Caught in the Aftermath

by Jami Gray

  Vex gave a brief thought of what moves would be needed should Ori decide to hand them over to the kid looking to score a finder’s fee.

  ‘Appreciated, but no.’ Ori’s response came out hard and flat, but he didn’t move.

  ‘Could try changing your mind,’ Bon wheedled.

  ‘How about we change yours?’ Vex caught the kid off guard by turning into him so they were face-to-face. Stepping in close, she ignored the stench of the unwashed and wrapped her arms around his neck in a mocking affectionate move. His eyes widened and his body went poker straight when the clawed tips of her fingers dug into the back of his neck. Using her other hand, she tapped the flat of her blade against his skull ensuring she had his undivided attention. ‘I can be very persuasive.’

  Proving street smart didn’t equal intelligent, Bon let Math go and dropped his hands straight to Vex’s ass, a cocky grin streaking through the grimy mask. ‘Could be fun.’

  Vex caught movement as Math raised his hand and moved her head back enough so when Math’s palm knocked against Bon’s skull, she didn’t end up getting a headbutt. No sense in adding a bloody nose or another bruise to her growing collection.

  The head slap was followed by the low growl of Math’s warning. ‘Could be fatal, kid.’

  Bon pulled away from her, leaving some hair behind, his lips curled into a fairly decent snarl. When he spun around to face Math, Vex caught the flash of metal in his fist. Not keen on letting the kid gut Math, her hand shot out and wrapped around his wrist.

  In a heartbeat Math closed in, his face stony. ‘You don’t seem stupid.’

  Bon hissed as he jerked his arm from Vex’s hold and slipped out from between Vex and Math. In typical teen fashion he spat, ‘Asshole.’

  Vex shifted until Math stood behind her. They faced the kid. With a condescending smirk, Vex held the teen’s furious gaze. ‘Run along and find someone else to tag, kid.’

  Bon hurled a wad of spit in her direction before spinning around and stalking away, motioning his crew to follow. Vex and Math watched, as did Ori and his crew, while Bon and his followers faded away.

  ‘Bon.’

  At Ori’s use of his name, the teen turned back. ‘What?’

  ‘No playing.’ Like tickling a spider’s web, Ori’s unspoken threat vibrated along the distance between the killer and street rat.

  The order earned a flip of a middle finger before Bon clambered up and over the metallic husk of the car and slipped away. A heartbeat, two, passed before Ori said, ‘Let’s go.’ He didn’t wait for a response, simply turned on his heel and led the way.

  Following the abrupt order, because it wasn’t like she had much choice, Vex sighed, slipped her knife back into its sheath, and resettled her vest. She began the trek through the cracked asphalt, skirting around a tree growing from a manhole, before realising Math wasn’t following. She stopped and turned back to find him staring off to where Bon had disappeared. She tagged one of Ori’s men standing silently to the side, his attention on Math, his hand playing with the weapon at his waist. ‘Hey, Crow!’ When he turned, she asked, ‘You coming?’

  Math’s shoulders moved as if throwing off a weight, then he tucked his knife away as he walked towards her. Behind him another of Ori’s men slipped out of the ruins and joined the first one as they began trailing in Math’s wake. She waited until Math reached her before she began walking. With a mind to privacy, she kept her voice low. ‘If you don’t want Ori and company honing in on your intentions, don’t telegraph them.’

  Math frowned and shot her a look. ‘I wasn’t intending anything, just wondering about a few things.’

  She snorted. ‘Right.’ Not that she could blame him for wanting to follow Bon, but making that move now? Beyond dumb. Better to pump Trip for information, get the psycho’s blessing to tromp through his demented little kingdom, and maybe narrow down their search areas. A necessity because instincts whispered Cam was running out of time. If he hadn’t already. She barely caught her flinch at the thought. God she hated that fatalistic voice of experience. Sneaking a glance at Math’s grim expression, she knew she wasn’t the only one hearing it.

  It pinched at her, that expression, causing her an uncomfortable moment as she tried to find some way to offer comfort. Thing was, she wasn’t sure she had anything to offer that would offset the weight of guilt and frustration she knew he was dealing with. But she remembered what it was like when the Raiders had Simon, the mix of fury, fear, and under it all a gut loosening dread of not moving fast enough. So she gave Math what she could for now. ‘We deal with Trip first. Then we tear through his territory.’

  Math’s answer was a soft grunt as they picked their way through the narrowing trail, keeping space between them and their escort. The rest of the journey passed in silence, but on the chance they’d need to return this way, Vex memorised their path.

  A hint of smoke and the faint wash of music provided the first signs of life, breaking the eerie quiet. Ori led them down a tree-choked street littered with broken red bricks. It wasn’t long before the street widened into a circular area surrounded by a mix of single and multi-storied buildings. The structures blocked out the fading sunlight, but the series of barrel fires lining both sides of the street kept the leading edge of darkness at bay. Light, both natural and generated, glowed from empty window frames or slipped around makeshift barriers. Harsh laughter carrying a desperate cruelty snapped out as they passed by shadowed openings. A mix of creative propositions and slurs followed in their wake. It was a familiar tune, one sang on numerous streets in various cities. Born from the ugly pits of poverty and chaos native to the urban centres, the lyrics reflected a shit ton of shattered hopes and twisted lives.

  When some grubby hand snatched at her back, latching on to her vest, she pivoted to lock her arm on the offender’s with vicious speed. A calculated twist and a wrenching turn had the handy bystander on their knees and her knife at their throat. ‘No touching.’

  The face staring back was young in years, but old in experience. A scar, thick and twisted, carved from temple to the snarling mouth. The eye it bisected a milky white, but the other was a muddy mix of brown and greens. Long matted mess for hair and the oversized clothes made it difficult to tell gender. ‘Fuckin’ let me go, bitch!’ The demand carried a feminine whine.

  Leaving the shifting watchers to Math, Vex tightened her hold, and her prey arched her spine to ease the pressure. Vex quickly adjusted her blade’s position so the girl wouldn’t slit her own throat. ‘Don’t move.’ When she was certain she had the girl’s attention she said, ‘Promise to keep your hands to yourself and I’ll consider not slitting your throat.’

  ‘If I don’t?’

  Before Vex could answer, a thick hand grabbed the matted mess and dragged the girl out of her grip. The girl’s ear-piercing screech cut off abruptly as Ori held her on her toes and stared into her fear-slackened face. He didn’t say a word, but lifted his gaze and aimed it at the shuffling figures now edging back. The din of noise fell into a well of silence. He tossed the girl aside, sending her stumbling into the waiting group. They kept her from sprawling on the ground, but as soon as she gained her balance, she was gone, taking her tribe with her. Mutters followed, punctuated by a curse or three, before cresting into the familiar din as activities resumed.

  Ori ignored Vex and Math, gave his men a series of silent hand orders that had them closing ranks, keeping Math and Vex surrounded. He set off, his pace unhurried but determined, leaving the others to follow.

  ‘Well, that was fun,’ Vex muttered under her breath.

  ‘Takes skill,’ Math said, his voice low, his gaze on Ori.

  Confused by his out of the blue remark, Vex shot him a quizzical look. ‘What?’

  He lifted his chin in Ori’s direction. ‘To threaten without saying a word.’

  Vex rolled her shoulders, trying to shake off the subtle tension resulting from being surrounded by the not-so-friendly. ‘I don’t know about skill, but it’s
definitely fun.’

  ‘You would know.’

  His cool sarcasm left her grinning. ‘And you don’t?’

  His lip twitch proved silence spoke louder than words.

  Chapter 13

  The Hole hadn’t changed much since Math’s last visit. Granted, he hadn’t bothered going above street level. His business had taken him into the darker twists and turns tucked between the buildings where an entire world of greed, sex, and every other vice you could think of, thrived. Now, with Vex at his side, he was escorted into the heart of Trip’s domain. Reaching eighteen stories, the building they approached dwarfed the rest. Math craned his neck to take it in, wondering how it managed to survive intact. The bottom third of the outside walls wore a pitted finish, created by weather and violence. The floors above still held their reflective surface, with an occasional gap bridged by wood or metal. A random pattern of light danced behind the glass, the brightest collection coming from the sixth floor. Whatever its history, it now housed Trip’s loyal—and not so loyal—followers.

  Across the street on the flat roof of a two-storey building, armed guards held their positions. A quiet muttered, ‘Figures’ from Vex told Math he wasn’t the only one taking notice of Trip’s security. He gave them credit, on the surface it appeared impressive. Thing was, he already noted a couple of holes he could slip through without earning a bolt in the ass. Ori led them passed graffiti-laced metal sheets lining the ground floor where door-sized windows once hung. They came to a wide opening guarded by a tall woman armed with a crossbow and a burly male kitted out with various firearms and partnered with, what looked like, a wolf-hybrid.

  The woman stepped forward taking the lead. ‘Ori.’

  ‘Tam.’

  ‘Heading up?’

  ‘Yeah.’

  Tam did a scan of the group, her gaze pausing on Vex and Math before lingering a little longer on the limp form hanging between two of their escorts. She turned to Ori and arched an eyebrow. ‘See you’ve managed to find some trouble.’

  Ori’s mouth twitched, once, before he shrugged his shoulders. ‘Or, it found me.’

  ‘Uh-huh.’ Tam sighed and shook her head, before stepping back and waving them through. ‘Make sure you don’t leave a mess.’

  ‘This one’s all Trip’s,’ Ori said, as he walked through. He turned his head and lifted his chin to the group behind him before striding inside.

  Math stayed at Vex’s back as she followed Ori and Gnome through the guarded entrance. A sudden burst of activity from behind him had him turning to watch a reluctant Milt’s fruitless struggle. The noises behind Milt’s gag gained strength, even as the rest of their escort disappeared into the night. Considering Trip’s uncertain temperament, Math understood the idiot’s misgivings. Given a choice, Math would skip getting permission to pick through Trip’s territory. Unfortunately, Vex was right. They didn’t have time to waste. Math had to suck it up.

  The main floor was a wide open space, currently filled with clusters of people in the midst of various transactions. The jaded cynicism of card sharks and their oblivious marks gathered around tables. Others lounged in chairs and on battered sofas. Their glassy eyes and dumbass smiles adorned faces wreathed in smoke. The undeniable sweet smell of marijuana hung in the air, carrying a bitter bite.

  He noted the jumpy impatience of the strung out looking to score, and the boastful grins of those who knew what price the market would bear for hard to obtain products. Credits flashed as they shifted from hand to hand. A tangle of wires siphoning juice powered a pit filled with electronic games while a group of kids manned the controls. Shouts, shoves and trash talk competed with the buzzes and bells.

  Business flourished in the Hole.

  He kept pace at Vex’s side, not missing the attention they got, mainly thanks to Milt’s pitiful moans. Math noted as soon as that attention snagged on Ori, it would slither away. A shout fell from above. Tilting his head back, he looked up through the open air centre and spotted the shoving match currently in progress on the second floor.

  Next to him, Vex muttered, ‘That’s not going to end well.’ Together they watched the show as the two men continued to punch and push. Her point was valid, considering there was nothing—no railing, no wall—to stop either of the idiots from tumbling off the edge should they get close enough.

  ‘No, it isn’t.’ He put a hand to the small of her back, nudging her a little faster. No point in being the ones who broke their fall.

  He saw a glint of malicious humour in Gnome’s gaze as he looked back and caught Math’s movement, but the squat little man didn’t say a word. They made it through the bottom floor without being hit by falling bodies and walked up the frozen metal staircase to the second level.

  Similar scenes from the floor below played out around them. Ori wound his way through without pausing. The two combatants stumbled across their path in a flailing tangle of body parts, grunts, and curses. An abrupt course correction left Math with no choice but to twist sharply out of the way. He sucked in a breath as torquing his torso reignited the blaze in his ribs. Gritting his teeth, he regained his pace.

  Relief washed over him when Ori turned to the left and came to a stop next to another guarded set of smooth metal doors. It looked as if they wouldn’t be climbing any more stairs. The doors slid open with a few dull thunks and a dying ding. Ori and Gnome took up positions on either side.

  ‘After you.’ Gnome’s grin was all teeth as he mockingly waved Vex inside.

  Vex patted his head as she swept by. Math stayed on her heels, hiding his grin at the growl that escaped Gnome. Once Math and Vex were inside tucked in the corners, Ori and Gnome took front position. Ori hit a button, the number worn away from use, and the doors clanked shut.

  Braced against the walls, Math held his breath as the elevator car lurched its way up like a drunken pinball. Meeting Ori’s gaze in the wavy metallic surface, he couldn’t stop his question. ‘Something wrong with the stairs?’

  Gnome turned his head. ‘What’s wrong? Scared?’

  He stared down, adjusting his weight at another jerky shift of the car and gave him a nasty smile. ‘Nope, just concerned I’ll puke all over you.’

  Gnome growled and rocked forward on his toes, only to be brought up short with Ori’s low, ‘Jack.’

  With one last snarl, Gnome, or Jack, turned back to mimic Ori’s stance. The elevator groaned to a halt. There was a long moment before the doors opened with enough pops and snaps to wonder how many more trips it had before it became the express to hell for some unfortunate rider. Neither Math nor Vex wasted time getting out of the death trap and stepping out onto a floor much different than the ones they’d left. Behind them the elevator began grinding its way back down to pick up Milt and his escorts.

  Ori and Jack led them through an open archway and into a room that still carried hints of opulence it once housed. Two layers of windows covered two of the walls and melted into a ceiling decorated with weather-worn paintings tucked inside ramshackle trim work stained by smoke. Weather, time and circumstances had blurred the previous grandeur, but glimpses of it peeked through. The remaining walls were covered with various signs cobbled from ransacked buildings, intermixed with framed artwork. It was strangely compelling.

  Some enterprising soul had managed to add in eye patches and moustaches on some of the larger portrait paintings. One particular piece dominated by a dour looking man full of disapproval included a scrawled warning of ‘Sees all, knows all’. The floors were covered in mismatched rugs and furniture, probably dragged in from the same buildings as the artwork. Couches and chairs clustered around a working fire pit, the flames adding a surreal lighting effect to the cavernous ceiling and blind windows. Solar lights dotted the floor as well, pooling their illumination over tables covered with unidentifiable items.

  Easily identified were the multitude of bodies stretched out across chairs, couches, and floor. Heads tipped back, eyes staring with hallucinogenic wonder into the stained ceiling,
complete with blissed-out smiles. They represented no threat. Those shifting out of the light and into the shadows, as they maneuvered to surround the incoming group were more worrisome. The three who shifted from casual to full alert in a mere blink before stealthily moving into position at the opposite end of the room drew Math’s attention.

  Math ignored the dying bell of the elevator arriving. Instead he tracked the shifting shadows guarding the perimeter. Vex slowed when movement signalled the approach of a pair of gutsy females—one brunette, the other blonde—their courage obviously boosted by whatever they’d inhaled or swallowed. With admirable coordination they surrounded Math and Vex. The glassy-eyed blonde played with Vex’s braids. ‘You two looking for some wild?’

  Not about to be outdone, the brunette made sure to leave an impression, trapping Math’s arm between her impressive tits. Considering her eyes were unfocused, he wondered if it was more for balance than flirting. Her breath was rancid as she leaned in. ‘We promise not to disappoint.’

  Over the brunette’s head, Vex flashed him a mischievous smile before turning to the blitzed blonde. She cupped the woman’s chin, using the metal tips of her glove to trace the painted lips. ‘Darlin’, I don’t think you’re quite up to our kind of wild.’

  The blonde pouted, but before she could respond, a thick arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her back. ‘Mind the rules, Amy girl.’

  The blonde’s interest in Vex shifted to the man as she turned in his hold until he had no choice but to maintain his hold or find her in a puddle at his feet. ‘Aww, baby, I know how you like to play.’

  With an ease that spoke of practice, the man adjusted his hold and reached out to collect the brunette. ‘How ‘bout this time, we keep it to you, me and Lynn, ‘kay?’

  The blonde tipped her head back and it was a wonder she didn’t fall backwards. ‘Sure, baby.’

  ‘Can do, stud.’ The brunette snuggled closer, laying her head on his shoulder as her eyes drifted to half-mast.