Play at Soul's Edge

by Sophia Amador

  She should get up and help him. His face was pale, and his fingers began to slow. His head drooped slightly. Was it too late?

  He hit one last key and slumped against the wall.

  Nothing happened.

  It was over. They were all going to die, but somehow Elisa couldn’t bring herself to care. She felt so tired and sleepy. Her head still ached from Mario’s attack. She closed her eyes.

  “Script complete,” a robotic voice announced.

  Her eyelids felt like lead, but she opened them. The lighted display in the lab shimmered in her vision. The red digits in the wall readout kept on clicking downwards.

  10 seconds.

  9.

  8.

  7.

  Then the display froze.

  “Security protocol has been terminated. Restoring normal oxygen levels. Opening blast doors.”

  She knew that should mean something, but everything was becoming very fuzzy. She closed her eyes again.

  Mario

  Vince jumped forward with a pair of handcuffs and, before Mario could move, took his good arm in an arm lock and restrained him. Holman sagged against the wall, sliding down to sit on the floor.

  One of the other cops emerged from a corridor. “Got all the others in restraints,” he announced, waving back along the hall. “Have you got them all taken care of here?” He eyed Mario with grim approval. “You got this one. Good.”

  “Yes,” Adrian said softly. “I can’t think of anyone who won’t be pleased that you’ve finally got the notorious Captain of Tenebras in custody. From what he said today, it sounds like he’s completely insane.”

  Mario’s head came up at the import of Adrian’s words. “No—” he wheezed. “It’s not me. It’s—”

  Keisha snorted, her weapon still trained on him. “Don’t bother lying, you bastard. We’ve got all the evidence on you, and with the additional charges today, you’re up for the death penalty for sure.”

  Mario’s eyes rolled in panic as he realized what was happening. With a sudden, fluid leap, he twisted away from Vince, bounded to his feet, and ran down the corridor. Keisha didn’t hesitate. She lifted her pistol, took aim, and fired. Mario jerked once, and then fell to the ground and lay unmoving.

  Blood welled out of his mouth, and he choked on it. Lying on the ground, he glanced up at Keisha, standing over him. Her face swam in and out of his vision. Mario’s face split in a grin one last time. It was how he always imagined he would die, drowning in his own blood. How his mama had always said he would end up. Far preferable to rotting in prison, under the heel of weak idiots and bureaucrats jabbering about the law. He choked one more time, and his eyes closed.

  Keisha

  “Shot trying to escape. Too bad.” Keisha shrugged. “Saves the taxpayers money on the trial.” She spotted Holman, and her eyes narrowed. “What’s this one still doing without cuffs?”

  Vince slapped handcuffs onto Holman’s wrists. The man lifted his bound hands, outraged. “Hey, what’s this?” he demanded. “I’m one of the good guys. I was just trying to rescue the hostages.”

  Keisha snorted. “Tell it to the judge. You have the right to remain silent.”

  Vince leaned over Ben, examining his leg. “It’s all right,” he assured him. “It’s just a flesh wound, as they say. The bullet passed right through. You’re going to be okay.” He clapped him on the back and grinned. “Great job. Maybe we’ll even make you a deputy. You could earn a pension one of these days, given all the work you’ve been doing for the force.” He cast a sidelong glance at Keisha. She wasn’t amused.

  Adrian, bending over Elisa’s unconscious body, interrupted. “I need to get Elisa to a hospital, now.”

  Ben glanced up and said to his one-time adversary, “Bring her to my dad’s clinic. It’s closer.”

  33

  Keisha

  THE PRECINCT HUMMED with excitement and satisfaction. Vince tipped his chair all the way back, feet on his desk, idly tossing a golf ball up in the air and catching it. He grinned at Keisha. “The report’s all written up,” he said. “Thought you’d like to see the draft before I send it in.”

  She flipped through the pages. “Great job, Vince.” A smile tugged at her cheeks. She’d taken some big chances, but she’d gotten away with it. They had nailed the Captain and broken Tenebras. Holman was in custody, his synthesis operation shutdown. Schwartz had disappeared, but there was no evidence against him anyway. Jim and Mira had been released to the care of their parents.

  “I don’t think anybody’s going to look into the shooting death of Mario Fonseca, the notorious Captain of Tenebras,” Vince said. “Trying to escape from police custody, wasn’t he?”

  “I had too many encounters with Fonseca. The guy was an absolute creep.” Keisha picked up a stack of notes. “The world’s better off without him.”

  “Damn straight. And all the other simultaneous busts were successful. They got dozens of gang members dealing Rapture. I think we’ve got most of Tenebras in custody.”

  Keisha snatched the ball out of the air and held it away from Vince when he made a grab for it. “Congratulations to us, then. It’s good when it goes the right way for once, isn’t it?”

  Elisa

  Elisa opened her eyes, surprised for a moment she wasn’t in her apartment. The tang of antiseptic filled her nostrils, and a heart monitor beeped in the distance. She lay in a hospital bed, surrounded by the cheerful and brightly-painted walls of the Lancaster Free Clinic. Everything came rushing back. Mario attacking her, being taken to that lab, being held as a hostage.

  “Hey.” Ben walked in the door, a bandage around his leg. His frown was so familiar, so normal that Elisa couldn’t help grinning. Her life hadn’t felt normal for a long time.

  “How’s your leg, Ben?” It surprised her that her voice sounded calm and cheerful.

  He sat on an orange molded plastic chair by the side of the bed and pulled at his collar, embarrassed. “It’s nothing. Just a flesh wound. Not a big deal. But what about you?”

  She forced a casual laugh. “I’m sure I can go home soon and give this bed to someone who needs it more.”

  “You’re not going anywhere until my dad’s checked out that nasty concussion.”

  She touched her forehead, but the pain was—mostly—gone. “I’m fine. Your dad’s kind to have me here.” She needed to get up as soon as she could; there were so many things she had to do. And one person, in particular, she needed to see.

  Ben rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “Don’t worry about it, Elisa. It’s the least we could do.”

  “I was more worried about you taking a bullet for the cause.”

  “Oh,” said Ben, fidgeting, “I didn’t do anything.” He looked away for a moment. “Adrian was the one who got him to take the gun off of you.” He scratched his ear and scowled down at the floor. Then the words all tumbled out in a rush. “He risked his life. Mario could easily have shot him. I’d never have thought he’d do that. He really loves you, Elisa.” He stopped, turning red. “I—I guess I was wrong about him. Keisha told me he’d been helping her out with the sting, but I just thought—well, it doesn’t matter what I thought. I kind of made an ass of myself. I—I wish you lots of happiness with him.”

  “So he really was working with the police?” Elisa’s heart flip-flopped. That whole ‘ordering a cold-blooded killing’ was just a show after all. In the rush of getting everyone out of the lab and then recovering from oxygen deprivation, she’d never had a chance to talk alone with Adrian.

  “Oh, ho, ho, the sleeping princess is awake!” Dr. Lancaster’s booming voice cut across their conversation. “How’s your head feeling today, Elisa?”

  Behind him crowded Sumiko and Chloe, grinning widely.

  “Hey,” said Sumiko, “We heard you’d figured out a way to score a legitimate excuse for senioritis.” She shook her head. “Gotta give you credit for imagination. I mean, getting kidnapped to avoid homework? Who thinks of that?”

>   Chloe dumped a stack of books on the bed. “So like the good friends we are, we decided that misery loves company.”

  Elisa snorted and pushed the books away. “I’m feeling fine, Dr. Lancaster. And I’m grateful to you for taking care of me.”

  “Eh,” he muttered. “We’re happy to do it. Actually, I’d rather have you as a patient than all those Rapture addicts.” He wrinkled his brow. “I don’t know what’s going to happen to them now that they’ve shut down the supply.”

  Elisa’s heartbeat accelerated. “But isn’t it good news?”

  “Well, of course, there won’t be any new addicts now. But these poor kids.” He gestured in the direction of the larger public ward. “They have a rough time ahead of them. They’re addicted to a substance that isn’t being made anymore. I’m doing the best I can to make them comfortable, but they’re all going to be going through some very painful withdrawals. Some of them, I’m afraid, might not pull through.”

  Her mouth went dry. “You mean, they might die?” Her voice almost cracked on the final syllable. She needed to talk to Adrian, and soon.

  He was going to need her help.

  Dr. Lancaster cleared his throat. “Rapture is a nasty, nasty drug. Once you get it into you, it doesn’t let go of you easily.” He scowled, and for a moment, the resemblance to his son was striking. “The pisser is, the goddamn city has refused to give me any funding for Rapture addicts. They say, ‘the city’s resources should be allocated to ongoing problems.’“ He lowered his brows in a hard sneer. “Bastards. We’ve got people here who’re at risk of dying because the cops were too slow to shut down the dealers, and the goddamn city is crying poor. The police chief is just their mouthpiece.”

  “Hey!” said Ben, matching his father’s scowl. “The cops did as good a job as they could. It wasn’t their fault it was a tough case to crack. That Eric Holman turned out to be a pretty slick guy.”

  “Hah!” said Dr. Lancaster. “My son, the police officer! I’m proud of him, but of course, that’s what you’d expect since he has such a fine, upstanding father.” He threw Ben one of his idiot grins. “On the other hand, he still has a lot to learn. I mean, getting shot on a routine mission?”

  Ben balled his fists, but a voice spoke from the doorway before he could say anything. “You really should stop getting into fights with that bullet wound.” It was Keisha, her black hair gleaming, wearing a neatly pressed police uniform. “I came to thank you for your help, Ben.” She nodded to Dr. Lancaster. “You must be very proud of your son. He did some outstanding police work as a volunteer. As a matter of fact, the mayor’s going to give him a medal.”

  Ben scowled. “Just what I need, some pompous ass shaking my hand and giving me a piece of pot metal.”

  “Whose ass is shaking?” Adrian appeared at the threshold. The room felt suddenly lighter, as though all at once it was easier for Elisa to breathe. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from him. He wore a cream silk shirt over elegant black slacks. She couldn’t help noticing how his clothes flattered the lines of his body. Wow. Even in a hospital bed her hormones wouldn’t shut up. Maybe she really was feeling better.

  Dr. Lancaster snorted. “Come on, son. We’ve got more patients to see.” The two left the room as Adrian entered.

  Adrian’s gaze sought out Elisa’s. “I’m sorry I didn’t get here earlier.” His voice was soft and composed, but dark circles ringed his eyes. “Work in the lab has really kept me busy.” So he’d been working while she lay around in a hospital bed. His jaw was covered with a faint shadow of stubble, but of course, on him, it looked sexy. His eyes appeared larger and more vulnerable than usual, and it took a moment for her to notice that he wasn’t wearing his glasses.

  That’s right. He’d told her he never really needed them. Something about dropping a mask.

  “Yeah,” said Sumiko. She glared at Adrian and jammed her fists onto her hips. “Real friends who don’t dump her just before she gets kidnapped.”

  Chloe folded her arms and stepped in front of him. “She doesn’t want to see you, jerk. Go away and let her recover in peace.”

  “I think,” Elisa said, abruptly worried that he might believe them and go away, “you have it backwards.”

  Adrian raised an eyebrow. “I’m not going anywhere.” He pulled out a chair and sat down next to the bed, reaching out a hand.

  Elisa’s fingers curled around his, and all the fine hairs on the back of her neck began to sizzle. Like when she stepped into a warm shower on a cold day, her entire body relaxed and opened. It was as though she had been short of oxygen all her life and now, for the first time, she could fill her lungs completely. She was going to hold his hand and never let it go. Whatever he had done, whatever he had been in the past was over. There was so much more he could do now. So much more they could do together.

  Chloe and Sumiko both raised their brows.

  Keisha broke the awkward silence. “Adrian! I was just telling Ben he was getting a medal from the mayor. You’re getting one too.” She smiled broadly at him. “Thanks to your hard work, we’ve shut down a big-time drug operation, and arrested a whole slew of gangbangers. Don’t worry about that accusation against you. The DA’s given you immunity from prosecution. The city of Rockton thanks you.”

  Adrian’s expression remained neutral. “I didn’t do much. You arranged everything and ran the whole operation. It was a highly efficient sting. Very intelligently planned.”

  Keisha gestured dismissively. “No, I want to give credit where credit is due. You guys all did a wonderful job. Adrian, you exceeded my expectations.”

  But Adrian focused on Elisa as she listened to Keisha, his face pale and drawn. “Elisa. How are you feeling today?”

  She registered the double meaning of his words. He still didn’t know. “Thank you for saving not just my life, but everyone’s, last night.”

  He squeezed her hand more tightly. “You were the one that really did it. You came up with the phrase to stop the countdown, and you stopped Mario from killing anyone.”

  “We did it together. I’m sorry for not believing you earlier about the sting.”

  “Hush,” he said, bringing her hand to his lips and kissing her fingers, his gaze not leaving hers. “I completely understand why you might have felt that way. It was my fault, and it’s been my fault all along. I only hope I can begin to earn your trust in the future.”

  Elisa shook her head, her eyes smarting. “I’ve always trusted everyone else. I don’t know why I stopped trusting you.”

  “Please,” he said softly, “don’t be upset. I don’t want you to ever be upset again, Elisa.”

  It was as though no one else was in the room. “Adrian,” she whispered, “I love you. My life won’t be upset if we can be together.” Yes, there was still an enormous amount of work to do, taking care of those Rapture patients—if the city wouldn’t do it, they had to. Together.

  Together—that single word caused all her tangled emotions to lift and smooth themselves. A deep knowledge pierced her. Yes. Together they would do whatever needed to be done.

  His eyes widened and brightened, and the dark circles under his eyes faded like dawn lighting the night sky. “Elisa, I love you too.”

  Elisa perched on an orange vinyl chair in the shabby waiting room of the Lancaster Free Clinic, a clear plastic bag containing her meager belongings at her side. Dr. Lancaster had finally discharged her, and Adrian had offered to take her home. But when he pushed open the clinic door, his face was gray and shadowed, and his usually carefully chosen outfit was rumpled. He picked up her hospital bag and they walked out into pale spring sunshine. A breeze lifted Elisa’s hair off her neck as he opened the passenger door of his Lotus.

  She slid into the tiny car, and in a strange way, it felt like coming home. But the scent of leather mingled with gasoline brought back uncomfortable memories.

  “Why do you look so worried?” She glanced at him sidelong. “From what I heard, you got away with everything. The news
paper said they found all the drug sources, and all the dealers are in jail.” She narrowed her eyes. “Time for the complete truth,” she insisted.

  He sighed. “For you, always.”

  “So?” she prompted as he pulled away from the curb.

  His fingers trembled slightly on the steering wheel. “You heard what Ben’s dad said about the Rapture addicts. They’re all at risk now. I’ve been in the lab working on some ideas I had before, trying to come up with a way to get them off the drug, to reverse both the poisoning and the addiction.” He ran a hand through his hair. “But I’m stuck. I can’t figure it out.”

  She noted the pallor of his skin, the bags under his eyes. “When was the last time you slept?”

  “I think it was the night before we got locked in the lab.”

  “Seems like going to bed might get you unstuck.” Okay, she really didn’t intend that double entendre.

  Really.

  But Adrian was too ragged and exhausted to pick up on it. “Elisa, you don’t understand,” he said in a low voice. “I’m the one who’s responsible for all the Rapture addicts. Just because I’m not in jail doesn’t mean I don’t deserve it.”

  All she wanted to do was take him in her arms and comfort him. On the other hand, he was right. “Well, maybe you don’t deserve to sleep. But you’d be more effective if you did.”

  “I’ll take a nap in the lab. I want to get you home first, though.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest. “If you don’t go home and go to sleep, I’m going with you.”

  He leaned his head against the back of the seat. “Right now, I don’t really have a home.”

  “Then we go to the lab.”

  “Don’t you need to rest?” Concern suffused his face, momentarily washing out all his tiredness.