Pornopsychedelica
Page 26
'Show me.'
Teja picked it up and opened the blade. There was a deep rumbling from outside that rattled the glass in the windows.
Fernandez panted at first, then screamed, Teja holding his penis and testicles in one hand and pulling so his skin went tight. She cut into him, moving the blade back and forth, blood flooding over her hand and running down his thighs. Tomoko leaned forward, her breath caught in her throat. Teja sliced off the artist's genitals with no more concern than she would have had cutting into a protein steak. The news drone hovered around them.
'Now you know what pain is,' said Tomoko.
They reached the doors just as three men entered. They had guns already drawn.
The guy in front said, 'Tomoko, I'm glad we found you. I am –'
'I know who you are,' Tomoko said. 'You're Ken. You work for Yamaguchi.'
'Yes. Where is Fernandez?'
Teja dropped Fernandez's genitals into his hand.
They left quickly, the elevator doors closing just before Ken and the others ran back after finding Fernandez.
44
New World Order
They found a car outside, once they were on the outskirts of the mob. Teja took the road leisurely, even when people were falling over the hood and the military dropped battle mechs into the street.
'There,' Tomoko said, pointing. She lowered the passenger window. 'Willard, get in.'
He didn't hesitate, jumping onto the back seat. 'I've been wondering the streets for hours. I went back into the hotel, but then heard gun shots so I came back out. This is crazy.'
He leaned over from the back seat, meeting the muzzle of Tomoko's gun.
'What are doing wrong, Willard? Is this how you should behave?'
He flinched and sank down to his knees in the footwell. 'No, mistress.'
A sonic boom startled them, a rocket cutting a white line across the night sky. The tail flickering, brilliant white. They watched the ship climbing.
Something sparkled and fell away, then a brighter flash erupted into a terrific ball of fire, followed seconds later by a ground-shaking roar. Pieces of the burning ship flew in all directions, flashing and showering flames.
They moved on, through deserted back roads, until the helicopters and the screech of automatic canon fire became faint in the distance. Taking the brow of a hill they could see the city, almost in total blackness now.
Tomoko pulled over and told Willard to drive so she and Teja could get on to the backseat together, her mouth against hers for a long time. Teja whispered into Tomoko's ear, things she'd never heard her say before. She felt Teja's flesh, firm and smooth under her fingers.
They'd found a ryokan, an old traditional guest house in the middle of some woods at the base of a mountain. The place was empty, candles and camping lights pushing away the darkness. The barman seemed glad for the company. Willard sat in a corner, sipping a beer. He looked exhausted.
'Where do you suppose Kameko is?' asked Teja.
'She might have made it to Yamaguchi's. I was thinking about going after Giselle, but I have a feeling money won't be worth much after tonight.'
'We'll be safe from Yamaguchi, you think?'
'The ship blew up. We saved his grandson's life.'
The lights flickered and the TV buzzed to life, the barman turning the sound down. Then everything went off again and the guy cursed, going round to relight all the candles and turn on the lamps.
Tomoko took Teja's hand and led her to the stairs leading to the rooms, seeing her eyes glinting yellow.
The End
Author Biography
Chris Johnson has travelled extensively across Asia and writes in a variety of genres, from sci-fi to literary.
His working life has been just as diverse, with careers ranging from cinema projectionist to telecoms rigger. He is married, with two children, and lives in West Yorkshire.
Find Chris Johnson on Facebook and Twitter.
facebook.com/chriswjohnsonauthor
@ChrisJohnson66