The Free City

by Marius Pitigoi

  Dylan actually looked terrified. Was that even possible? New Hope was no paradise. It was hell. A place where madness and cruelty culminate. Monsters with human faces walked about. And the most important question was: how could you even tell them apart? How could you figure out who had sold their soul? It seemed they were all the same. He had to help Nathan, but he didn’t know how. How could Dylan even respond to a story like that? Especially after experiencing his own tragedy. They stood side by side for a while, quietly, both feeling somewhat awkward.

  Dylan broke the silence. “It’s hard coming back from something like that. I’m not completely healed, either. Dr. Donald Ortiz helped me a lot, though, through different techniques he taught me. I’ll try and play his part now.”

  “That’s why I am here.”

  A really deplorable hypnosis session followed. Dylan didn’t succeed. However, he noticed Nathan Green tried hard to follow his instructions. The guy really grabbed onto anything that might help him. Dylan promised him he would go to the ward and research some essays in the field and then they’d try again. He assured Nathan that the process was simple and that he could learn to use it on himself. He only needed to be patient.

  Nathan Green was not disappointed. This relieved his anxiety. And more importantly, he found someone to talk about his problems with. Dylan was also satisfied. He found a friend.

  Chapter 18

  The physical training started to pay off. Dylan got his strength back. Physically, he was okay. However, his heart was still heavy with pain. There were days when his new purpose in life, unmasking Krugar, seemed not only impossible, but also pointless. Would that bring Lydia back? If he succeeded, would he feel satisfaction? Wasn’t he the one to blame for all this anyway? Some nights, the remorse prevented him from sleeping. During those times, he would have enjoyed taking walks outside, but he was circumspect. The room he lived in seemed too small. He did push-ups, squats, and other physical exercises meant to keep him distracted.

  On August 17, 2187, something very surprising happened. He was walking in the nearby park when a message lit the screen on his bracelet. He was being called to the station. The officer on duty told him they had a job for him. If he accepted the job, the following day he would receive $50. The job was sweeping the streets and picking up litter. He accepted immediately. He never thought $50 would ever represent a small fortune, but he was truly penniless at the moment. Not even a dollar. He would have been a trash collector on a daily basis for the same amount, but he was told that job was offered randomly to permanent residents. It was a job very rarely declined.

  Dylan couldn’t remember the last time he had a cup of coffee. That’s what he’d order the following day for breakfast. And an éclair. He used to eat a chocolate éclair every week before that cursed night. He drooled just thinking about it. It was about time something good happened to him. He put forth a lot of effort in gathering the trash as well he could. He thought that maybe the authorities might notice and call him again.

  Now that he could afford it, Jeremy Phillips asked Dylan to buy him a beer. And seeing how the others piped up too, there was no escape. He would have preferred to save at least $40, but as he did not want to upset his friends, he was only left with $10. He planned on saving the $10 for as long as possible.

  Just as Dr. Donald Ortiz advised him, Dylan didn’t isolate himself. He had people he could talk to, which made his recovery easier. And the group considered him as one of their own. He also kept the promise he made to Nathan Green and read a few things on hypnosis. They visited each other a few times as well.

  Nathan started to share more about himself, about his relationships as a teenager. None of them had lasted more than a few months. But then again, Nathan never wanted anything serious, but now he wondered if he had made a mistake. But that was how things were.

  On the last Friday of the month, Justin Campbell celebrated his birthday. Justin Campbell seemed like a good guy, a bit of an introvert, not too sociable, but he had been part of the group for more than three years. Now he was turning thirty, a nice round number. Apparently, it was important to him. He was having a party at the lecture theater in the area. Dylan heard them talking about it before, but never accompanied them. Now he was determined to go, too. He was advised to take his gun with him, in case anything happened. After such a long time, he was holding it again. This time, he wouldn’t let it get stolen.

  Dylan was nervous. He was early. A street dance show was on the stage. Then, somebody dressed as a clown tried to perform a magic show, but nothing worked. Maybe he was trying to be funny. He was booed off the stage. Nothing was set up properly. Anyone could come and perform, and if the stage was clear, they could show what they could do. There were also situations where those who were more daring forced off the stage performers who may have been more timid. Usually, fights wouldn’t ensue; there was plenty of space for everybody.

  If you performed poorly, you were booed and wouldn’t make any money, so you had to leave. Money was offered by each person voluntarily, according to the extent they enjoyed the show. Many shows were not even worth a dollar. Now, a few guys with a player and portable speakers played music for money. This type of entertainment was somewhat successful. There were always people in the mood for dancing. Usually, the fee for one song was low and it increased as people started to get carried away.

  Dylan remained on the stairs, guarding the bag where they kept some bottles of alcohol. From there, he watched Nathan Green making a show of himself next to some girls from another group. At some point, he joined Dylan to have another drink of alcohol.

  “Bro, can you believe it? These girls have been here for a few days now. They say they want to have some fun. I’ll tell Jeremy. It will be wild. Take care of the booze. If someone comes to take it, kill him.”

  From up on the stairs, Dylan could see everyone. The view was rather comical. Nathan Green got up on the stage with a brunette dressed in screaming colors. He began negotiations of the price of the next song with the DJ, but judging by his gestures, the DJ wasn’t satisfied with it. The DJ realized that Nathan wanted him to play a particular song in order to impress the brunette. In the end, the DJ played a rhythmic song Dylan never heard before. The brunette and Nathan Green started bouncing around. The girl moved more or less to the rhythm of the music. But Nathan Green was not too bad, either.

  The public enjoyed the show. Some were dancing around the stage, others at their place, and some were just watching. But the thing was, a bond was forming between the two main characters. Another song followed, but this time the stage was invaded by two groups, Jeremy Phillips among them, with hands up in the air. Everyone had their own dancing styles. Some were completely awkward, like they were dancing to an entirely different song.

  The name of the brunette was Samantha Rogers. She was on vacation for this purpose only. Everything had been planned way ahead, so that all her friends could be together. It was risky to spend your vacation in New Hope, but if you were into that type of fun, it could be perfect. Although she was a professor of Italian, she loved adrenaline and the city was the perfect place to be someone else. She had visited here a few times before and nothing bad ever happened to her. Now, accommodations were set in such a way that all her acquaintances stayed in the same building. They only went out together. Nathan Green had been damned lucky to even find her. Samantha invited him to her studio and they continued to party, just the two of them.

  Obviously, the following day, Nathan was on cloud nine, relating to them in detail everything that occurred. He embellished everything, bragging as much as he could. As Nathan saw it, Samantha Rogers was crazy about him and would look for him again soon. How would she know where to find him? Did he leave her an address? Up until that moment, if Nathan had been admired and envied, it then turned into mockery. Sure she’ll look for him. No worries. In fact, he should never leave the studio again, so he doesn’t risk missing her. He had been so good they never set up another date. He had been
damn lucky and didn’t know how to use it to his advantage.

  It’s not that easy having a woman be crazy for you. Not everybody knows how to handle that. For example, if Jeremy Phillips had been in Nathan’s place, he would have known what to say and what to do with her. She wouldn’t have let him go before a week had gone by and he would have been too exhausted to go on. And at that point, he wouldn’t even be in the mood anymore. He would have left her.

  The following Monday, Dylan found Nathan Green on his doorstep. Nathan was confused, he didn’t know what to do, and he needed advice. He really liked Samantha Rogers and wanted to see her again. But how could he go to her? What would he say? Dylan wasn’t that good with women, so the only advice he could offer was to just go to her and say he would like to see her again. But how should he do it? Just go, or should he bring a gift? Flowers? Maybe a bottle of something? The best option was to bring both. If she was romantic, she’d appreciate the flowers, if not, the drink. But Nathan should not wait any longer. An old saying advised to strike the iron while it’s hot.

  That evening, Nathan Green did not show up for training. On Wednesday, when he joined them, he told them he caught up with Samantha Rogers and had barely managed to get rid of her. She was quite the nymphomaniac. This time, the mockery turned into envy. The most vehement was Jeremy Phillips.

  “Spare us your lies. You’ve been hiding for the last two days and now you’re trying to fool us. Did anyone see you? No? Then it’s bullshit.”

  “What if tomorrow evening she comes to the lecture theater again?”

  “You’re bluffing.”

  “Jealous much?”

  “Well, what have you been doing all this time?”

  “What do you mean? Isn’t it obvious? Sex. In all positions. Two hours at a time.”

  That was just too much. They all started shouting. Some even swore at him. No girls were part of this group and they all suffered because of it. Maybe that was the reason why they disapproved so strongly. Nathan Green continued to tell them how he and Samantha spent their time and what they talked about. They all listened.

  “I even told her about what happened to you, Dylan. She told me that if she had been in your place, she would have strangled those men who replaced your bracelets.”

  Silence. Was he supposed to respond to that? He was totally unprepared for this conversation.

  Jeremy Phillips played with a small ball that fit perfectly one hand. He tossed it up and caught it. “Very true, bro, why don’t we pay them a visit?”

  We? Surprisingly enough, Jeremy never thought about it like that. Maybe he never felt completely like he belonged to the group. The only way to take revenge on Krugar was to expose his actions.

  He wouldn’t dare ask for more. But now he had a totally new perspective. He now had new friends who were willing to fight for him.

  “I couldn’t ask that from you guys. It’s very dangerous. Krugar knows too many people. They probably have a very well-organized network. You would be risking your life.”

  “Jeremy is right,” said Nathan. “We must go after them. We’re a family here. Wouldn’t you risk your life for family?”

  Dylan did not expect that kind of support from Nathan Green. Yet, Nathan’s support was the most relevant. It touched on basic emotions. They all had to stick together. Fight together. It was their only chance to survive here. Nobody could back out. Backing out would mean exclusion from the group—especially since this was Jeremy Phillips’s idea, who was their unofficial leader. Jeremy eared that right by simply being the strongest of them all.

  Jeremy continued, “So it’s settled. We’re go tonight.”

  “Why tonight?” asked Dylan.

  “What’s the point in wasting any more time? We’ll go check if they’re still living there. If they are, we’ll beat the crap out of them and make them tell us everything they know. If others are there, we leave them be. Personally, I don’t think the bracelets can be replaced. It’s time I found out for sure.”

  Chapter 19

  Dylan would have preferred to take some time to plan everything out—think a few moves ahead. But he didn’t know whom he could count on. This unexpected help was heaven-sent, and he needed to take advantage of it. But what did he plan to discover? He didn’t doubt he’d find the place unchanged. First of all, he needed to find out how the bracelets could be removed and replaced. It was a detail that interested everybody, including the authorities. He would start with that. He also needed to verify where Robert Gomez, Sarah Sanchez, and Krugar were. Finally, he had to discover the way to get on the Island of the Rich undetected.

  No preparations were made. They left immediately. All members of their groups. Theoretically speaking, there weren’t supposed to be more than seven adversaries in the area. They would try to get inside Robert Gomez’s room, inspect it, and then decide what needed to be done. They even packed a few crowbars of different sizes to break down the door. Two of them would guard the entrance of the building, one would wait on the stairs, and the rest would break and enter.

  It was unlikely that too many people would be in that studio. It was always possible that someone from that building might come and try to help them, but if the story he was told was true, Krugar’s people were scattered all over New Hope and didn’t reside in the same place. They shouldn’t encounter too many obstacles. The only problem was that Dylan couldn’t remember exactly which studio it was. If Robert Gomez moved or if Dylan’s group entered the wrong room, they’d have to leave. Bad luck for the new lodger.

  Area 34J9 looked exactly as it did the day he left. Dylan remembered the general direction from the subway to the building. He hoped nobody had cleaned up the graffiti. They had to pass by a blue train, and the building they were looking for had a red ogre with black horns at the entrance. A few scrawls were drawn over the train, but it was still distinguishable. They found the building with the ogre and climbed to the third floor.

  In front of door 249, they all took out their guns and put them behind their backs. Jeremy Phillips knocked. Surprisingly, the door immediately opened. Standing at the doorstop was the one who had replaced Dylan’s bracelets.

  Dylan groaned. “That’s him.”

  Nathan Green shot him with his Taser. They all burst inside. Someone else was sitting in a chair, and he was shot, too. As they all couldn’t fit inside the small room, only Dylan, Jeremy Phillips, Nathan Green, and the two prisoners remained. The others stayed outside the door. When the two prisoners came to their senses, they were forced to sit on their knees with their hands behind their heads. The small apartment had an extra desk on top of which they found electrical equipment, tools, and an open bracelet inside which you could see the parts. Jeremy Phillips pointed the gun at the guy who had opened the door:

  “How do you do it? How do you replace the bracelets?”

  “Who the fuck are you? Who do you work for?”

  There was no time for pleasantries. Jeremy hit him.

  “We ask the questions here.”

  “Do you have any idea who you’re messing with?”

  Dylan felt the need to intervene. He pointed his gun and shot the guy. It was the first time he ever used his gun against a person. The projectile hit the guy in the chest, causing him to squirm before hitting the floor. Frightened by what he did, Dylan tried lifting him up. Then he realized he couldn’t afford to show any weakness, so he raised him just a little. When he fell, the guy hit his head pretty hard; his nose was now bleeding. It took about twenty seconds before he came to his senses.

  “Look at me!” said Dylan. “Do you recognize me? You replaced my bracelets. I was with Robert Gomez. You have one only chance to get out of this. Tell us everything you know.”

  The guy looked at him from head to toe. Dylan couldn’t tell if he recognized him or not, but he certainly knew Robert Gomez.

  “What do you want to know?”

  “How do you replace the bracelets?”

  “You take them off and put others on.
”

  “Are you fucking with me? Explain how.”

  “Do you want me to take them off for you?”

  “No.”

  “Make him take his off,” said Jeremy.

  “That’s right,” said Dylan. “You take yours off.”

  “All right. Let me get up.”

  Dylan realized he was holding down one of the guy’s knees and had the gun pointed at his head. He released him and let him get up.

  Jeremy Phillips and Nathan Green kept their cool. So it was true. This changed things. The rest of the story had to be true, as well. And, most likely, Krugar was a very dangerous man. But these evaluations could be done later. Now they were all curious.

  The man got up, wiped the blood from his face, and went to the table. He opened a drawer and seemed to be looking for something. He moved his hand inside the drawer and took it out empty.

  “Where the fuck did I put my pliers?”

  He opened another drawer and found the pliers. He positioned the bracelet on his left hand in a certain way and used the pliers on it. The bracelet opened and fell on the desk. It now looked like a ribbon. It also changed its color from green to an off-white. He did the same to the bracelet on his right hand. So it was true, it could be done.

  Nathan Green went closer. “Show me how you did it!”

  “It’s very simple, you look for the two indentations of the bracelet, position them so that they fit well, and the pliers do the rest.”

  “And how do you put it back?”

  The guy removed his second bracelet and then took another one, rolled it around his hand, and clasped it back closed. The color remained white.

  “Why doesn’t it turn green?”

  “Because it won’t. Once opened, you need to reprogram the chip. Do you think they’re stupid? If that were all, then everybody would get a pair of pliers and take them theirs. But reprogramming the chip is not as easy. You need special equipment, a certain software, and the private key of the person.”