Stray

by Evan Fuller

  18.

  Dress-Up

  Green arrived grim-faced the evening before the shipment was set to depart. “Hey, kid. I hope you’ve had a better time of it than me.” He sounded exhausted.

  “We’ve made a breakthrough on this end.” Juliet had delivered the key, along with word of Hanssen’s instructions for her to avoid him. His own key was now in the doctor’s pocket; Emery prayed he wouldn’t realize until it was too late.

  Green arched an eyebrow. “What’s that?”

  “Long story, but here are the essential parts. I found Redemption, and you’ll never guess where I found it.”

  “You’re right, I won’t. Spit it out, kid.”

  Emery smiled. “In the tunnel. I wasn’t the first person who had the idea to create an exit down there.” The gateman’s jaw went slack. “I know. Anyway, this unlocks the door that leads outside, via a path I’m guessing must be Jacob’s Ladder. It was in my good friend Dr. Hanssen’s pocket; he’s involved in moving this shipment. That pretty much confirms Salvador’s claim that it’s some kind of medicine; otherwise, I don’t know why they’d need someone from the hospital to oversee it.”

  “You really kicked the crap outta my expectations on this one.” Green shrugged. “To think, that damn tunnel. I guess this means you won’t be able to use it the way you were planning.”

  “I guess you’re right.” Emery hadn’t slowed down enough since discovering Redemption to let that sink in. “Well, it turned out to be useful, just not for the reason I thought. Maybe once we’re done with this we’ll dig back toward the sewer from where the tunnel is now, and at least use that half of it to make the way in a bit easier. But right now I just want to get our hands on that shipment.”

  “Yeah. I wasn’t even thinking we’d get to do that much at this point. All I’ve found out since last time is that they’re using something called a crawler to move the stuff. Heard of it?”

  It was Emery’s turn to be stunned. “You might not have heard the name before, but I bet you’ve seen one. You know those enormous vehicles Rittenhouse’s recovery teams take out on expedition?”

  “Big flatbed thing, base half the size of the king’s palace, loaded up with about a dozen purebloods with guns?”

  “That’s just the one. And in fact, there’s a high-profile expedition leaving tomorrow. It’s a joint effort between the Roccetti and Vorteil circles.” He put a hand to his face. What else was a joint effort between the two? “God help us. It just never occurred to me that this went so far up.”

  “Well, we’re gonna need that key anyhow. We need to be far away before that thing gets to the shipment. What time’s it set to roll out?”

  “If they keep schedule, the team leaves westward via the Baltimore Street Gate at noon. Let’s time it so we’re at the far end of the tunnel right then. The shipment should be in position by then, so we’ll have a small window of time to secure it. We can pray we find it unattended, but if there are people there, I’d like to try as hard as we can not to hurt anyone.”

  “I’m great at not hurting people.” Green paused a beat. “Although if it does come to it, I’m even better at hurting people.” The requisite grin.

  “I’m quite aware, but let’s hope it doesn’t come to it. There’s just one thing we have to do to get through Redemption without a problem: we need to make you a pureblood, my friend.”

  Green barked a laugh, caught Emery’s expression, and laughed again. “The stuff you come up with. If that’s our best bet, I guess we better call this off now.”

  “It won’t be as hard as you think.” Emery had already planned this part out. He was going to enjoy it, though: Green took every opportunity to see him squirm, and for once the tables were turned. “You’re white-skinned and with light eyes, so you’ll be a Vorteil for this trip. We’ll just need to dress you up in some of my late cousin’s old clothes, real fancy stuff, and you’ll be fine. Oh, and you’ll need to shave.”

  “Sorry, kid, I’m not going along with this.”

  Emery couldn’t help but smile. “You serve at the pleasure of the king, remember? The only other thing is your hair. Would you rather wear a hat or bleach it?”

  “I’m fine with this one, thanks.” Green’s face was locked in a half-snarl; he made a choppy gesture toward the skullcap that Emery had never seen him remove.

  “We need you inconspicuous. Don’t worry, I’ll find something that’s not too torturous. Garis left a lot of nice things behind. You should stay here for tonight—and as it turns out, we have a new vacancy.”

  “Vacancy? Couldn’t keep ‘em all alive at once?”

  “Something like that. Let’s just say you were right about Salvador. He was forcibly removed by way of the sewers. Next time you tell me not to let someone in, they’re not coming in.”

  “I was wondering why you didn’t listen the first time. I’m trying to think of the last time I’ve been wrong, kid, and nothing’s coming to mind.”

  Emery smiled. “I’m unsurprised.” He rose from his seat. “Come up and see your room. You have your own bathroom and closet; you can borrow my razor after you’re out of the shower.”

  –

  Leila was watching the gateman since he’d got here. When he went to the shower she figured this would probably be her only chance. Emery went to his own room, so she followed him and knocked on the door. After a moment it opened.

  “Leila. How have you been feeling?”

  “Okay. Only hurts a bit when I breathe.” It had been a few days since the thing with Salvador happened. She had to spend the first day in bed, but at least it was better than if she’d been hurt like this outside. She had the nice bed and food and Lydia was there every day taking care of her. Bustle was even trying to behave a bit since he knew she was hurt and couldn’t run after him. She told him the first day that for every time she couldn’t whoop him she was counting up two whoops to give him later, and since then he behaved mostly.

  “I’m sorry.” Emery’s face was all screwed up like he was the one who kicked her.

  “You threw that boy out,” she said. “But that’s what I wanna talk about.” She closed the door behind her and looked him right in the eyes. “Are all the bad ones gone?”

  “What?”

  It was an easy question. “Are all the bad ones gone? The ones like that Salvador boy. I swam in all that crap to get my brother here so he can be safe. Are all the bad ones gone now?”

  He looked like he had to think about that for a sec. “None of the others here will try to hurt you or your brother. You have my word.”

  “Are you gonna not let any other ones like that in?”

  “I’m going to try my best not to.”

  “Promise. For my brother.”

  “I can’t say beyond doubt that we won’t get another dangerous kid here. But I won’t let anyone else in if I’m warned they’re dangerous, and anyone who isn’t safe for the other people here will be removed before it ever gets that far. Salvador’s presence here was my mistake, and it won’t happen again.”

  “So you can promise that.”

  “Yes. I promise.”

  She nodded. “Good.” She turned to go.

  “Umm, let me know if there’s anything else you need, okay? I hope you keep feeling better.”

  “I will. Just look out for my brother. He gets into some trouble and stuff, but he’s a good kid.”

  When the gateman came back from the shower, his face was shaved clean. He had a nasty cut on his jaw, but Emery said it looked like he’d did a good job since he had only one cut (the razor did just look like a sharp little knife so most people who used it probably got lotsa cuts). The gateman and Emery stayed up for a while to plan and talk and stuff, so Leila had to wait forever. She went to bed but stayed sitting up ‘cause she didn’t want to fall asleep by accident. Bustle was already snoring. Finally the gateman went past on the way to his room. She came out into the hallway before he closed his door. “Hey,” she called, “do yo
u know the lady with the purple light? The one who took me and Bustle to the king.”

  His mouth made a weird shape when he smiled. “Yeah, I guess you could say I know Violet. Why do you ask?”

  “Good. We gotta talk.”

  –

  For once Emery woke earlier than he’d planned. He drank a cup of coffee with his breakfast, then drank another to kill time. It proved a bad idea; now he was even more restless. A little past ten in the morning Green came down the stairs. He was wearing a full suit and bowler hat Emery had found in Garis’ wardrobe. Impressively, he’d figured all the garments out; he looked like a different man. “You can’t seriously tell me real people wear this stuff.”

  “It’s a bit much even for people in here, but it’s how you dress when you want to flaunt your money. Redemption is for moneyed people.” He tossed the gateman a rai purse. “And now you’re one of them. I can’t think what you’ll need it for, but I figure it’s better to be prepared. Once we’re down there, we need to get to the far door as quickly as possible without drawing attention to ourselves.”

  “Right. I’ll leave the pureblood stuff to you.”

  Green helped himself to eggs and toast. As they were preparing to depart, the doorbell rang. “Sit tight.” Emery made his way nervously to the foyer and opened the door. Juliet was waiting outside in a light jacket. “Hey.”

  “Hey! You don’t look like you’re freezing to death.”

  “Yeah, it’s really nice out.” She stepped inside. “I figured it wouldn’t hurt for me to be here while you’re down there, just in case anything happens.”

  Emery smiled. “Thanks. There’s someone I’d like you to meet.” He led the way into the kitchen. “Juliet, this is Green, the king’s gateman about whom you’ve heard so much.” He gestured to each of them. “Green, this is my friend Juliet.”

  Green scratched a bit of egg off his newly shaven chin. “Friend as in pureblood friend?”

  Emery nodded. “The only one who knows.”

  He extended a greasy hand. “Erm, how d’ya do?”

  “Nice to meet you.”

  Emery smiled. “We were just about to leave, but feel free to occupy yourself however you’d like. You can wake Oliver up if you’d like company. He should be coming down into the tunnel to meet us in a couple of hours, and you can come down then; there’s no reason to wait underground the whole time, though. Lydia should also be here soon.”

  “Sounds good.”

  “Juliet.” He pulled her aside. “Thanks for coming. It really means a lot to me, knowing you have my back.”

  She grinned. “Is this in-advance thanks or right-now thanks?”

  “How about thanks in perpetuity, starting right now?”

  “Sounds good.” She clasped his hand for luck. “Be safe down there.”

  “We will.” He felt for the revolver holstered at his waist. Hopefully it would remain there. “I’ll see you in a few hours, tops.”

  “See you soon.” She watched them out the rear door.

  “It is getting nice out,” Emery remarked. “About time.”

  “You don’t know the half of it. It’s never cold in that giant house of yours. Equinox coming soon, you know.”

  “That’s good.” He hadn’t realized how much he’d missed the sun. He glanced briefly up at the open sky; the next thing he knew, they were making their descent.

  When they reached the gap, the rubble Emery and Oliver had shoveled over it was still in place. He tossed a shovel to Green. “We have to dig our way in?” the gateman asked.

  “It seemed imprudent to just leave the hole uncovered, considering this tunnel leads right back to my house. Get shoveling; I’m about burnt out from doing this for months.”

  Green set his shovel down and gave it a kick, sinking the head into the dirt. “It’s those scrawny arms of yours,” he said as he tossed the rubble over his shoulder.

  “That and the hole in my side where Three Dogs shot me. It acts up after a long day’s work.”

  Green winced. “Ah, right. Let me take care of this.”

  Emery helped a bit, but Green worked more quickly than he and before long they could see the tarp. A few minutes more and it was accessible. “Once we’re through, no sound whatsoever. We need to try to avoid being seen until we’ve merged with the crowd.”

  Even though Green hadn’t taken Emery for insane like Oliver first had, he was no less astonished as Emery pulled the tarp back. “I’ll be damned,” the gateman whispered.

  Emery was gaping for a different reason. “There was one thing I seem to have overlooked. I guess a black market is less crowed at eleven thirty in the morning than it is late at night.” There were only a few people in the main courtyard, half of whom stood purposefully in place. “I don’t know how we’re going to cross unnoticed.”

  “Hold up,” Green said. “I can just whisk us across if that’s the only way. Almost seems like a waste at this distance, but what the hell…”

  The gateman closed his eyes, leaving Emery to wonder why he hadn’t thought of that earlier. It could solve more than a few problems. Green drew his makeshift knife and sunk its tip into the skin of his forearm, a smaller cut than usual. “Alright…”

  Emery waited, but nothing happened. “Woah. Well, that’s off, kid. This placed is hexed all up and down. If I tried to whisk us anywhere in here, we’d come out all… scrambled.”

  “There’s this guy selling charms and stuff. I set some of them off trying to get out of here. It was total chaos, and of course I’m no expert, but I didn’t notice any kind of hex or any kind of reaction.”

  “It wasn’t your blood in those charms, though, was it? Wherever the guy who made them is, I bet he had a bad night.” Green raised his bowler cap with one hand and put the other to his head. “If I wasn’t so great at this I wouldn’t even have noticed in time.”

  “Alright,” Emery said, “I guess we’re going to walk it and pray.”

  “Let’s be real, how do you say, inconspicuous, ‘cause if we get busted in here and I have to do any other tricks, I’m not even sure what would happen. Scares me to think what’s going on in here.”

  “Yeah,” Emery said, “it’s a scary place.” The blown-out magic shop was visible from his vantage, boarded up now, but it was Paradisio that held his gaze as he climbed through the gap.

  Emery made his way down until he was past the loose bolt before waving Green through. They descended the staircase in total silence, and when they reached the bottom they managed by a stroke of luck to slip past the nearest security guard as he turned to address a pretty Chukwu woman looking for a charm to ward against dishonest men. “We’re doing alright,” Emery breathed. And then he saw Dogeye approaching.

  The man was wearing his slimy smile, so Emery guessed he hadn’t yet been identified. “That man can’t see me here,” he whispered urgently. “Distract him. Steel double-doors, fourth floor. Meet me.” As he branched off, urgently as he could without appearing urgent, Green loudly greeted the dealer. “I’m looking for some, ya’ know,” Emery heard him say, “good stuff. No, not that garbage in your pocket, the really refined stuff… could you direct me?”

  Emery reached one of the spiral staircases and glanced downward at the gateman every time he rounded the steps. How was he faring? Emery couldn’t tell from here. When he reached the top, he crossed the walkway as slowly as possible, glancing down every couple of seconds. Were they haggling? Green drew something from his jacket pocket. It was a good thing Emery had thought to give him the rai. But even though he was only making the deal to keep his cover, the gateman would not get the worse end of it. He withdrew the rai purse, gesticulating with his other hand. Dogeye nodded feebly at whatever terms he was offering. By the time Emery was standing before the doorway, it looked like Green was finally making his escape, pocketing whatever he’d purchased. Emery stepped back from the railing, almost tripping as he bumped into—

  “Sir Esposti.” His blood ran cold. “For one w
ho claims not to be in any way involved with illegal narcotics, I find you in one compromising circumstance after another.”

  He straightened himself, taking a step back from the taller man. “Good morning, Doctor. For someone so concerned with my habits, I’m surprised to see you in a place like this.”

  For a moment Dr. Hanssen was taken aback. His face was burned from the magic shop incident, just like Juliet had said. “The day my affairs are any of your concern, I fear I shall have fallen quite low indeed,” he finally sneered.

  He could play the game. “My concern? Not at all. I just think Unity inspectors might be curious to know what an esteemed citizen like you is doing down here.”

  The doctor appeared to weigh his options. When he had decided, he nodded gravely and drew the revolver from his brown overcoat. Terror blurred Emery’s thoughts, froze him in place. He realized that he was used to seeing Hanssen in his white doctor’s jacket. Then he realized he had missed the chance to draw his own pistol. “People rarely go missing in Rittenhouse,” the doctor told him as he raised the gun, “but I doubt anyone will think to look for you here.”

  Emery took a deep breath; disdain won out over fear. “Yes,” he said, “since the last person you told to shoot me botched the job, it’s probably best to do it yourself this time. But you’re making the fatal assumption, Doctor, that no one knows where I am right now.”

  A moment’s hesitation at that. How far should he take this? Hanssen started to reply, but he continued: “Furthermore, you’re assuming that this is my first time seeing you here, and that I don’t have anyone on the surface waiting to report on your conversation with Dogeye the other night should I fail to return.”

  Finally the revolver lowered. “How did you—”

  Dr. Hanssen was a tall, powerful man, but not so powerful as Green, and in any event he was unprepared as the gateman’s full weight barreled through the air. He turned to face the shout, and Green’s boot caught him square in the chest. The doctor hit the ground with a mute gasp.

  “Let’s go!”

  Emery didn’t hesitate for a moment. He ran to the double doors, and somehow he got the key into the lock without fumbling or dropping it. They sprinted through, slamming it behind them. It was perfect dark on this side of the doors. A moment later they heard a scraping on the lock as Dr. Hanssen tried desperately to make the false key fit. They would have minutes, maybe, before he found someone else to let him through the door. They turned and ran.

  “He knows I’m more than just some poppy addict now,” Emery panted.

  “Touch both your eyeballs. You feel a bullet hole in either one? You did what you had to just then.” Green paused to inhale. “Face each problem as you get to it. Right now, that means shut up and run.”