Offering Lenny’s food is her way of making sure I come back. Smiling, I head straight for the back door.
Hyde whistles under his breath when he looks out into the restaurant. The crowd has grown exponentially. “It looks like they might break the window.”
I open the back door and step outside. Focused completely on my task, I slip in and out of relatively empty streets. Because of the gathering crowd I have to take a non-direct route. My goal is to find a scavenger. Any one of them will lead me to Sonora for the right price. I haven’t been walking long before a chill goes up my spine: someone is following me. Whoever it is, they aren’t friendly.
Anxiously glancing over my shoulder, I move into another alley. I don’t want to draw unnecessary attention.
I’m half way down the empty alley before I sense the danger. My hands go numb and my feet feel like lead, pain slices through my heart. I was hoping to draw my stalker out, but now I feel more than one person. Worst of all, I can’t sense any citizens. Somebody wants to have a private audience with me. Everyone makes mistakes and I just made a big one. I don’t have any leverage if someone wants me dead. Gathering my courage. I stop walking. It’s time to meet my enemies.
I feel her before she steps out of the shadows behind me; I feel him a few seconds later. Orion Dennis and Stephen Arik.
Disgusted with my stupidity, I turn around to face them. Lyons must have already heard about my miraculous return. He’s decided the politics are over. It’s time to get rid of me once and for all. I have to laugh at the irony, I was going to disappear. Now I want to stick around just to piss Madman off.
It only took twenty minutes to walk from Kentucky’s hideout to Heidi’s Restaurant. Lyons works bloody fast. Turning around, I watch Orion slip her wicked blades out of their leather sheaths. It’s fascinating to watch her work with knives. There’s poetry to the way she balances them in her hands, the way they become a part of her body. A look of pure love spreads over her face; she trusts her blades completely. Twirling them in her fingers, she shoots me a predatory smile. She’s ready to cut me down if I try to run.
Arik massages his hands calmly, steadily, before slipping on his diamond-studded brass knuckles. The former Miner studies his chosen weapons before looking me in the eye. “Nothing personal.”
“Why do fuck-nuts always say that?” I ask.
Cocking my head to the side, I anxiously wait for his first move. My only remaining question is where are the other two Generals? Ishida isn’t the type to miss out on violence and Locket…I don’t know what to make of him anymore.
As if I had summoned him, Ishida enters the chosen arena. He steps out from behind a corner, blocking my only exit. Shit. Risking a glance his way, I note his hollow expression. A feeling of terrible dread makes my head spin. I’m not going to win.
A loud, booming noise overhead startles us all. Looking up I watch the large, dark clouds swirl chaotically. Flashes of intense lightning jump through the black, malevolent storm. Large drops of cold water careen into the streets, crashing down on our heads and making me wince. The rain has finally begun. Within seconds I’m soaked to the bone. Another intense rumble shakes the surrounding buildings. Awe-struck, I stare into the storm and thank Luck for the cool water running down my face.
There’s no time to develop a strategy. Snapping back into my fighting stance, I anxiously wait for them to make the first move. Ishida ignores the wet interruption; he nods at the others and they step towards me at the same time. If I were smart I’d move towards Orion and let her slit my throat. It would be a quick death. But I’ve never been noted for my brains.
My first priority is to neutralize her blades: out of the three she’s the real threat. Even if I manage to sneak through these guys she’ll bring me down. I believe I can take her out. If I do, I can try to run.
Quick as lightning, I grab the small knife from my boot and fling it towards Orion. I’m not expecting to hit, just to distract, but the pelting rain camouflages both my actions and the metal flying through the air. The blade sinks into the flesh of her right shoulder. Gasping in pain, she drops one of her knives. Encouraged by the unexpected advantage, I move in. I smash my left fist into her stomach and prepare to bring my right elbow up under her jaw. I need her to go down quick.
But Arik moves faster than I expected. When Orion doubles over from the force of my punch, the bejewelled General steps over. Slamming a fist firmly into my right side, he prevents me from completing my attack. The brass knuckles sink into my flesh with a sickening crunch; the diamonds effortlessly rip through my shirt and flesh. In one horrifying moment, I hear my ribs cracking under the power of Arik’s brutal punch. He’s not as strong as Locket, but his brass knuckles give his attack enough power to take most of the fight out of me. My right side, from my head to my toes, has gone completely numb. His other fist, aimed for my face, flies through the air with deadly force.
I desperately duck under the swing. Grabbing Arik’s forearm with my left hand, I twist my body and pull. If I could use my right side I’d push the back of his shoulder with my other hand, but the rain does the rest of the job for me. Not only does Arik lose his balance, he slips on the wet cement. As he crashes to the ground, I deny him the chance to regain his feet. Forcing the right side of my body to co-operate I jump onto his back, place a knee on his spine, and grab a fistful of hair. A furious and vicious energy envelops me. Through my haze of aggression and destruction, I start smashing Arik’s head into the cement. A bone-chilling war cry erupts from my lungs; I don’t stop until his skull caves in.
Orion grabs the hilt of the knife sticking out of her shoulder. Pulling it out, she watches in confusion as I destroy her comrade. Her right arm is hanging limply at her side but she still has full movement in her left. I sense her spring towards me, my bloodstained knife aimed for the back of my neck. Tucking my head into my right shoulder, I roll to one side. I spring to my feet and turn just as she regains her own footing.
The right side of my body is just as useless as Orion’s. Circling one another, squinting to see each other’s movements in the pouring rain, we search for other weaknesses.
As far as I know, Orion is right hand dominant; I have no weapons but I’m left-handed. Before I can react, Orion’s blade slashes through the air, leaving a bright red line across my chest. I examine the stinging wound in horrified disbelief—Orion is ambidextrous.
Frantically dodging and ducking, I evade the flurry of attacks that follows. She’s only missing me by the smallest fraction of an inch, nicking me on my forearms and shoulders. As lightning splits the sky, a gigantic boom of thunder cracks overhead. Her attacks suddenly falter. Her eyes flicker nervously to the bellowing storm and terror flashes across her face. When I jump back to avoid her next lunge, the pouring rain works against me; my feet slip. I crash down onto the pavement. Dazed from the impact, I lose precious seconds and Orion pounces.
Another flash of lightning and loud crash of thunder makes her duck her body towards me. Her deadly blade freezes for an instant. In her second of terror, I find the opportunity I need. Grabbing her wrist, I ram the knife towards her exposed throat. It’s an awkward movement, a hopeless attempt at surviving, but she’s stunned. She doesn’t deflect the desperate strike. The razor-sharp blade sinks into her flesh, opening a gaping wound in her throat. Orion Dennis’ warm, red blood gushes over my chest and the light drains from her astonished eyes. Her lean body slumps onto mine.
Covered in blood, I frantically pry the knife out of her hands and push her corpse to the side. The rain has let up some, making it easy to see Ishida standing as motionless as a statue. He was all this time watching, waiting to see what happened, knowing Orion would wear me out. Getting Arik out of the game so quickly was a fucking fluke, he and I know it, but the dead General’s crushed head has made Ishida cautious.
I can’t run, I can scarcely stand; Arik and Orion have seen to that. Exhausted but determined, I desperately clutch the knife in my hand.
&nb
sp; Ishida doesn’t use weapons. He thinks they’re beneath him, a waste of the power he can unleash with his bare hands. I’ve seen them at work; I’ve seen them subdue and kill. Even at the top of my game, I would never face this guy in a fair fight. I’d hit him from behind, get the first attack in and pray that it was fatal. But I don’t have that luxury now. I don’t even have the benefit of being able to use both my hands.
“I have always wished that Luck would favour me as it does you,” Ishida says. Watching my legs shake, he waits for them to give out. “This strange weather…it’s as though it was sent here specifically for you. Without this storm you would already be dead.”
“Shut the fuck up.” I’m not in the mood for a conversation. Waves of throbbing pain are making it hard to concentrate; the effort of standing is straining the limits of my endurance and my knees are buckling. Right now, I don’t care if he kills me. I just want to knock out his front teeth. I’m going to need him to attack sooner rather than later if I’m going to have the strength. “Get over here and fight.”
“And you have always been Locket’s greatest weakness,” he continues, ignoring my challenge. “I’ve heard these strange rumours about you two. But of course, it’s impossible. Locket might fuck you, but he’d never be your lover.”
“I guess you didn’t see Amber as a weakness.” No emotion whatsoever flickers in his ruthless eyes. I spit blood onto the wet pavement and sneer at my executioner. “You fucked her and then you killed her. I guess Luck didn’t favour her.”
“She was the most amazing woman I’d ever met,” he replies. Despite his claim, however, he still shows no emotion. “It was I that Luck did not favour when I ended her life.”
My eyes roll skyward. I don’t know how much longer I can stay on my feet. Ishida doesn’t move towards me. He isn’t afraid but he knows that I’m not down yet. That means I can still fight. Despite my annoyance, I have to applaud his good sense. Exhausted, I fall to my right knee.
Ishida shrugs as he finally walks towards me. “That’s enough small talk.”
I await Death with startling composure and serenity. At first I sluggishly raise my knife, but I drop it quickly again to my side. I’ve decided it’s best to look completely helpless. I’ll save my last burst of energy to ram my fist into his mouth. Then I can go out with a smile on my face.
Eyes narrowed in fury, Locket appears next to Ishida. With lightning fast movement, the last General puts an arm around the front of Ishida’s neck, forcing the smaller man to bend backwards. With a monstrous flex of Locket’s shoulder and arm muscles, Ishida’s neck cracks. Through a haze of pain and adrenaline, I watch Locket unceremoniously drop his victim, face-first, into a puddle.
I can’t help but say something sarcastic. “Shit, Locket. I’m sure he would have let you kill me if you’d just asked.”
“How badly are you injured?” Locket demands.
“One quick jerk of my neck,” I say, dropping my knife. I can’t be sure if I’m joking or not. “That’s all it will take.”
“You and your death wish,” he replies, unimpressed.
“I won’t even fight.”
“You mean you can’t fight.”
His intense blue gaze scans my body. Strangely self-conscious, I run a shaking hand over my hair before gasping with pain.
Locket flinches when he sees the state of my right side. It must be severely mangled for his lips to curl over his teeth like that. Lowering himself to his knees beside me, he pulls the shredded pieces of my shirt away from my battered ribs. The tattered material falls back as he reaches into his pocket. Ripping open a small, silver packet he grabs my chin and orders me to open my mouth. I shoot him a woozily unimpressed look as he pours a white powder onto my tongue.
“Swallow,” he commands. I recognize the bitter taste in my mouth. Painkillers; potent ones. I swallow the meds without protest. “I’m taking you to a Doctor.”
A pleasantly heavy feeling spreads through my limbs, taking all of my pain and all of my questions with it. Lifting me into his arms, Locket rushes me to an isolated emergency tube. As he fits himself into the provided compartment he struggles to keep me balanced on it’s side. The lights turn on automatically once he puts his weight on the seat. A small engine roars to life. Placing me between his legs, he slides us onto our backs and shuts the compartment’s door.
The calm City voice welcomes us.
“Who is that?” I ask through my drug-induced haze.
“You don’t know her,” he answers.
The compartment beeps three times and the engine fires. We are being raced at break-neck speeds along the underground emergency tubes of the City. Next stop N Sector, otherwise known as the Hospital.
31
“What have you brought me, Jace?”
A surprised and unconsciously alluring voice penetrates the foggy haze in my brain. The combination of painkillers and physical trauma has made my muscles turn to rubber. When I hear the question, however, I manage to roll my head to the side. A delightfully beautiful woman, with long black hair pulled into a braid and glowing black eyes, is patiently waiting for an answer.
Groggy from the drugs I drool all over the left side of my face. The white powder is good stuff.
Locket pushes me into a sitting position so that he can slip out from beneath me. I attempt to clean up the spit but I can’t seem to find my face. Mumbling an apology, I chortle at my lack of motor skills. It feels amazing to be so relaxed. Nothing can disturb me.
Smiling serenely, the Doctor looks to Locket. “Spinal trauma?”
“Right side is messed up,” Locket says, “she got mixed up with the wrong people.”
“And I suppose you need this to be off the record?”
Putting one arm under my shoulders and his other arm under my knees, Locket effortlessly lifts me out of the compartment. Even in my drugged state I notice how he’s avoiding her warm gaze. The Doctor, who I’m guessing is Nyria, studies Locket’s cool expression. It doesn’t seem to be hurting her feelings at all, but I can see nostalgia, maybe even regret, in her friendly gaze.
“Uh oh,” I blurt out, “sexual tension!”
Doctor Nyria’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise. A mischievous gleam sparkles in her eyes. “Your friend is very observant.”
“Never bring a loud-mouthed, drugged psychic to an old lover’s reunion,” Locket mutters. “Where should I put her?”
“On the table will be fine,” Nyria answers.
Locket gently sets me down. I feel as though I’m gliding even though my body is completely still. The ceiling undulates soothingly while bright lights dance across its surface. Mesmerized, I barely notice when Nyria peels the tattered fabric away from my mangled side.
“What happened to her?”
“Diamond studded knuckle dusters, I assume. Knife wounds to the arms, shoulders and chest. I didn’t get there until after this happened.” Locket’s tone is laced with a severe self-reprimand. Concern fills his bright blue eyes as he finally meets his former lover’s gaze. “Will she be all right?”
Without a word, Nyria presses a button on the side of the table. A machine whirs to life. Gliding along tracks screwed into the ceiling, it bleeps towards me. I watch it suspiciously, but I’m too relaxed to care if it’s going to take my kidneys. A blue light slowly scans my body.
“Shattered ribs,” Nyria mutters as she studies a screen. She points at something on the scan. “Internal bleeding… She either needs surgery or a few hours in a restoration bed. I’m only trained for diagnostics, Jace. I can’t perform the procedures. I assume neither of you are wealthy enough for the bed.”
“My employer is,” Locket replies. Reaching into his pocket, he produces a shiny credit balance. “Slide it through. If someone asks you say I was injured. Don’t tell them about her.”<
br />
“I don’t want to know, do I?” Nyria shoots him a disappointment look after she examines the card in her hands. “It’s these situations that I never missed. I’ll prep the bed. You bring her through in a few minutes.”
Walking over to a metal door, she slides the card through a box hanging on the wall. It beeps a few times and the door unlocks. Locket watches her leave. His expression is unreadable, but I’m not really concentrating on him. The drugs are starting to wear off. The dull, aching pain pulsing down my right side slices through the fog in my brain. I know that it’s going to get worse. Groaning, I close my eyes and force back my tears.
“Nice woman,” I say through clenched teeth. “You want to tell me what the fuck is going on?”
“Nope.”
I expected that answer. He’s not going to tell me anything and my curiosity is the only thing that’s keeping the pain at bay. Another dose of those painkillers will probably make me an addict and that’s not a risk that I’m prepared to take. Users are the human trash of the City. You can see their pathetic carcasses huddled in alleys; no one cares about them and they couldn’t care less about anything other than their next dose. I’ll take agony over that any day.
Locket watches me struggle with the pain and shakes his head angrily. “You should have stayed with your crew. It’s a miracle you’re alive.”
“Those are going around, I hear.” Sucking in a painful breath, I let the air out slowly. “I had my reasons for leaving.”
“Any of them include common sense?”
“I haven’t been fully stocked on that for a while.” I return his livid glare with a curious one. “Why didn’t you kill me?”
“What does it matter?” he asks.
“Ishida said something before you showed up, I guess curiosity is getting the better of me. You’ve hated me from day one. You hate me so much you nearly had me sold into slavery; you even had Sherman Quentin breathing down my neck. So why am I still alive? You must need something from me and I want to know what it is.”
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