by Franklin, TG
He grabbed at her shoulder. "Hey, hold up a sec."
She stopped, but only because she didn't want Niko's attention on her while Dex headed into an alley down the street. She dropped the box, shoved Niko against the brick wall behind them, and pressed against him. "No questions. Not here. And, damn it, put your arms around me. Act like we're lovers."
His hold was tentative at best, but from a distance it probably looked like the intimate scene she wanted to project. Still entwined, Ursula pulled Niko to the car and pinned him against the fender until the driver opened the door for them. They tumbled in, and as soon as the driver closed the door, she rolled off Niko and moved to the opposite seat.
"You did good in the diner, but out there," she pointed to where her burger and fries littered the sidewalk, "not so much. Are you into guys or what?"
"How about scared shitless."
"And smart. I don't usually like that in a guy, but you're kind of cute, and I'd hate to have to kill you."
"Yeah, my number one rule of survival is 'Don't piss off people who can hurt me.' But hey, under different circumstances..." He let the words trail off and leaned forward.
"Save that attitude." She pushed him back. "You'll need it. Dex will be joining us in a few minutes."
"Dex? Holy shit."
Most people, most sane people anyway, blanched at the mention of Dex. "Who did you think you were working for?"
Niko's eyes lit with anticipation. "Didn't ask, and didn't care. Take Hadrian down? I'm in. Besides, everything was arranged online. Serious encryption. Didn't expect it to be Dex, though." He stared out the window. "Kinda makes sense with all the buzz."
With practiced speed and precision, she whipped both hands out, grabbed his shirt, and pulled him forward. "What buzz?"
Niko gulped. "Buzz is Hadrian's been a busy boy. Got some super secret plan in the works for, you know, after the wave hits."
Ursula released his shirt; smoothed out the creases. "Go on."
"See, most people don't believe the web is going to completely stop the wave. The odds makers are giving the win to Hadrian, but the spread is tight. Something like thirty percent of the wave will make it through and wreak all kinds of damage."
Apparently, Niko had a generous bookie. The last she'd heard, they expected about forty-five percent of the wave to breach the web.
"Then the buzz starts. Hadrian's got to know the odds, and for now, he's got the world by the 'nads. But after the fireworks? Him and his technology are garbage, 'cause everyone's expecting, you know, sticks and stones."
"Sticks and stones?"
"Yeah, Einstein's prediction for world war four?"
What the hell happened to world war three? And what did Einstein have to do with any of it? She'd heard of Einstein, of course, but not in this context, and didn't need the full dissertation now. "Right."
"So, anyway, Earth's gotta rebuild, and Hadrian's got no skills without his technology. Wave hits, and he's obsolete." Niko crossed his arms over his chest and stared out the window. "Can't allow that to happen, though, can he? Gotta make sure he's at the top, even if it's the top of a pile of rubble."
Damn. Despite the teasing with Dex, she hated missing the meetings. Niko, a freakin' street dealer, knew more than she did. "Do you think he has some kind of plan?"
"Oh, yeah. The controllers."
"The controllers? Fill me in here, because I must be missing something. I don't see how the controllers can help without the technology."
"Without emotion. Hadrian's got what amounts to a drone army at his disposal."
"There's not enough controllers to constitute an army, and a good portion of them spend more time at Sensations than at the control boards."
Niko snorted and let out a little bark of a laugh. "The stim junkies? Front line material. Totally expendable. Plus, word is, Hadrian's recruiting hard and heavy in other countries. Building ‘training facilities’ to house the dumb shits who think they're gonna come here and save the world."
***
Mary quickened her pace to escape the anemic street lamps of Market Square, slipped in and out of the shadows to get around the security patrols, and ducked into an alley. The dark t-shirt and jeans she wore blended into the wall behind her. Lots of activity on the Square tonight, and not just mech security. From her vantage point, she watched a wallflower get out of a black sedan and walk into the diner, and hoped the woman wasn't after Niko. Those hopes didn't keep her on the street, though. She still needed to get out, and even though Niko liked her, it wouldn't stop him from sending the wallflower after her if he thought it'd save his skin.
After her experience in the arch earlier, no way was she going to chance taking the A through, even if it was coated. Her hiding place wasn't far, just down the next alley. The Dragons had managed to chisel one of the cinder blocks out of the wall, and they used it to pass contraband through. Her A would be safe in the hollow space of the block until she made it out of the city. The brain blast ruse she usually used to keep people away was too risky to try with the car parked about fifty yards away and mech security patrolling the streets. Only official vehicles made it through to the city, and she didn't want the driver to notice her. Sticking to the shadows, she made her way down the street and forced herself to throw up at the mouth of the alley – wasn't hard with the crap from the diner – and stumbled out of the driver's line of sight.
Just another junkie, he'd think. And close to the truth. The pills weighed heavy wrapped in her jacket. Not so much the physical weight, but the emotional one. Not an addiction. Worse. So much worse, because most DTs didn't kill you if you couldn't get the drugs or alcohol. And the only mind blowing experience you got from A was the kind that had blood gushing out of your eyes if you didn't get enough of the drug.
Sight adjusted to the darkness, she walked the length of the alley to the wall, hunched down, and pulled the block out. She hated the scraping sound it made, always gave her the shivers, and she cursed under her breath when the sharp edges of the surrounding blocks nicked her fingers.
"You sure your stash will still be there when you go to get it?" His voice came out of the shadows, smooth, low, and a little amused.
"Yeah." She wasn't alarmed, even though she couldn't see him. If he'd wanted the A, he'd have taken it before now.
"Good plan."
"It was a good plan."
"Still is. I'm not interested in the A. I'm interested in you."
She stood, turned, and hooked her hands in her back pockets. "Not a good plan. My brother and his mech gang will tear you to pieces."
He stepped close enough for her to recognize him and gave her a knowing smile. "I don't think so."
Feigning unfamiliarity, she snapped her fingers a few times. "It's Dex, right?"
"Mary. It's been a while."
"Not long enough. Why are you here? Nobody gives a damn about your legend status anymore. Go play with your friends in Hadrian's dog pen. We don't want you here. We're not recruitable." She sidestepped and tried to go around him, but he moved with her, blocked her way.
"That's where you're wrong. Everyone's recruitable. The recruiter just has to find the right job."
"I'd rather have a brain blast. Your boss left us with nothing, less than nothing when he killed my parents."
"It was an accident. You know that."
"No, I don't. And even if it was, he's still a killer for refusing to lift the ban of A for non-mechs. I'd rather watch Hadrian die a slow, painful death, a hundred times worse than any brain blast, than work for him. Because of the ban, he made me a criminal, so either arrest me or let me leave."
"I'm not here to arrest you, but I can't let you leave. I need you, Mary. I'm not here for Hadrian, and definitely not for a quick screw in a dirty alley. But I can't discuss it here. Give me an hour, please? Afterward, if you still feel the same, I'll go away."
Sometimes fear hit fast and hot, and sometimes it spread like ice under the skin. Mary glanced over her shoulder and wis
hed she hadn't left her jacket on the other side of the fence. "You're almost believable. The ‘please’ was a nice touch, sounded sincere. Anybody who didn't know you traded your street cred for a controller's bennies and some freaky enhanced mechs might think you still had emotions."
He shrugged out of his suit coat and held it out to her. "I don't need enhanced vision to see you're freezing. Why the hell did you wear a t-shirt in this weather?"
"I wouldn't be standing out here in the cold if you hadn't stopped me. I don't need your jacket, or an hour. I'm not interested in anything you have to offer."
In a mocking gesture, Dex bowed, made a sweeping motion with his arm, and stepped to the side. "Your call, but don't expect the aspirin to be there when, or if, you make it out of the city. You probably won't make it without my help. Most of Hadrian's security force is looking for you right now." He flipped his jacket over his forearm, turned, and walked toward the waiting car.
Why would mech security be looking for her? They wouldn't be. Dex was trying to scare her into submission.
And it worked. A quick look past him confirmed the mech cops were still cruised the sidewalks, clearly looking for someone. What choice did she have? Mary retrieved her precious bundle and hurried to catch up with Dex. In stride with him, she pulled the jacket off his arm, bundled it around her shoulders, and pulled up the collar, more to hide her identity from mech security and anyone wandering the street who might recognize her than to ward off the cold.
As they approached the sedan, the driver moved from his stance at the fender and opened the door for them. Mary spotted the wallflower first, not surprised to see the woman in the car, but the sight of Niko relaxed in the comfort of the leather seat tore her tightly held composure from her.
"You son of a bitch!" She lunged at Niko, letting Dex's jacket fall to the pavement, and gouged her fingernails in Niko's face. "How could you?"
Dex grabbed her around the waist and pulled her away from Niko. "He didn't do anything." Still holding her, he grabbed his coat off the road and bundled them into the seat. The door closed and the interior lights went out. "I've been watching you and Jonah for some time now."
She stopped struggling. "Stay away from my brother."
CHAPTER FOUR
A dingy bulb in a table lamp, the shade long gone, cast a yellow glow over the living room. Hadrian, through Palisade, had paid off the mortgage on the house after her parents' death, and had given her and Jonah a large settlement. But the money hadn't lasted long in a world preparing for an apocalypse. And the utilities? The groceries he sent around every few weeks? Jonah preferred to think Hadrian's guilty conscience had prompted him to continue the so-called good will.
She didn't think Hadrian had a conscience.
It was Hadrian's fault her parents were dead. A lab accident? Instinct told her it was something more, but she had no way to prove it. And no bodies. According to Hadrian, her parents had been burned beyond recognition. No autopsy. No funeral. No justice.
But, unlike some of the other houses in the fringes, they had light.
And light produced shadows.
She scanned the room, the shadows. Jonah's guitar leaned against the corner covered with dust. Like every other kid in a garage band, he'd dreamed of being a rock star, and if not for the wave, he might have made it. Her brother had magic fingers and played almost every instrument with rare genius, but after their parents died, he had abandoned his music and went mech. It had broken her heart, but she'd understood his choice. Music couldn't protect them, provide for them, but the unnatural biomechanics in his arms could. Over time, the mech devices had pretty much stripped most of the fine motor skills from his hands, as well as some feeling. He couldn't play anymore, but he wouldn't let her sell the guitar.
"I thought you were going to get your A and come straight back?" Jonah walked into the room from the kitchen, a bag of chips in hand. "You missed Ella's initiation run. She's a hell of a baton, almost as good as you and Corene." He popped a chip in his mouth and wiped his hand down the side of his jeans. "Still haven't heard from Corene, by the way. Stran's going nuts. Wants to go into the city and look for her. I had to promise him I'd go first thing in the morning to get him settled down."
Jonah cared. Unlike some of the gang leaders who got a perverted taste for the power, enjoyed the terror they caused, the cruelty, Jonah only wanted to care and provide for what he considered his family. There was nothing he wouldn't do to keep them safe, even at the risk of his own well being. "Sorry, couldn't be helped, and there's no need for you to risk going into the city."
The muscles in his arms tensed. "We're going to find her."
Better to just let him know without trying to explain. "Corene's with me."
Corene stepped up from behind Mary and gave a feeble wave. "Hi, Jonah."
"Where have you been?" The question was soft, laced more with relief than anger. "You've had everyone worried. We thought you might've had a brain blast, or got caught or something."
"Not yet." Corene stayed just inside the doorway. "I got my supply of A and was on my way back, but Hadrian's security forces are everywhere tonight, and they busted another deal not far from me a few minutes after I left. Wouldn't have been a problem, but a second security team showed up, checking everyone on the street, and I had to hide."
Brows furrowed, Jonah looked past Corene to the others behind her. "Who else is with you?"
Mary pulled Corene with her toward the sofa, tried to keep her tone casual. "Dex, he helped Corene get out, Niko, and a wallflower named Ursula."
"What the hell?"
Even if she'd wanted to explain, she couldn't. No one had spoken during the ride to the house. Exhausted and in pain, she slumped on the couch and pulled Corene down with her. "Ask them. I have no idea."
Eyes half closed, she watched the trio walk into the living room. Jonah stood still, but the biomechanics in his biceps caused the muscles to twitch, ready to fight.
Dex tugged on the cuffs of his sleeves, a subtle gesture that pulled the material tight over his arms and showed the same twitching effects. "It's good to see you again. May we sit?"
Manners—no one in the fringes is accustomed to them—rendered Jonah speechless. In answer, he nodded.
Ursula perched on the arm of the couch, Niko took a chair in the corner, and Jonah sat in their Dad's ratty, old recliner, the bag of chips perched on his lap. Despite his request, Dex remained standing.
"Corene and I grew up together. She knew she couldn't make it out with the A, so she called me."
Disappointment shown on Jonah's face. "You called him and not me."
"I called an old friend. Besides, you couldn't have helped, not in that situation."
He turned to Dex. "I'd offer my thanks, but the timing sucks. It's a little too convenient, you and the wallflower being in the city when Corene's in trouble and Mary's meeting with Niko. Are you even capable of being a friend anymore?"
Corene leaned forward. "If you think Dex set me up just to get to Mary, you're wrong. Dex wouldn't—"
"He's right," Dex interrupted. "Almost. I didn't set you up, Corene. The other dealer getting caught wasn't part of the plan. More like dumb luck on his part, but I did set up Mary."
Jonah crumbled the potato chip bag into a small ball. The pop of chips and the rustle of the bag echoed through the quiet room.
No throat clearing, no hesitation, Dex continued. "We wanted Mary to complete total brainwave transformation before approaching you. She should have blasted by now." He gave Jonah a knowing look. "But due to the proximity of the wave, the time line had to be adjusted."
Mary never saw Jonah move, only the blur of color as the makeshift ball sailed across the room toward the general vicinity of the kitchen.
"Well, I guess I owe you my thanks for bringing Corene back to us safely. I would ask you to stay, but it looks like it's time to take out the trash."
"Don't worry about the garbage," Dex answered. "I'll take it when I leave." He wa
lked to stand directly in front of Jonah. "Mary promised me an hour."
"I didn't have a choice, Jonah. I told him we weren't interested in anything Hadrian had to offer, but he had my A and—."
"Yeah," Dex interrupted. "We've pretty much established that I'm a real son of a bitch, and it doesn't change anything. I want my hour."
Jonah glanced around the room. "You're down to about forty-five minutes. Better talk fast, because in forty-six minutes, I'm kicking your ass out of my house."
Ursula let out a little laugh, and covered it with a cough at Dex's hard stare. Mary, and everyone else in the room, knew Jonah couldn't deliver on the threat. Apparently, though, Dex didn't want a show of force.
Brows furrowed, he frowned and took a step back. Mary imagined the microprocessors in his brain working furiously through an infinite number of if/then statements, searching for probabilities.
"Fair enough." Dex crossed the room and sat down next to Corene. "I'm afraid I miscalculated the situation. I assumed Stran or Corene had leaked information to Jonah."
Corene slumped into the cushion. "I didn't. You asked us not to, and Stran's totally committed to the cause."
"But not to me. He loves you, and he joined because I can help you with the brainwave transformation. I'm not complaining, here. He is committed to what we want to do, but his loyalty is to Jonah, and rightly so. I expected Stran to tell Jonah everything."
Corene and Stran working with Dex? Bile rose in Mary's throat, the acid burned in her chest. Still, it could only be a fraction of the betrayal Jonah felt, especially after Dex had abandoned the gang five years ago to work with Hadrian, though nothing showed on his face.
"Why?" Mary turned to Corene. "How could you?"
"Mary." Jonah's voice was soft, but it held a calm authority. "Listen with your head and not your heart. Dex said he could help Corene get through the brain blast, which means he can help you." He turned to Dex. "What's going on here? It's something you're doing alone, not as one of Hadrian's goons."
"Right on all counts," Dex answered. "I can help her, but it's got to be quid pro quo. You help me, and I'll help Mary."
