Partners - Book 1

by Melissa Good

  Jess dug in her pocket, pulling out a handful of something and singling out two bits of it to drop on the table. “Here.” She picked up a second and handed it to Dev. “Keepsake.”

  The merchant snapped up the glittering bits on the table and gave her a look of much greater respect. “Citizens.” He inclined his head in their direction. “Good market to you.”

  Dev regarded the item with some bemusement.

  “We can try it out later.” Jess winked at the merchant, then she bumped Dev with her shoulder and led the way further into the melee. “Most of the stuff is pretty useless,” she said. “These guys just hope to pick up a credit or two to add to their allotment, maybe afford a bottle of grog once in a while.”

  “What did you give him?” Dev asked curiously.

  “Ah.” Jess dug in her pocket again, then held her hand up. “Turn your hand over.”

  Dev did, only to find a scattering of brightly glinting bits landing in her palm. She studied them, discovering squares of yellow metal with numbers stamped on both sides.

  “In places like this you don’t have scan cards. People don’t like to identify who they are or what they’re buying.”

  “I see.”

  “So this is hard credit. The biggest one’s a full cred, then there’s a half, a third and a quarter. It’s gold,” Jess added. “You know what that is?”

  “Yes.” Dev looked at the squares in surprise. “I never expected to see it in this form. We used it all the time on logic boards in the crèche.”

  “Well, here you can trade it for stuff.” Jess closed her hand over the credits. “Put ‘em in your pocket. Spend ‘em if you want.” She paused, and her eyes flicked over Dev’s shoulder. “But not right now. C’mere.” She moved closer and put her arms around Dev, turning her back on the crowd.

  Dev hastily put the handful of metal into her pocket and hesitantly returned the contact, feeling the warmth of Jess’s body as she pressed against it. She had no idea at all what was going on, but the sensation was very pleasant and she was halfway wishing they could try that kissing thing again after a long moment of it.

  “Hold still,” Jess whispered into her ear. “Look past my arm and tell me if a tall guy with blond hair and a scar’s gone by.”

  It took a very long moment for Dev to sort that out and figure out what to do about it. She peeked past Jess’s elbow, and saw three men strolling by, glancing slowly around them. One was, she noted, tall and scarred. “They’re behind us,” she murmured back.

  She felt Jess breathing against her, and decided it was very nice. “Now they are past us, and going away,” she said, after a few more moments. When Jess didn’t answer, she looked up, to find Jess looking back at her, with an expression that actually made her heart skip.

  It skipped! Dev’s eyes widened. What an incredibly odd sensation.

  Then Jess sighed and released her. “Okay.” She took a step back and turned cautiously, watching the men’s backs as they retreated. “I don’t think they saw me.” She eased out into the stream of people again. “Let’s stay behind them, just in case.”

  Dev’s whole body was tingling, and she really didn’t much care about the men. However, she followed along obediently. “Who were they?”

  Jess chuckled without any real humor. “The bad guys,” she said. “Very interesting they ended up here, huh?”

  “Very interesting,” Dev said, not entirely referring to the men. “Very interesting indeed.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  THEY LOST SIGHT of the men in the crowd a little while later. With so many people and so many distractions it wasn’t that out of the question, but Jess was still annoyed with herself that she let them get away. “Damn it.”

  Dev waited quietly nearby, as Jess quartered around four of the rooms there, letting her own eyes gently move from face to face as the crowd moved past her.

  “Hey kid.”

  It did not occur to Dev that someone was addressing her, until she felt a tug on her sleeve. She looked quickly to her right, to find a stocky man with thick silver hair next to her. “Yes?” She decided no response was probably more dangerous than following Jess’s strict order to not speak.

  His eyes were dark, and shrewd. “That coat ain’t worth nothing. C’mere, lemme show you what I got.” He pointed to his little room, which had garments hanging everywhere around it.

  Dev scanned the surrounding crowd, finding Jess at the next little room over, picking through some hats while she carefully watched the passers by. Since Jess was so close, she decided it would be all right to look at the garments. She followed the man over and listened to his pitch.

  She knew what a pitch was. Her programming had given her enough background on the cities to get by with, and Dev herself wasn’t nearly as naive as she apparently appeared. There had been little markets in the crèche, in fact, when they’d gotten a chance to get a few rare treats and she understood the concept of bargaining.

  This did not seem the place to engage in that though. Dev studied the clothing, and reached up to touch a piece of it, a jacket made from a smooth, tough substance.

  “Ah, like that one, huh? Didn’t figure you for shark though.” The man came over and lifted it down. “Nice hide.”

  Shark. Dev glanced over at Jess, who was deep in discussion with the other vendor. With a faint shrug, she took off her issue jacket and tried on this other one, finding it surprisingly comfortable. Shark was a fish, she recalled. It felt very strange to be wearing the skin of an animal, but it felt a bit like heavy fabric and it didn’t smell like fish.

  “Looks good on you, kid,” the man said, watching her shrewdly. “Where ya from?”

  Dev removed the jacket and donned her own. “How much cred is this?” She asked, deducing this would distract him from asking her more questions.

  “Two cred,” the man said. “Don’t bother trying to bargain with me, kid. I can see how wet behind the ears you are.”

  “All right, I won’t.” Dev handed him back the coat. “Excuse me.”

  “Wait.” The man looked very surprised. “Hold on, you don’t want it?”

  “Not for that amount.” Dev started to move off, angling her steps to end her up in the same room as Jess was. She could see Jess was concluding whatever her business was, and Dev wanted to be close by so they could move off to their next thing. Whatever that was.

  “Wait, a cred and a half.” The man scurried after her. “C’mon, kid. You know you want it.”

  Dev turned and faced him. “I have a one cred piece. If you would like that in exchange, that would be good. If not, then I have to be moving on.”

  “Nah it’s worth more than that.”

  “All right, good bye then.” Dev turned and started walking again, seeing Jess putting something in a sack.

  “Okay okay.” The man got in front of her again, holding the jacket out. “One cred.”

  The motion caught Jess’s eye, and Dev saw her wheel around and start toward them. “Okay.” She dug one of the bits of metal from her pocket and inspected it, then took the jacket from him and handed it over. “Thank you.”

  “Highway robber,” the man grumbled, looking at the bit. “Why I should...”

  “You should what, Roderick?” Jess had reached them and now she leaned her elbow on Dev’s shoulder. “Are you giving my friend a hard time?”

  Dev watched his face in fascination as it turned dead white under his beard and he backed away from them with some of the same look of fear as Clint had.

  “Not at all, Jess,” Dev said. “I was just making a purchase from him.”

  “No harm, no foul.” The man held his hands up. “What brings you here?” He asked, looking around quickly. “Haven’t seen you in a while.”

  “Let’s go have a cup of kack and we can talk about it.” Jess moved forward, forcing him to retreat. “I had you on my list of people to chat with anyway.” She casually looked around. “Business looks slow right now.”

  Roderick nod
ded briefly and turned, leading the way back into his room. “Digger, keep a look on the store,” he told a younger man standing there. “Me and the ladies have business.”

  Digger smirked. “Sure.” He folded his arms over his faded and patched overalls and watched them go. “No problem.”

  They followed the merchant into the back of the small room, then down an unexpected set of iron rail lined stairs that went down in a spiral under the floor. The sound from the market dimmed and then cut off, as they reached the bottom, and were inside a cramped, spare dwelling with a low ceiling and rough stone floors.

  It was well used, and long lived in. There were shelves made from stones and old boards, and two corridors led off toward the back that were curtained off with carefully opened and cleaned sacks.

  Roderick led them into a square common space with a table and four chairs. “Didn’t know the kid was a friend of yours, Jess.” He pulled a chair back and sat down, placing his elbows on the table and folding his hands.

  Jess took the seat facing him. “She’s my partner,” she said briefly. “Give me the scoop. What’s going on here. I saw Red Dog.” She glanced at Dev, who took the seat next to her. “I don’t think he saw me.”

  He nodded. “I was surprised to see you. I heard about Wellington.”

  Jess shrugged.

  “There’s a price on you,” Roderick said, after a bit of silence. “Ten thousand credits. Gold.” He cocked his head a little. “I sent that news in to base. So I’m really surprised to see you here. I know you’ve got brass ones, but that ain’t smart.”

  Jess’s face didn’t so much as twitch. “I’ve got a job to do,” she said. “That what the Dog’s doing here? Looking for me?”

  “No.” Roderick shook his head. “He and Jersey are looking for dirt on some new project on our side.” He glanced around the space. “You hear anything? Some big thing, your way?”

  Jess considered the question, giving a side glance at Dev before shaking her head. “Nothing I know of. You?”

  Dev’s face was a study in wry innocence. “I haven’t heard of anything,” she said. “But I’ve only been here a few days.”

  “Ah, new class. We heard they were in.” Roderick exhaled. “Well, I can say you sure pissed off a lot of people, Jess. You get the body count from that last run? Five hundred.” He eyed the agent. “Credits or not, if they catch you they’re gonna splat you.”

  “Five hundred for one?” Jess smiled thinly. “Guess the Old Man’ll consider it a bargain.”

  Roderick finally loosened up, chuckling a bit. “Maybe. But be careful. You get caught napping, his ego won’t think of it that way. You know how it is.” He shifted a bit, tapping his fingertips together. “Anyway, most of what we’re hearing is the usual. Seen a few more of them sniffing ‘round though.”

  Jess nodded. Then she turned her head and regarded Dev. “What’d he scalp you for?”

  Dev’s brow hiked just slightly, as she gazed back at her.

  “The jacket.” Jess pointed. “What’d it cost ya?”

  “Oh.” Dev cleared her throat. “A credit.”

  “Told you she chewed me down,” Roderick said. “She’s a kid, but not a stupid one. That’s one of my best pieces she picked out.” He studied Dev. “Where ya from? Waterside I’m guessing since you knew right off the skin.”

  “She’s a west coaster,” Jess said. “Monterey headlands. So yeah, she knows the water.” She tapped her fingers on the table. “I need some ice boots, two pair. Who has em?”

  “I’ll send Digger. Petros had about a dozen pair, not sure what’s left. He’ll steal every last credit of yours if you try it though. He can spot one of us easy as sneezing.” Roderick stood up. “Be right back.”

  Jess waited for him to leave, then she gave Dev a little smile, and pointed at the jacket, making a come hither gesture with her fingers. Once Dev had complied, she studied the garment, her brows lifting a little at the smooth, soft texture and the finely stitched patterns on it. “Nice.” She handed it back. “Find me one next?”

  “Sure.” Dev grinned. “I was actually looking for one for you as I was concluding my deal. I think I saw one on the other side of the little house.”

  “Sale stall,” Jess said. “Rod’s one of our outside agents. He gets paid to just sit and sell and watch.”

  Dev nodded. “I remember from the class.” She fell silent as Roderick returned, dusting his hands off as he entered.

  “All right, that’s set but I gotta go back upstairs. People’ll rob me blind otherwise, and we’ve got Festival coming. My wife wants a few things. Can’t afford to lose my stock.”

  Jess and Dev stood up. “How’s Karyn?” Jess asked. “She still working upstairs?”

  “Got in with Maersk.” Roderick led them back to the stairs and started up them. “Got us a better slot after Festival. Be something moving out of this place.”

  “Nice.” Jess glanced around her as she climbed up the steps. “Maersk, huh? Maybe you’ll end up riding one of their super c’s. Bet the quarters are nicer than these are.”

  Roderick chuckled dryly. “We all got our place.” He emerged into the store and looked around in a studied, casual way before he moved away from the top of the steps and let Jess come up after him. “So there ya are. See? I made a right bargain.” He added loudly, a truculent note now back in his tone.

  Jess strolled through the store, examining the wares. “Yah, well, we’ll see.” She eased between the hanging garments, pausing between two racks to study the crowd. She was aware, suddenly, of a presence at her back, but after the first jolt she realized it was Dev, standing quietly behind her.

  Very quietly Jess looked over her shoulder, slightly amazed at the way her new partner blended into her surroundings, standing just so between the haphazardly hung clothing, only her pale eyes moving.

  A sudden commotion distracted both of them, and Jess swiveled to face the sound, her hand dropping to her jacket pocket as her body stiffened in reaction. Ahead of them, in the open lane between the stall they were in and the one across, two men had grabbed a tall lanky figure with, she realized, a bio alt collar.

  “I told you not to touch me you freak!” One of the men yelled.

  The bio alt hunched his shoulders and remained silent, holding his hands up in surrender. “Sir, didn’t mean to bump you.”

  “You did it on purpose!” The man shoved him against the wall. “Probably going after my credits, huh freak?” He lifted a hand and balled it into a fist. “Were you?”

  The bio alt cringed. “No sir. I was just walking. I tripped.”

  “Freak.” The man shoved him again, then walked off, shaking his head. “C’mon. Stinks around here. Place is full of freaks these days.”

  The merchant across the way came out of his stall. “Get out of here.” He yelled at the bio alt. “People’ll think you belong to me. Move along!”

  The bio alt moved away from the wall and hurried away, keeping his head down and by a jog in his stride, missing the kick aimed his way by the irate man. As he passed them he furtively looked their way, jerking his eyes back forward when they met Jess’s.

  Jess waited a moment, then she turned. Dev was still standing behind her, still with a mild, untroubled look on her face, still completely silent. “It’s like that here.”

  Dev tilted her head slightly. “Like what?”

  “What they did,” Jess said. “A lot of people who don’t have bios don’t like them.”

  “I see.” Dev pondered the scene. She saw the man from across the path come over and talk to Roderick, who half shrugged, and lifted his hands in a resigned gesture. “They don’t like them, why?”

  Jess exhaled. She was saved from an immediate answer by Roderick coming over to them.

  “Ladies, you see anything else you want?” He asked, swinging around the shelves and pausing with his hand on one of the racks. “Day’s not getting any younger and neither am I.”

  “What was that all about?” Jess
asked, jerking her head toward the spot where the altercation had taken place.

  “What?” Roderick frowned. “Oh you mean those guys?” He shrugged. “Usual crap. More of the hooty boys are getting the jelly bag brains and the city’s started to put them to work places. Got a lot of old timers who don’t like it.” He added. “But those guys? They’re just a bad fight looking for a place to happen. Wasn’t the bio, it woulda been Digger coming back with the boots.”

  Jess stole a glance at Dev, surprised to find that same mild look on her face. “What do you think?” She found herself asking, her brain momentarily forgetting where she was. She held her breath for a second, wondering what her bio alt partner was going to say about that.

  Could almost be anything. She hadn’t really dialed in on Dev yet.

  “What do I think?” Dev repeated. “I think that one right there would fit you.” She pointed at a long coat hanging behind Jess against the wall. “And it matches your eyes.”

  Roderick chuckled low and deep in his throat. He removed the jacket and took the hanger out, tossing it over to Jess. “Your friend’s got some smarts, Jess. Didn’t know they were sending them out of school with that these days.”

  Jess accepted the diversion, shrugging off her jacket and slipping the new one on. She twitched the shoulders straight and found the sleeves long enough for her long arms. “Huh.” She fastened it, then turned, raising her arms and holding her hands out. “Not bad.”

  The coat was actually quite attractive, Dev thought. It was far less bulky than the one they were issued, and the cut of it was flattering to Jess’s tall figure. It was made of the same thing the one she’d bought was, and she thought Jess was pleased with it. “It’s very nice.”

  “All right.” Jess exchanged coats again. “What are you going to get out of me for it?” She asked Roderick. “You robber baron you.”

  Roderick chuckled and held a hand up, looking casually all around him before he spoke “I’ll bill the old man,” he said. “Digger’ll drop the rest of it over with Jonton. I assume you’re going to go eat there?”