Concrete Chaos

by Earle, Michael-Scott

  "Or his contact number?" asked Xiu Mei.

  "Or his cock?" Stacey Jones sighed. "At least a picture? Sounds like he was fuckable."

  "Nope," I sighed and lay back down on the blanket where the four of us shared our lunch. It was Saturday, the day after I'd saved the strange men's lives. My bosozoku gang of hot friends sat under the shade of an abandoned building down in Morgan Hill. We had spent the last few hours practicing our motorcycle stunt work in the vacant parking lot, and Xiu Mei had been thoughtful enough to pack us a lunch and padded picnic blanket.

  Then I'd told them the tale of what happened last night.

  "Wait, go back. I'm sorry I interrupted you earlier." Kate Tee crunched on a celery stick. "So this crazy-ass murderer just gets on your bike, covered with blood, and you take him back to the sexy Asian guy? Then they just left? How did they get out of the alley? Oh, and are you fucking insane?"

  "There was a car waiting there when I got back. One of those executive armored pods. They thanked me again, got in the car, and it left."

  "Fuuuuucccckkk," Stacey Jones groaned. "Typical. You risked your life to save them and the assholes bail on you."

  "The guy must have been, really, really, really fucking hot for you to do that kind of shit. I think I would have pissed myself if people shot at me."

  "I think that is the only explanation that doesn't make me sound like a fucking idiot." I laughed. "But I still feel pretty stupid."

  "The Russian man has Hogan's contact link. I wouldn't be surprised if they try to reach out to you that way." Xiu Mei frowned.

  "They might, but then what do I say? 'Oh hi, I saved your life, want to go on a date? Or just come over and lick my pussy? How about I just ride your cock for the night?' Ugggghhh. Dumb."

  "I'd start with offering him a blow job. That tends to get men interested." Stacey Jones laughed, but I knew she was only partially serious. The beautiful redhead had dated dozens of men in the last few months and discarded them once they lost their flavor. Just like cheap chewing gum. The girl was Mormon and took her faith seriously enough to admit that she was saving herself for her future husband. But she was not serious enough to shy away from drinking, partying, sucking a guy's cock, or riding her motorcycle when she should be going to church. She'd once told me "Holy Father will forgive my previous transgressions as long as I get married to a good boy and make a dozen cute babies."

  "What are you going to do about your mom's job offer?" Xiu Mei asked. I hadn't told the girls exactly why my mom had offered me the job. I'd only told them that she wanted me to work for her again, how much she would pay me, and that I'd probably have to take some time off from school to travel.

  They hadn't been excited about the last part.

  "I don't know what to do."

  "You can't go work for The Dragon. You moved out of her house, and her life, because of all her bullshit," Stacey Jones said.

  "Yep, and this isn't the first time she has offered you a job. She's wanted you to work for her since you were like fucking twelve and you came up with that data-compression codec. What was that called again?" Kate Tee asked.

  "Aiya Cypher." The topic was somewhat of a sore spot between Kate Tee and me. Her major was software engineering with a focus on data compression. For some reason, it always annoyed her that I wasn't in her department and had instead decided to go down the AI route.

  "Yeah."

  "The fucking money though. Jeeeeeeeezzzzzee..." Stacey Jones sighed and then lay down on the blanket next to me. "You could buy a new bike every month. Shit, you could fly to a new country, buy a new bike there, and then road trip all over showing your skills." I guessed that Stacey Jones would focus on the money aspect of the deal. Her parents were well off, and the girl lived in a swank apartment in Cupertino next to Musk Science University, but they were just high-level employees at SpaceX and didn't have the endless fortunes that the rest of our gang did.

  Kate Tee's parents owned a furniture and textile company that supplied most of the world's wealthy Muslim population with styled products. Xiu Mei's family owned one of the largest solar-, wind-turbine, and hydroelectric-manufacturing empires in Asia. Neither women really needed to work a day in their lives, but Xiu Mei's family was aiming to penetrate the American market, and Kate Tee told us all that school got her away from people in her family who she would rather not spend time around. Both girls were smart enough to excel at one of the toughest scientific universities in the world, so I held them in high regard for taking the more challenging road.

  "I don't know your mom, Sue Zay, but I've read enough about her. I wouldn't do it for what she was offering. I especially wouldn't do it after all the shit she did to you after your dad-" Kate Tee's voice cut off when she realized she was about to talk about my father. "Anyways. Fuck her. I don't think you should take her money. You've only got a year and a half left of school, and there is a lot more fun to be had. Just look at our fucking bikes." She gestured to where our four black painted motorcycles were parked next to each other a few dozen feet away. The trims were all different colors: Xiu Mei's was blue, Kate Tee's was yellow, Stacey Jones' was green, and mine was pink. "You gonna give up Funakoshi because of a little cash?"

  "I fucking don't know," I sighed and sat up. "What am I going to do after school? Mom has me convinced that I chose the wrong majors. Fuck, maybe I did. I just thought Dad would have wanted me to follow in his footsteps. But what do I do when I graduate? I really just want to ride. If I take this job, she said she'll continue to pay me after it is done. I could come back, finish school, and then ride for the rest of my life without a care."

  "Why don't you take some sponsorship money? Every motorcycle manufacturer and apparel company in the fucking world wants to pimp you out. You could make bank if you just signed a contract. Then you could do stunt shows or Moto Gymkhana every fucking day." Stacey Jones frowned.

  "Yeah, I could. But no one knows who 'Sue Zay' is but you bitches. If the world found out that I was really Suzanne Zato, shit would probably get difficult for me. Mom would put like a hundred bodyguards on my ass."

  My friends were silent for a moment, and the look on their faces told me that they agreed with me staying incognito, but they didn't like my answer about the job; even if the logic was starting to make sense.

  "How long would it take?" Xiu Mei asked.

  "Not more than a year I think." I shrugged, and they were silent for a few more moments.

  "Ugh. Feels like the band is breaking up," Stacey Jones said.

  "Hey, hey, hey. I haven't decided anything yet. Besides, a year isn't that big of a deal. One of you will have to take my spot as Moto Gymkhana champ so we can keep it in the gang."

  "You won't defend your title? What about racing or stunting?" Xiu Mei gasped, and her eyes opened.

  "I might be in Japan when the tournament is, but I'll have to defend my California title, and then the national. If I take the job, I doubt I'll be here this spring. The stunt and race competitions are all bullshit anyway. You bitches know I just do that for laughs."

  "Ugh fuck." Stacey Jones pushed herself up from the patio and grabbed the rest of her sandwich. "Just don't go okay? I don't want the stress of having to battle these two bitches for your crown." Everyone laughed, and the redhead took an angry bite out of her sandwich.

  "Even if you go, I know you'll come back. Riding is in your blood, Sue Zay. I can't see you turning into a corporate wage slave, especially if your mom is the one ringing your dinner bell. No, you'll fucking come back. Besides, Bosozoku Bitches forever." Kate Tee grabbed her bottle of water and raised it in a toast with a smile on her pretty face.

  "Bosozoku Bitches forever." Xiu Mei, Stacey Jones, and I repeated our motto while we raised our own bottles. Except Stacey Jones couldn't find her water and used her half-eaten sandwich to tap together with our bottles. It was her usual comedic response, and even though we liked to think of ourselves as badass bitches, the motion made all four of us giggle hysterically for a minute.
<
br />   "Sooo.... Since there is a possibility of the title being up for grabs. What do you all say to getting some actual Moto Gymkhana practice? Instead of just the stunt work? You down to give us a lesson, Sue Zay?" Kate Tee asked. She pointed to the side of the building where we stashed our supply of orange, blue, and yellow cones.

  "You got it, Babe. I'll even set up a course that will get all three of your pussies dripping." I stood from the blanket and smiled at my friends.

  They were reason enough alone to tell my mom to fuck off.

  But they'd still be here next year.

  Chapter 6

  "Sue Zay, I have an incoming call to my #HOGAN3_SZ address." The Australian-flavored computer program spoke into my helmet.

  "Hmmmmm…." My heart skipped a beat, and I slowed Funakoshi down to a reasonable ninety miles per hour. "Do audio only."

  "Hello?" I said after I heard the confirmation beep.

  "Hello." There was a pause, but I recognized the voice. Oh my fucking god, it was him. Fuck, fuck, fuck. I felt my heart start racing, and I slowed down the motorcycle to the actual speed limit on the freeway.

  "Is this Sue Zay?"

  "Yes. Who is this?" I tried to sound cool, confident, and powerful, but my voice fucking squeaked, and I had to clear my throat after I said "yes."

  "We met last night. There was something that you helped my friend and me out with." His voice was perfectly articulate and had a slight accent that I couldn't place. It wasn't British English, or Australian, or New Zealand, so I guessed it was South African.

  "Oh yeah. I remember you. People tried to kill you, your friend killed them instead, and we escaped on my motorcycle. I got shot at a few times. Standard Friday night for me actually."

  "It is?" I couldn't see his face, but he did sound like he was surprised by what I just said. I almost thought about asking Hogan to turn on the visual, but then I'd probably just stare at him and fucking die in a crash.

  "I'm kidding. Last night was a new experience for me. I've never been shot at before. Or seen someone cut someone else's head off with a knife. You have scary friends." I shouldn't be talking to this man. I should just hang up and get on with my life. He was obviously in a lot of trouble and used to having his trouble dealt with by a butcher.

  "Oh. It was a joke. I see." There was a pause, and I gritted my teeth together to keep from speaking next. I should be in control here. Not the guy that I wanted to rape.

  "I was calling to again say thank you."

  "You are welcome. It wasn't a big deal."

  "No, it was. It is very possible that my friend and I would be dead right now if you hadn't helped us."

  "I was happy to do it."

  "Were you?" The question caught me off guard, and I didn't quite know how to answer.

  "Ummm. Yeah? I was happy to do it," I said again.

  "I was also calling to ask if you'd like to have dinner with me. I wanted to ask you-"

  "Yes!" I said before he could finish his sentence. Whoa, Sue Zay. Hold the fuck on. You've got to play it cool.

  "Oh. Great!" His voice sounded happy. "Have you eaten dinner yet tonight?"

  "No," I lied. I'd just had dinner an hour ago with the Bosozoku Bitches. Normally we would have stayed up all Saturday night riding, but we were pretty wiped out by midterms and the day of practicing. The four of us decided to call it a night after dinner and do a day ride tomorrow after we worked out in Kate Tee's gym. "I can meet you somewhere."

  "Would you mind coming to my home?"

  "That is a bold request." I wanted to accept, but my brain just sucker punched my vagina and took control of my voice. All I knew about this guy was that he was numbingly handsome, people wanted to kill him, and his friend had gone and murdered those people first.

  With a really fucking big knife.

  "I understand your hesitation. It is dangerous for me to leave the house at the moment. That is part of the reason I want to speak with you tonight. I have a chef who makes wonderful food, maybe not as good as where we ate last night, but you will be delighted."

  "If you are worried about your safety, is it safe for me to come over?"

  "My home is a perfectly safe environment. It is in Los Gatos."

  "This sounds risky. I don't even know your name."

  "You don't seem like you shy away from risk, Sue Zay. How soon can you be here?" This fucker was assuming I'd just come over. I saw a green flash around Hogan's image, and the mapping system on Funakoshi said that the home was in the hills on the south side of the city.

  "I'm heading north on the 101, just passed the 85. I'll need to turn around. I can be there in twenty." I could actually be there in ten, but I didn't want to just fucking rush over like I was all desperate for the man's cock. Damn it, this was probably all sorts of stupid. Why was I doing this? It wasn't just because he was handsome. Was I that shallow? No, or... yes I was, but I felt like there was something going on that I wanted to know about.

  I did have my helmet painted like a kitty. What was that one about the cat and curiosity?

  "Excellent. I'll have food prepared for when you get here."

  "Wait! You didn't tell me your name."

  "It is Jae."

  "Do you have a last name, Jae?" I snickered.

  "If I told you mine would you tell me yours, Sue Zay?" The man chuckled lightly, and my spine went cold.

  "You'll never know my last name," I joked.

  "Mine is Moon."

  "Jae Moon?" It was Korean, but the blue eyes told me he had some Caucasian blood mixed in there.

  "Yes, Suzanne Zato. I'm looking forward to seeing you in twenty minutes." The line hung up, and my stomach heaved.

  "How the fuck does he know my name?"

  "I am unsure, Sue Zay. All of your personal information has been wiped from hospital birth records, medical records, and government agencies. It is possible that Jae Moon has access to data that still has information about your identity, but I cannot think of where he would have found it," Hogan explained.

  "Ugh. One thing is for sure." I took the next exit off the freeway with a practiced lean.

  "What is that?"

  "I am definitely going over to his house. We've got something more important to talk about than whatever he had in mind."

  Chapter 7

  "Park in the far right garage bay," a woman's voice came out of the speaker by the massive security gate. The door made a series of thick, burly clicking noises and rolled sideways into the wall. There was another fucking gate behind the first one, even thicker, and it lacked the facade of wood-looking paint that the exterior door wore. I opened Funakoshi's throttle gently and slid through the narrow opening as the gates rolled. Then I inspected my surroundings.

  From the outside, it was hard to tell exactly how big Jae's house was. The front walls were coated in dark paint, covered with trees, and seemed to blend in with the hilltop on which his house sat. It was night, so I knew I wouldn't be able to see an exact shape of the home from the street below. But there were other mansions on the steep road up here, and the lights on their properties gave me enough hints to understand their shape. There didn't seem to be any lights coming from the spot where I thought Jae's house sat.

  The inside was even stranger. The road past the gate had lights on the side so I could guide Funakoshi more easily, but I saw no house in front of me. My rear display was also interesting, because I could see the obscured walls clearly and guessed them to be at least thirty feet high.

  "Looks like he wasn't kidding about this place being safe." I imagined that someone could get over the walls if they wanted to, but I also wondered what other sort of safety measures someone who thought they needed a thirty-foot wall around their home would have in store for a burglar stupid enough to scale them.

  "I don't see any records of a home on this property in the commercial, residential, county, or state databases." Hogan tipped his hat on my helmet display.

  "What do you mean?" Funakoshi was crawling up the hill s
o that I could scope the place out better.

  "There is an owner of the property, a 'J. Smith,' and a PO box in Los Gatos, but it is listed as empty land. There is no home built on it," he said.

  "Fucking weird. But...." I raised the speed a little and continued up the road. "I don't see anything here. Think this is a setup?"

  "One light up ahead on your right is blinking," Hogan observed. The AI was correct, and I drove the last thirty feet. Once I got within touching distance, another set of lights flashed on along the path revealing a decline into the bay of an open garage.

  I accelerated down the slope and into the entrance. The light contrast was sudden, and my helmet glass dimmed dramatically to keep my eyes from wincing. The opening of the garage was the size of a two wide, but that size was misleading. The actual inside of the garage was much larger than I expected. It was at least half the size of a football field, and all of the surfaces were a white, polished concrete that reflected the LED lighting. This place felt all sorts of hospital operating room-sterile.

  It could have held ten or more cars easily, yet there were only three in the entire space: the black painted executive pod that Jae and Pavel were picked up in on Friday night, a more modest, cream painted pod, and a lifted, red painted truck. The truck had some serious off-road tires and aftermarket black pipe guards on the front, undercarriage, and rear bed. I saw an empty parking spot on the right side of the structure, so I guided Funakoshi into the space and killed the engine.

  "Hello?" I called out after I'd swung my leg off my bike and taken off my helmet. I didn't see any door or exit out of the garage, and I half dreamed that Jae would just meet me here and offer to lick my clit.

  "Yeah! Sorry, over here!" A voice called out from behind me. I turned around and saw that a corner of the garage had been taken over by a bunch of long work benches, black metal cages, dozens of display monitors, tools, and hanging tubes. It looked like the dark inside of a metal alien, and all the black hardware was a complete contrast to the whiteness of the rest of surfaces.