on board, but is immediately reprimanded.
“Did you forget your place, Regulator?” Kedua hisses at him. “Use the service elevators.”
The doors close, we quietly but rapidly rise, then the doors open onto a sun filled sky. The temperature difference between the Underground and the surface is a good twenty degrees. Tall buildings shimmer in the sunlight, reflecting the heat from the sun’s rays.