by Darcy Town
“Free to die in alley.”
“My choice.” Rake closed his eyes as she stuck his arm.
The woman shook her head as his body relaxed. “You remember where showers are?” He nodded, smiling. She got up from the bed. “We open in an hour. They may be occupied, not saving them for you.”
He nodded. “I’m not shy.”
“Eh.” She frowned and walked out, her voice trailing after, “See kitchen for food.” She left him to himself.
Rake saw stars behind his eyelids, space, and the calm silence. He didn’t care about anything else, nothing but this here and now. His hand lifted off the bed, reaching for what would have been controls in his cockpit, his muscle memory perfect from years of training. Where would he soar tonight?
“Jupiter,” he slurred and smiled. “Or further, into the empty.” He pointed and in his mind, he saw the space between his solar system and everything else. He drifted off to a semi-sleep of euphoria.
People moved and time passed. Rake stayed still, locked in place. Girls readied themselves, put makeup on, and gossiped. A few checked in on him, washed his brow. One left him a fortune cookie, and another draped a blanket over his body. Life continued as he stayed numb in stasis.
Rake rested, nestled in a cocoon of soft cotton, of pleasant sensations, an escape from everything that plagued him. But even that safe haven without memories had to end. His eyelids fluttered. His breaths grew deeper and his heartbeat strong. His eyes flicked open.
Rake rolled off the bed and to his feet in one smooth motion, relaxed and rejuvenated. He yawned and stretched. He snatched up the fortune cookie and grinned. He broke it open and popped both of the pieces in his mouth. He read the handwritten fortune and pocketed the paper. “Thank you, wise cookie.”
He sauntered out of the basement and followed his nose upstairs to the kitchens. The cooks waved him out. Rake wouldn’t leave. “If the health department ever came to this part of the city they’d shut you down anyways! Gimme a plate of something!” His stomach rumbled to punctuate his point.
The cooks handed him a tureen of leavings from lunch, and a fork. Rake grabbed a bottle of wine and left them alone. He wolfed the noodles down, a mixture of Thai and Chinese food. He popped the top off his bottle and washed down the grease.
He hummed and carried the tureen and bottle with him. He walked up a flight of concrete steps towards the top floor. He passed by curtains and hangings, beads hit him in the face but he ignored them, his body still blissfully numb.
Rake set the tureen down in a hall and headed for the showers. He put his ear to the door and pulled out his knife. He pushed the door open, no reaction. He jumped in and looked around. He dropped to the floor and stared under the toilet stalls. Empty, no one showering, mugging, or fucking.
The showers were nothing more than a set of three metal hoses that hung from wall hooks. There were no dividers or doors to maintain privacy. Rake stripped off his clothes and threw the pieces near a drain. He flicked on the first shower and set it to wash his things. The other he turned on hot and stepped under the spray. He leaned his forehead on the tile and let the water run across his skin. He drank straight from his bottle.
***
Ravil looped her arm around Calpsan’s. She tripped on the ends of her new pants. She grabbed at the fabric with one hand and followed. Despite his limp and age, Calpsan’s long legs moved him faster than her short ones. She ran to keep up. “You have that little time left, that we must run into this slum?”
Calpsan stopped and looked at her, his face lined with deep wrinkles. “Speak with a lower voice; you are passing as a boy, Ravil.”
Ravil blushed and spoke in a whisper instead, “Sorry, Calpsan.”
He gazed at the market. “It is not safe for you on your own.” He gestured towards the building they neared. “We find your guard there.”
She eyed the neon light and garish paint. “What is it?”
Calpsan smiled. “A place of ill repute.”
Her eyes went wide. “Why do we go there? I don’t want to go in it!”
“He is there.”
“He! But you said men here prey on children!”
He put a finger to her lips. “Your voice, Ravil.” He led her across the street. “Not this one, Ravil, not with one like you. He will guard you as long as you have use for him.”
“How do you know this?”
“I have locked in on his temperament. He has traits that we will be able to exploit, do not worry. I will see to him before we part ways.”
“But what if something happens to him, what then?”
“Then you run. You use your gift and flee. Damn them if anyone sees you, they will never be able to capture you.”
“We don’t even know that I can.” She frowned and looked to the smog-filled sky. “And where would I go anyways?”
“Your gift will come naturally when you need it to.” He tugged on her hand. “You’re afraid; do you wish me to calm you?”
“No.” Ravil shook her head. “I wish my wits about me for this encounter.” She gazed up at him. “No one will replace you, Calpsan.”
Calpsan spit out a shed tooth. “Your loyalties are fierce. Hold onto that fire, Ravil, you will need it.”
They eyed the stairs together. Ravil took a deep breath and fixed the hat that covered her ice white hair from view. She pulled her hoodie over it, shadowing her face. “All right, let’s get this over with.”
“That’s my boy.” Calpsan tapped his nose and winked. He hopped up the stairs with surprising agility. Ravil stumbled after him, banging her knees every other step. She practically swam in her new clothes; too big so as to mask her feminine features. The bulky shirt also hid two knives strapped to her slim hips.
Calpsan opened the door and smoke poured out of the building, a mixture of grease and cigarettes. Ravil leaned away from the smell. He gave her no chance to complain; he interlaced their fingers and pulled her along. He sensed the premises and found the feelings of the one he looked for.
A woman stepped in their way. “How can we help you?”
Calpsan gazed past her. “Towards the back, a cleaning area.”
She nodded. “The showers.” She held her hand out to collect payment.
Calpsan glanced at the chalkboard of prices. He paid for both himself and Ravil and she let them pass by unhindered. They walked past tables, men ate or engaged in cards; none looked up at the man and child. Ravil kept her head down, trusting him to lead her.
Calpsan knew exactly where he headed. He stopped at the bathroom door and listened. Ravil examined the writing on it, but she did not know the language. He pushed open the door and pulled her in.
Steam filled the room. It was warm, hotter than outside, but it smelled of soap and clean things. Ravil relaxed. Then she saw him, a man wearing nothing but soap bubbles and scars. Her eyes slid down his neck, to his chest, his sculpted stomach. She averted her eyes and turned red.
Rake assessed them in seconds. He put his hands on his hips, his lips curved into a smile. “Hi.”
Calpsan nodded to the man. “Good day.”
Rake nodded back. “Watch or fuck?”
Calpsan struggled to understand Rake’s accented English. “Watch?”
Rake shrugged. “You pay for you both.” He turned away and gave his hair a third rinse. He hummed and ignored them.
Calpsan threw coins at Rake’s clothes. He nudged Ravil to a wooden bench. “Come on then.”
She sat and stared at her feet, mortified.
Calpsan squeezed her fingers and spoke softly, though the sound of the water drowned them out. “Stop that.”
Ravil shook her head. “He’s…he’s...”
“Naked, yes I know.” Calpsan looked around. “We are in a shower room.”
“Why can we not wait outside?” She covered her eyes. “Why must we stay here?”
Calpsan frowned. “I do not have much time left. I need to observe him and so do you.” He pulled her hands away
from her face. “Ravil, you are supposed to be a boy, not a shy girl. Pretend you’ve seen men naked before.”
Ravil swallowed hard. “Is he still facing away?”
“Yes.”
Ravil looked back to Rake. She tried to keep her thoughts clinical. He had nice feet, muscular legs, good for running. He moved from foot to foot quickly, good reflexes. He was strong, well built, a fighter.
She watched soap slide down his calves and into the drain. Her eyes caught on a scar that ended at his ankle. Long and jagged; the scar curved around towards the front of his thigh and she lost track of it. She skipped over his midsection and stared at his back. Bruises covered his skin and shared space with scars and cuts. Some looked new, others old and healed. He had barely a patch of skin free from damage.
Calpsan followed her gaze. “He fights and lives through it. He is a survivor.”
Rake moved along with the music that came in from the door. He half turned and noticed them watching. He flashed a disarming smile, his teeth straight and even. “Any requests?” They shook their heads and he turned away. He leaned down and picked up his bottle. He took a pull and resumed his dance.
Ravil let out the breath she held in, she had been ready to cover her eyes if necessary. Rake scratched his shoulder. The movement drew her gaze to his hand, then what was beneath, a blue tattoo. She gaped and leaned forward. “A star chart.”
Calpsan squinted. “Where?”
Ravil cocked her head. “On his shoulder, tattooed, stars from the perspective of this place.”
“Anywhere important?”
“No, not tactically.” She frowned. “It is crude though, a two dimensional rendering, it does not have the codes.”
Calpsan patted her knee. “Ravil, Wasters don’t have those things.”
She slipped out of her calculations. “Oh, yes.” Rake being naked set in again and Ravil bit her lip. She stared at the back of his head. His black hair and dark skin reminded her of the millions of others outside, but his face set him apart. He spoke in the language of the other empire, the Americans, though with an accent she did not recognize. She caught the flash of silver, a thin chain around his neck.
Rake turned around and looked them over, soap drifted down his chest. He took a shot from his bottle and stared at Ravil, his gaze curious and disapproving. He glanced at Calpsan. “Is the kid here for training or selling?”
Calpsan spoke slowly, “Training.”
“Not the best place for it, I can lead you to a better place, for a price. What’re you, a Femi-boy?”
Ravil translated his words in her head. She gaped as she realized his meaning. “I—I—”
Calpsan pinched her. “Yes that is what he is.”
Rake shrugged. “The market is ruthless for your type. I hope you have him chipped or branded, makes others less likely to steal him. You’re not from around here, so that bit of advice was free.” He turned back to the hot water.
Calpsan shuddered. He stared at the door and turned so that his body blocked Ravil’s. Her chest heaved in fear. “Are they here?”
He shook his head. “No, not Hunters. It is someone else with violence on their mind.”
Ravil looked between Rake and Calpsan. “We stay?”
Calpsan nodded. “Stay and watch.”
The door opened and two men stepped in. They did not spare the pair a glance, their gazes fixed on Rake. The one closest to the door pulled out a knife. Rake’s casual stance became less relaxed though he kept his back to them.
Ravil held onto Calpsan. “Why aren’t we warning him?”
“If he cannot save himself how can he save you?”
The knife wielder stepped towards Rake, speaking more of the native language Ravil did not understand, but the tone was unmistakable.
Rake smiled. He turned and leaned against the tile suggestively. He looked the men over. “No freebies, I don’t care what I supposedly owe you. No you’re not getting any money either.”
The man made gestures towards Rake’s face and body, repeating the same phrases. Rake raised an eyebrow. “No. See, I don’t do free and if you keep up with the gesturing in my face, I am going to break something of yours.”
The man raised his voice until he was yelling. Rake looped a finger around the metal hose that held the shower faucet in place. He tsked. “How impolite, I am not.” He spat out a string of words in Mandarin and turned away. Rake grabbed soap. “Go away.”
The man went red in the face and leapt for him.
Rake tore the hose from the wall and slammed the faucet into the man’s face, breaking his nose. Rake roped the metal tube around his head, kicked his knees, and pulled, snapping the man’s neck.
The other thug charged Rake, knife in hand. Rake smashed his bottle into the man’s face, blood and wine splashed the tiles. He took the knife and sliced it through the man’s throat before he could recover from the first blow.
Rake dropped the hose and the first thug fell to the floor next to the other, both very much dead. He stared at his broken wine bottle sadly. He picked the pieces up and threw it all into an empty stall, the bloody knife followed. He examined the blood on his skin and wrinkled his nose.
He stepped into the next shower and rinsed off, avoiding the stream of blood that swirled around the other drain. He grinned at Calpsan and Ravil. “I told them I don’t do free.”
Ravil stared at the blood, saying nothing. She waited for her heart to calm. Calpsan nodded to Rake. “You dealt with them quickly.”
Rake stretched. “No reason to take my time.” He turned the shower faucet to the men and hosed them down. He searched through their things. He found their guns and holsters, and he clucked his tongue. “When you have guns, you should use them idiots.”
He pulled weapons off the corpses and stripped the bodies, taking the pants of one, the shirt of the other. He dressed quickly. He cinched the gun belt around his waist and smiled, admiring his new wardrobe.
Rake padded over to the sole window in the room and popped it open. He hauled the first body across the floor and pushed it out the window.
Ravil listened and heard a plop as it hit the concrete. Rake grabbed the other and did the same. Her stomach churned with nausea.
Rake toweled off his clothing and hair and moved to stand in front of a dryer vent, the blast of hot air dried his clothes in seconds. He picked up his leather jacket and slipped it on, concealing the weapons. He counted the money the men had carried and smiled. He glanced up at Calpsan. “You two are pretty mellow.”
Calpsan nodded. “That would not have been the first death I’ve seen, or the boy’s.”
Rake shrugged and collected the coins Calpsan had tossed at him earlier. “Now that I have entertained you, how would you like to help me out in a mutually beneficial work arrangement?”
Calpsan nodded. “Pitch.”
Rake checked out his face in the mirror and fixed his hair. “I run a gambling table here. I need people to sit and play.” He examined his fading black eye. “You sitting at my table makes me look legit. I draw in tourists, take their money, you’ll get a cut at the end of the night.”
Calpsan stood up. “Sounds fair.”
Rake handed Calpsan a few of the bills. “Let me get my table set-up, join me in a few so no one thinks we’re together.” He grinned at Ravil. “You fuck me over though, and I will fuck you back and leave your corpses in an alley to rot, the kid too.” He padded outside and left them alone.
Ravil jumped to her feet. “Him? You are leaving me with him!”
Calpsan smiled, pleased with his find. “Strong, sensible, ruthless, self-preservation high, he’s perfect.”
“Yes, self-preservation, exactly! Self! Him-self!” Ravil stared at her reflection. “He’s going to sell me, or get me killed, or I don’t know!”
He grinned. “I do not think he will. He will keep you alive and perhaps you might learn a thing or two about self-defense before he outlives his use. He dropped those men quickly and efficient
ly.”
Her pink eyes glowed. “Calpsan! He murdered those men without a second thought.”
“They attacked him, quite obviously, Ravil.” Calpsan looked thoughtful. “He did not take pleasure in it. He is not a sadist. He does not intend to harm you or me as long as we do not harm him. I watched his feelings while he bathed, while he attacked. He is an interesting sort, but he will do.” Calpsan dropped down to her height and gazed into her eyes. “I can sense your feelings as well, Ravil.”
She blushed and looked away.
He patted her head. “At this stage attraction is dangerous for your type, Ravil.”
“He is not my subspecies.”
“Regardless, you cannot care for him or you’ll start the change.”
“He is disgusting! He has no shame!” Her cheeks heated up. “The way a person looks says nothing about them. I know not to be so foolish, Calpsan. I would never care for him, let alone let him affect me that way. I hate him already!”
“Good, but still.” He forced her to look into his eyes. “He may save you, he may appear friendly, charming, but that does not mean anything. You have to think of your duty. Your duty is to run and stay alive at all costs. If you sicken, you put yourself in danger. No attachments must threaten your task, or your health. Pay attention. If your feelings for this one become a problem, you will flee, that will halt the process.” He sighed. “Sirana was supposed to tell you and guide you through it when we rejoined the others.”
Ravil blushed. “I am aware of the basics, she told me some.”
Calpsan frowned. “Ravil, your biology is far more complex than you understand.” He held her shoulders. “You need to be free, in all regards, mental, emotional, and physical. Just run if any of those start to be a problem.”
Ravil nodded. “I know, and I will!” She held onto Calpsan. “I do not care about anyone besides you and Sirana and once you are gone, I will care for no one.” She looked at the disappearing blood on the tile. “Besides, he obviously does not care about anyone besides himself.” She gestured to the floor. “He killed those men easily, and he has obviously done similar before! He dumped the bodies! He robs corpses, Calpsan.”