The woman floated higher, energy ribbons spread to the sides. “We are guardians of another world who stand against the ancients who dwell within the Abyss. Our kind are not necessary in the realm of man. My presence here is an after-shadow, permitted by Charazu’s trespass. Kirsten Wren, we have chosen you as our instrument in this place, a warden between worlds.”
I guess that’s why you keep saving my dumb ass.
The Seraphim smiled, and reached a hand to rest atop Kirsten’s head. “Indeed, but we have limits, and you have more to do. Darkness comes, be ready.”
Head spinning, Kirsten found herself flat on her back, pain and fatigue gone. When a bright light jabbed her in the eye, she sat up, squinting past her arm at a blue helmet around a silver visor.
“She’s alive.” A man’s voice crackled through an external speaker on the armor.
Division 1 officers filled the area, as well as a small number of forensic techs. Captain Eze got out of another all-black patrol craft and jogged over. Kirsten looked down, finding no trace of injury aside from the dried blood on her hand.
“Kirsten…” Eze came to a halt at her side, helping her up. “Your bio monitor sent a distress call, I was concerned that…”
She stretched, examining herself. “Yeah, I got my ass kicked again but… Nothing ten stimpaks couldn’t handle.” Kirsten picked at the empty belt case.
“What happened?”
“Let’s just say I’m going to wind up in Burckhardt’s office in the morning after you send my report up the ladder… assuming I didn’t just dream all this.”
“That bad?” He raised an eyebrow.
“No, that weird.” She glanced at the runic circle.
The immutable silver lines had become trails of powder eroding away on the wind.
irsten fidgeted on the bench. She did not remember the last time she ever wore a skirt, and the thigh-length grey fabric let an awful lot of cold air in where it did not belong. Nila sat to her left, picking at a salad, enjoying the bright Saturday morning. Evan and Shani ran in giggling circles out in Sanctuary Park, weaving through bio-engineered trees and piles of leaves. Somewhere, a dog barked.
“Cross your legs.” Nila laughed, and then demonstrated. “You’re not supposed to sit like a man when wearing a skirt.”
“This was your idea.” Kirsten took the suggestion. “I hate these things. I feel as if I’m walking around pants-less.”
“You got panties on, don’t you?”
Kirsten blushed. “Of course, what kind of question is that?”
Nila munched away, the scent of ranch dressing on her breath. “I adore the freedom. I’m stuck in that damn armor all day long, rides up.”
They giggled.
“So…” Nila lowered her voice. “How did it go with the hearing?”
Kirsten folded her arms, gazing at her lap.
“Oh, no,” Nila whispered, giving a consoling back pat.
“No… It’s not bad news.” Kirsten straightened. “It’s just not happened yet. I’m worried sick and terrified. The caseworker interviewed Evan a few days ago. He said it went fine, but I don’t want to lose him.”
“I got cleared for duty again.”
Kirsten clung to Nila’s arm for a moment. “That’s great.”
They both glanced over at Evan’s cry of glee. He flew about in the pose of a superhero, lofted by Shani’s telekinesis. The girl moved in a slow rotation, her face dour with concentration.
“Having a telekinetic daughter must be… interesting.” Kirsten finally took a bite of her turkey wrap. “At least they seem to like each other.”
“I almost fainted the first time her toys put themselves away. You know, it’s kind of funny,” Nila said, sounding more sad than amused. “We’ve both got kids without being married.”
Kirsten squeezed her shoulder. “I’m so sorry Nila; the way Dorian told it, I thought…”
Nila’s eyes shot wide. “Oh, I can imagine how bad it sounded. I was dating this guy and he was… well.” Nila sighed. “He started off nice but turned into a controlling ass. So, I left him. He made threatening calls, kept following me… I never told him I was pregnant. He almost beat me to death when I wouldn’t take him back.” She scowled. “My own damn fault for not wanting to burn him.”
“Oh…” Dammit, Dorian, you made it sound like… “Dorian said he killed him for it.”
Nila was quiet for a long few minutes; the distant giggles of children a surreal backdrop to the current topic. “I see. Well, that explains why he stopped bothering me. He would have eventually killed me, or Shani. I don’t feel sorry for him. Attempted murder on police personnel is usually a death sentence anyway. Besides, I probably would have done it myself eventually. Pyrokinesis gets scary in moments of primal fear.”
Kirsten shifted, picking at the skirt.
“I know you’re squishy about killing and all. Not everyone is as sweet and innocent as you are. I won’t feel guilt over someone that has to die to save my life, or over anyone who threatens my family.”
“Mmm.” Kirsten could not help but stare at Evan, grinning as he flew in circles. “You heard they got Rene?”
“Yeah, it was foolish of you to go in there after him, but I appreciate it.” Nila grinned, returning Shani’s wave as she darted about. “So, I hear you’re dating some millionaire playboy?”
“Konstantin isn’t hurting for credits.” Kirsten giggled, a trace of blush in her cheeks. “Or looks.”
“Guess your date last night went well?”
Kirsten held out her right arm, showing off a glittering gold serpent bracelet with ruby eyes. It closed by eating its own tail.
Nila held her friend’s arm, tilting the jewelry in the light. “Wow. He’s either loaded or really interested.”
“He’s showing off. The place we went to was a thousand a plate.” She fidgeted, a guilty look evident. “It doesn’t feel right.”
“Something wrong with him?”
She cradled the bracelet to her chest, staring at her lap. “Oh, no! He’s perfect. It’s just that… There’s so many people in the city who can’t even eat. I can’t feel good about wasting that much money on food.”
“You look like you’re smitten; you have that glint in your eyes. Besides, it’s not your money.”
Kirsten waved at her. “Oh, come on. You know what I mean.”
Nila waved at Evan, flying over a tree.
“Evan!” yelled Kirsten, “Sorry. Shani, not so high please.”
“So, how did you meet this perfect man?”
“Would you believe there are only three people in the entire world that have an understanding of ancient Sumerian?”
“What’s that?” asked Nila.
Evan’s voice shouted in the distance. “Race ya!”
“No fair!” wailed Shani. “You got a head start.”
Giggling, Kirsten idly twisted the gold serpent around her arm. “I guess you would. He helped me kick a demon back to the Abyss.”
Nila looked impressed. “He’s okay with all the weird stuff?”
“Oh, yeah.” Kirsten squinted into an adoring smile. “He’s quite comfortable with all that stuff. For a non-psionic, he’s got a lot of working knowledge of spirits and such. Guess it’s a hobby.”
Evan’s gleeful run slowed to a stumble, then to a halt. He rocked forward one step as Shani collided with him. The girl tugged at his arm, confused by the way he stared into a thick cluster of trees and bushes bordering the grassy area where they played. After a second, he took Shani by the hand, dragging her over to the bench.
“Mom…” Fear paled his cheeks and widened his eyes, his arm curled in a protective posture over his confused playmate. “It feels like something’s watching us.”
roken glass crunched underfoot; every third step, her foot slipped to one side or the other almost sending her to the ground. Natalie stumbled through the alley behind the others, struggling to keep the pace demanded by the hand around her wrist. The clamor of boo
ts on the wet pavement made her feel as if the eyes of the entire city fell on her. Something bad was in the air tonight, something worse than ripping off the corner store or pinching a Beemer for a joyride. Wet brick and fire escapes, highlighted in moonlight, passed overhead; she ran through the shadows to a part of the city she had never been.
In time, the pack slowed to a quiet walk and came to a halt just shy of where the glow of streetlamps invaded the alley. Natalie covered her mouth with her left hand, both to shield herself from some awful smell in the air and to quiet the sound of her breathing. The others leaned against the wall of an old brownstone. Each time a car went past, she froze as if the driver might hear her over the sound of his engine.
What the hell am I doing here? Mom is gonna lose her damn mind if I get caught.
Jason, despite his size, had a boyish face that made him seem less like a criminal than the rest. If there was any of this lot of misfits she trusted, it would be him. Most nights, he had a harmless, urgent look to him that felt at odds with everything the others were doing. Tonight was no different. This was, however, the first time he had squeezed the feeling out of her hand. She tugged at her arm, wanting to sink into the cover of darkness against the building.
He thinks I’ll run.
Kevin, white-painted face aglow in the streetlights, shot a hard look at those assembled. Natalie cringed inside, trying to evade his glare. The last time he had that glint in his eye, he almost stabbed some kid from Long Island. He peeked out of the alley, looked around, and came back pacing.
“Yo, where’s Etan?” Cory emerged from a sunken stairwell on the sidewalk, as calm as if he owned the basement apartment. He paused at the top, a red glowing dot brightened in front of his face for an instant before he entered the alley through a cloud of cigarette smoke. “He was supposed to be here.”
Everyone tensed at his sudden appearance; a few knives got put away when they realized who it was. Natalie shivered. Cory had a deep voice that sounded ten years older than he looked, the kind of voice they use to sell stuff on TV. He took another drag, laughing the smoke into a cloud. The collar of his long, dark coat flapped up against the back of his neck in the breeze; his eyes stood out against his dark face. He was either going for Wall Street or Blade.
“He’s in fuckin’ Jersey, trying to score some rocks. We need a cash infusion.” Kevin tapped his fingers on his arm as if prepping a vein.
Natalie flattened against the wall, heart pounding. She looked at Kevin, at his shitty impersonation of The Crow with spiked hair. Jason had the face paint too, but he skipped the overdone bit around the eyes. Cory frightened her more; he never liked her, too young, too white, too Jewish.
Jason pressed her into the cold brick, kissing. The smell of his makeup teased her anxiety into full-blown nausea.
Neck, cheek, lips. Hand on her shoulder, down her side.
She stood stiff as a mannequin, palms flat against cold stone.
“What’s wrong with you, Nat? You need some E? Relax, girl. It’s not like Rosario’s gonna call the police coz we hit his stash.”
Everyone laughed.
“No… If my mo―” A loud wooden bang from the street made her jump. She buried her face in Jason’s chest, trembling.
“Jay, man. You don’t got the green, man. That scrawny little JAP can smell your poverty.”
Natalie gave Cory the finger. “Fuck you, Blade.”
Her trembling lofted audible in her voice. Again, the group laughed.
“No thanks,” said Cory. “If I’m gonna bite on jailbait, it’s gonna have a shape. Ain’t suckin’ on four-to-ten for some flat-ass white bitch that thinks she’s street.” He whirled on Kevin, pointing two fingers. “No tits, no ass… shit, she wouldn’t know what to do with this monster.” He gestured at his crotch.
For an instant, she thought he went for a gun and gasped. Then she wanted to die of embarrassment.
Cory made a dismissive ‘pff’ sound, sidestepping. “Shit, man. Why the fuck you even bring her here? Bitch is gonna be nothin’ but trouble. She ain’t even real.”
Kevin leaned at him with a scowl. “You were a scared little punk ‘fore you stole that Brooks Brothers coat.” Cory glared. “Etan wants her to get her hands dirty. Gave her a choice of bendin’ over or pull a job, and she’s stiff as a rod. She ain’t wanna put out, she’s gotta do something serious.”
“You think I had to steal this?” Cory pulled at the lapels of his coat as he stepped up on Kevin. “None of you motherfuckers knows a damn thing about distribution.”
Natalie folded her arms and shivered into the wall, ignoring the continuing argument. I’m no whore, I’m not gonna be another Traci. I’m not like Mother. I can do this. Just stealing drugs from a drug dealer, not like anyone’s gonna get hurt. Maybe they’ll respect me if I―
Jason ran a thumb over her bottom lip, no doubt removing a smudge of his black lipstick. “Relax, kid. No one’s home. We’ll be long gone before the cops even know what happened.”
Natalie met his gaze, calmed by the image of a gothic prince staring down at her. The look her mother would give her if she showed up with face paint and black lipstick would make just about anything worth it. All she had to do was find the nerve to actually do it. “Cops got me twice at the mall already, if this goes―”
“It won’t.” Jason winked. “Traci babysits for them, knows they’re out of town this week and right where they keep the shit. Dude’s got two pounds. Word is he’s the source for his whole damn brokerage.” Jason laughed. “And they got the money to get the good shit.”
Kevin stepped over and wadded her shirt into a fist, then lifted her on tiptoe. “Look, kid. This is big-girl time. You wanna go home to your mother, do it now before we get started.”
She punched him in the gut.
His lip curled into a grin. “Cute.”
Her boot scraped on glass as she shifted her weight.
“Any part of your leg comes within six inches of my junk, your face and that wall are gonna be good friends. We copacetic?”
Natalie glared. “Yeah… asshole.”
He let go; she stepped back and adjusted her shirt.
“Dude, what’s your problem?” Jason got between them.
Kevin shifted his eyes. “Just a bad feeling. She won’t put out, won’t touch any shit, got trashed on two drinks, and almost coughed herself puking when she tried weed.”
“What the hell is wrong with you? She’s no cop.” Jason laughed. “She’s a kid.”
Natalie stepped up on Kevin. “Why do you think criminals always get caught? Coz they get fuckin’ high and then do stupid shit.”
“Cut her a break, she’s thirteen.” Jason pulled her back.
“Traci knew her way around a dick pretty good at that age,” said Ernesto, the grin of a fond memory on his face.
Corey made a dismissive wave. “Yeah, but that bitch from Jersey, not uptown like this J―”
“Something’s fucked.” The tip of Kevin’s finger hovered at her nose. “She’s just usin’ us to piss off mommy and daddy. She don’t wanna be here, just wants to be seen here.”
A boy leaning on the other wall stepped into the light. “Etan said it was time to―”
“Alright, everyone just shut up.” Kevin spun with enough force to flare his leather trenchcoat. He pointed at her again, then the street. “Since you’re still a child, you get the easy job.”
Natalie bristled. Indignation did little to trap the butterflies in her gut.
“Your skinny ass is goin’ through the window and lettin’ us in.”
“It’s clear,” said Lucas, from the street.
The others moved around front, leaving her and Jason alone in the dark. I’m gonna throw up. She shivered, huddled against the wall as he attacked a street-level window. The taste of freezer-burned meatballs and cheese came back. Natalie cringed each time his boot hit the glass, every crunch felt like it hit her in the stomach. Jason scraped his foot across the bottom to chase away
the last of the shards and covered the lower edge with sheets of cardboard from the dumpster.
“You’re up, kid.”
Natalie wiped a line of bile from the corner of her mouth, and approached the window where she sank into a squat by the small opening. The butterflies got bigger as she peered into a half-basement full of dusty things covered in cloth. With one shaking hand on the cardboard, she slid her head through the gap and looked around. The floor waited about six feet down. It was dark, scary, and the opening was a tight squeeze, even for her.
“You sure you wanna do this?” Jason held her hand.
She peered into his eyes, closed hers halfway, and kissed him. No. “Y… Yeah.”
atalie crouched by the unsteady piece of cardboard, leaning her upper body through the gap. The floor was too far below. She backed out, turned, and stuck a foot through. Jason held her hands, and she let her weight dangle. Squirming, she wriggled backwards until gravity took her through the gap. A box of old computer parts made for a lousy landing, and she spilled over backwards. Pain shot up through both arms as her elbows and the back of her head hit the ground at the same time. She lay still as dancing lights sparkled above her. A moment later, she curled on her side moaning, both arms wrapped around her head.
“Ow…”
“You ok? You cut?”
When the room ceased flashing, she sat up. Shifting from side to side, she ran a hand along each leg to check her jeans. Aside from filthy with dust, there was only a small tear. “Yeah, just cracked my fucking head on the floor. Thanks for letting go, dick.”
“Uhh, sorry. I’m going out front with the others. Just find the door and let us in.”
Natalie stood up, looking around at a small basement. Shoplifting had been one thing―now she stood inside a house which did not belong to her. This was serious. This was juvenile hall. Boxes of old junk sat stacked atop some kind of game table, ping-pong, air hockey, whatever. She took a tentative step around the pile, making uneasy faces at a washer and dryer that looked older than she was. Exposed wood overhead had wires set off on tiny porcelain nubs caked with dust. She stopped breathing, terrified someone upstairs could hear it. Minutes passed without a sound.
Division Zero: Lex De Mortuis Page 35
