Iris

by Yolanda Sfetsos

  Wetting his hands one drop at a time, until horror and panic consumed him.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Iris couldn’t believe it. Fox actually believed the rain was capable of hurting him to the point of sickness. Then again, why wouldn’t he? Everyone in Nexus—regardless of economic situation—had the warnings drummed into them constantly. Electronic advertisements were displayed everywhere, for everyone to see and heed the warning. Although she hadn’t seen one yet, Iris knew they were out there, strapped to the walls for all to fear.

  Even the people trapped in the slums were constantly exposed to whatever ad campaign those above thrust upon them. No one was exempt, except maybe Rue’s people.

  All of this knowledge about the city, and she still couldn’t remember a single happy moment in her life. The tug of a time when only happiness filled her heart seemed to sway in and out of her head. It teased her with its existence, only to instantly disappear into the abyss of her mind, before she had a chance to grab and enjoy it.

  Iris didn’t have a clue about who she was. The more they traveled along the buildings, the more she realized how naïve the rest of the population seemed to be. They were all the same. All encased inside short and tall buildings, never seeing the outside world. Never going past the frontiers of the city to see what lay beyond. The gospel of the city insisted the air outside was as polluted as the rain. Yet, she’d felt and tasted some of it just outside the basement window and was still alive. No warts on her skin. No disease eating her up inside. Instead, the call of the rain and the outside world seemed so innocent and pure. They couldn’t be right about the rain, and she wanted to prove it to Fox. She needed him to feel the same purity she did.

  “What the hell did you do that for?” He pulled his hands from her grasp, wiping the water against the harsh fabric of his one-piece outfit.

  “Does it burn?” she asked with narrowed eyes. She rubbed the liquid between her index finger and thumb, enjoying the cool feel of it.

  “No, it doesn’t burn…yet!” Fox wiped and wiped, not satisfied even when his skin was dry and a wet patch darkened a section of his clothing. “I’ve already told you, it could take days to manifest, but the results won’t be pretty. Let’s hope you haven’t done something we’ll both regret.”

  She shrugged, unaffected by his bleak outlook. “It’s been a while since you found me in the basement, hasn’t it?”

  “So?” He met her gaze.

  “The window in the basement was open. The air from outside filtered in. If it’s so dangerous and contagious, surely both of us would be near death by now.” She crossed her arms under her breasts, trying to encourage him to challenge things the same way she was starting to.

  For a split second, his gaze lowered to her chest, before he appeared to collect himself and looked her in the eye. “We didn’t stay there long.”

  “We’ve been standing here for a while.”

  “Yeah, we have. We need to get moving.”

  “You’re convinced the outside world is poisonous, aren’t you?” She took a step closer.

  He stepped back. “Of course I am. Aren’t you?”

  Iris shook her head. “I’m not convinced at all. Not now, not after…” Her voice trailed off. No point in totally freaking him out by admitting she’d actually allowed some of the rain to touch her naked skin and hair. He would lose it, and right now, she needed him focused on finding and saving Honey.

  “Not after what?” He stared at her, suspiciously.

  “Never mind. I’m just not buying it. That’s all. Somehow, I’ll prove it to you.”

  “Don’t hold your breath,” Fox said. “Why would anyone make this up?” His face paled, as if he’d realized something.

  “I’m not sure, but if someone could fabricate something as huge as this, imagine the amount of power they would have at their disposal.” She’d just proved it herself, by manipulating and scaring him with only a handful of water.

  Fox clenched his jaw. “It would be enough to set social standards, to keep the population stuck inside these walls and in the horrid poverty, consuming the majority.” It felt as if he were talking to himself more than to her. “If someone had made it all up, it would be the perfect scare tactic. A weapon well used.”

  A shiver raced down her spine. If he belonged to some Spec-Ops organization, then he was employed by someone powerful and in a position to rule over others. For the first time, she wondered which Corporation owned him. “Maybe your boss is calling the shots. By the way, who do you work for? You never did mention it.”

  “Huh? No, don’t worry about it. It’s not important.” He grabbed her arm. “Come on. Let’s go find Honey. I think I know where they might have taken her.”

  “How could you know?” Why didn’t you say anything sooner?

  Fox held a finger in front of his lips. “Can you hear that?”

  She strained to listen but didn’t hear any footsteps or conversation coming from the direction they were approaching. Were the unconscious men up and walking, already? She shook her head. “I don’t hear anything.” Just the rain, she added silently.

  His head turned to the side wall. “It’s the hum of a crowd.”

  “Could be the market…”

  He shook his head, and strands of hair swayed beneath the grip of the goggles. “Yeah, I definitely know where she’s been taken. Come on, it’s this way.”

  She walked beside him, heading toward a hole in the wall. It literally was just that, with no door or any indication of one ever having been there. Iris wondered why she hadn’t noticed it before.

  Fox entered into the darkness, pressing his back against the wall. She followed close behind, moving slowly along as he guided the way, stopping whenever he signaled her to. His goggles were back over his eyes, but she didn’t need the aid of anything. She could make out every moist and disgusting detail and could feel the crunch of insects beneath her boots. See them move their spindly legs as they climbed over each other in an attempt to avoid human traffic.

  The more time they spent together, the more her body reacted to his. Several times, when his fingers absently brushed against hers, the temptation to hold onto them nearly won, but she kept her hands at her sides.

  Don’t lose focus. Don’t forget why we’re here.

  Iris concentrated on her surroundings, on the wet wall soaking her thin top with moisture. She couldn’t help but smile at the thought of Fox’s sermon about the dangers of rainwater when he’d led her straight into it. It sloshed at her feet, and she wondered how these insects could survive in such moist conditions.

  She supposed they’d evolved, just like everyone else in this city. How else were children able to grow in a society without sunlight? Most were gaunt and sickly pale. Some didn’t make it past infancy, but most survived past their teens and into adulthood. It was the way of the human race, to survive in spite of appalling conditions.

  Her heart warmed at the thought of three children who wouldn’t starve or be forced to eat dead vermin for a while. She hadn’t expected to feel so good about helping someone, but she was glad she did.

  “Where are we going?” she whispered near his ear. It felt like they’d been taking slow steps for hours. Her skin cooled a little more every second, until she couldn’t help but tremble.

  Fox turned back to look at her. “Are you okay?”

  She nodded, even though her teeth were chattering.

  “You don’t look okay. Come closer.” He wrapped a strong arm around her shoulder and pushed her against the side of his body. She melded into him, wrapping an around his waist.

  “This should warm you, but to answer your question, while you were entranced by the water, I noticed this opening. It’s not a secret doorway, but concealed enough to be missed upon first glance.”

  “Where does it lead?”

  “I think it leads back to the streets. The Weasels specialize in taking and selling people. They must have many of these hidden doorways to provide qu
ick and easy access to off-load their captives.” He stopped again. “It makes sense. Catch, sell, and start all over again. These guys are professionals.”

  Strange to be calling it streets when they were in the interior of a building, but she understood what he meant. Not all the buildings were residential. In fact, most weren’t. They’d been built years ago to sustain businesses for the many corporations from an era neither one of them was old enough to have caught a glimpse of. She could imagine a time when there’d been thousands of different businesses, all thriving and providing returns for their owners. That is, until the day when everything fell apart and there were only two left. The York Industries and Wentworth Corporation buildings were like bookends in Nexus, situated directly across from each other on opposite sides of the city. Both were tall, with spires reaching into the gloomy sky, and populated with the wealthiest citizens.

  Iris had no doubt the world was unwell, but she didn’t believe it was toxic. Not yet.

  She collected her thoughts. Ignoring the fact that these Weasels had masterminded this, just so they could trade what didn’t belong to them. “They’ve taken her to the streets?”

  “To be precise, I think they’ve taken her to an auction house.”

  “A what house?”

  “It’s a place where people are sold to the highest bidder. It’s also the only place in the city where it’s legal to sell humans to whoever is willing to pay enough.” He paused to look at her, then turned back. “There are many auction houses all over the city.”

  “You’re kidding.” She couldn’t believe there’d be such a place. Humans weren’t supposed to be for sale! Hadn’t there been enough bad fortune handed down to this generation without adding such a barbaric act? “Who would buy them?”

  “I wish I was kidding. Those who can afford to buy people. Mostly it’s for slavery—of whatever nature the buyer desires—but lately, I’ve heard the purchase of human meats for food has become a delicacy. The younger the better is the word on the street.”

  Her heart sank. They had to get to Honey and her son before some bastard bought her as a plaything and consumed Basil. She owed it to White. This deed wouldn’t redeem the fact that he’d been killed because of her, but at least it would be enough for now.

  “We have to move,” she said.

  “I agree, but when we get there, we can’t rush into anything, okay? Using brawn has been our only option in the situations we’ve faced so far, but in a crowd filled with people, it’s not going to make much of a dent. Do you know what I mean?” His goggles stared down at her. “If we make trouble in there, we run the risk of being torn apart by the mob.”

  Iris nodded, concentrating on his eyes. She could see them beneath the goggles, and it made her pulse quicken. “I’m not stupid. Of course I know what you mean. First, we need to establish what we’re up against, so we can then make our move.”

  He flashed a quick smile and continued forward.

  An opening appeared ahead of them as they moved slowly over the crunchy insects. She sucked in a breath of dense air as they stepped out of the dark and into another, crowded area. Just like the market, it was packed. This area had a stage set up against the back wall. A man dressed in black rags stood in the middle of the stage, holding a faded megaphone poised in front of his mouth.

  Fox entwined his fingers around hers as they joined the large crowd. People of all shapes and sizes stood around, cautiously staring up at the stage before checking out the person who stood beside them with constant and suspicious sideward glances.

  Fox stopped at the interval between the back and side wall, vigilant and not willing to catch the attention of anyone around them.

  “Stay close,” he whispered into her ear. “I don’t want to lose you, you got that?” He lifted his goggles onto the top of his head, eyes fixed on hers.

  Iris nodded, hypnotized by the effect his intense stare had on her. Heat traveled through her body in a rush that eventually swept over her face and made her blush.

  Her gaze left his and roamed around the crowded room. The murmur of chatter surrounded them. A very large man with crudely-cut, short blonde hair stood taller than everyone else. He kept a watchful eye on Iris as he spoke to a man standing beside him, and was almost half his size. He nodded and grunted to whatever the other man was saying, but he wouldn’t look away.

  She turned to tell Fox, but he’d noticed it, already. He dragged her further up the side wall, until they passed the halfway point. They’d moved behind too many people for the creepy, tall guy to keep tabs.

  “Hush, people,” the man with the megaphone called from the stage. His voice sounded static and unreal, but everyone stopped their chatter. “Today, we have some wonderful treats on offer for you…some fresh off the streets.” The rags on the man shifted with every sleazy movement he made across the crooked stage. His greasy, long hair stuck to his scalp and fell over the front of his shoulders as he surveyed the crowd with beady eyes. “Let’s not waste anymore time. The first luscious thing on offer this afternoon is this gorgeous boy.” He waved to another man who stepped into view, holding onto the arm of a very skinny boy.

  The people watching seemed antsy to get on with business. A silent hush settled across the cavernous room, shortly followed by a murmur of interest as everyone surveyed the young boy being paraded around like a piece of meat.

  Anger coiled inside her gut.

  “As you can see, he’s young and fit.” The man pointed at the boy’s sallow face and his stick-like arms. “If it’s a servant you’re looking for, he’s perfect. In fact, he’s quite equipped for any form of servitude. As long as you provide a safe home out of this shit hole, I believe he’ll do anything you want him to.”

  “I want him!” someone called from the crowd.

  Others laughed and joined in the cheers.

  “No one’s having him until the bidding’s done. Now, who’s going to start me at one thousand credits?” He kept the megaphone in front of his mouth. “Don’t forget, you’ve got to be ready to pay instantly. No credits, no slave.”

  “One thousand!” yelled a woman near the front. She lifted her hand into the air, so everyone could see her.

  “Two thousand,” another added, beside her. The two women were redheads and had their hair styled meticulously on top of their heads. Except the first was short and round, and the second was tall and slim.

  The first woman gasped, as if surprised someone had decided to bid against her. “Three thousand!” She glared at the slim woman beside her.

  “Okay, I’ve got three thousand from the lady near the front. Does anyone else want this luscious piece of meat?” The auctioneer ran the back of his hand over the boy’s face. He cringed at the disturbing caress.

  Iris wanted to race up to the stage and tear the man in half. How dare they trade and accept credits for other people’s lives? This boy didn’t belong to them, and she wasn’t going to let this go on any further. Once they got Honey out, she was going to kill every single one of the Weasels, so these disgusting people around them wouldn’t have anywhere to go to splurge on slaves.

  “Four thousand,” the second woman added.

  Sickness turned inside her stomach. Had she just thought about killing more people? No, that wasn’t what she wanted to do. She’d felt so in control when they’d fought the first lot of Weasels. Iris didn’t need to kill in order to help others. There had to be a better way, another way.

  “Five thousand.”

  “Six thousand!”

  The auctioneer’s eyes shone. “This is great! We have a bidding war. Who will end up winning this wonderful prize?”

  “I want him and am willing to pay ten thousand!” The redhead who’d started the bidding announced. Her hand was up over her head, pudgy and soft.

  An undercurrent of whispers ignited amongst the crowd.

  The second woman shook and hung her head, defeated.

  “We have ten thousand going once.” The man took a step forward,
an excited edge in his voice. “We have ten thousand going twice.” He moved the megaphone enough to flash a big toothy grin before he said, “Three times! The lady near the front wins this lovely man at ten thousand credits. Make sure you wash him before having any fun, though.” He burst into laughter, which some echoed.

  The woman was all smiles. She lifted a hand to her face, as if she were surprised to have won.

  “Come forward and claim your prize.”

  She looked at the woman next to her, triumph was reflected on her face as she made her way past the few people in front of her and climbed the stairs, relishing in the attention. Holding up her long, flowing dress enough to watch her step, she reached the stage. With the aid of the auctioneer, she stood near the boy within seconds. The man holding him motioned for her to follow them, and they disappeared behind the stage.

  “We need to get back there,” Iris whispered to Fox.

  He nodded. His jaw was clamped tightly, and he seemed as furious by this disgusting display as she was. “Not yet.”

  “Ah, look what we have here.” The auctioneer’s voice filled the large room and everyone hushed. “Now we’ve got something special. A real treat.”

  Iris looked up in time to watch Honey stumble onto the stage with her arms protectively wrapped around the sling, when she was nudged forward. The man beside her kept a hand tightly wrapped around her arm.

  “This is a rare find, indeed.” The greasy auctioneer stepped toward her. “We’ve all heard the rumors and myths of the Cat People who prowl the lowest levels of our city and attack at random. Now, here’s your chance to see one...and for one lucky person, the chance to own one! This one, my friends, is a genuine Cat. We believe she may be second generation.”

  Several people in the audience reacted with gasps when the man holding her lowered the hood over her head. “Wait. If you look carefully, you’ll see she’s holding a tiny little kitten. I believe they would make someone very happy.”

  Honey pulled her face away when he made a move to touch her cheek. She hadn’t lost the defiance she’d had from the beginning. At least Iris could see the fight still gripped her. She wouldn’t go down without a struggle.