Jerry pulled his foot back and went to kick Andrew in the gut, but Andrew rolled out of the way just in time and got back on his feet. The left side of his face was already swelling up.
Footsteps slapped the pavement hard from behind Shannon. She hoped to god it was Mimi, but it sounded like several people. Maybe she would have the chance to get away with other people interfering. She rolled onto her stomach again and waited. She would bolt the second Andrew and Jerry were distracted by the newcomers.
She felt a hand grasp hers and lift her. They were big, strong hands.
“What the hell is going on here, Jerry?”
Shannon was standing upright now but was held firm by a medium-sized security officer. His light eyes and thick mustache both twitched as he examined the scene.
“Capitan Richardson, oh man. Glad you’re here.”
Shannon distinctly noticed a tone in Jerry’s voice that suggested otherwise and the captain seemed to notice it too.
“I bet you are, Jerry. You better explain just what in the hell is going on here.”
“This lady here, seems she’s been trading sex for drugs, and I think this guy is her dealer. I overheard them and intervened.”
To her surprise, the captain seemed to doubt this story.
“I bet, Jerry. You and I need to have a long talk when we get back to the station. Maybe it’s even time you and Daniels had a chat.”
Jerry stopped dead in his tracks. He turned his entire body away from Andrew and Andrew broke to run.
Jerry heard the footfalls and turned. “Hey, shithead, get back here.” Before the captain could say another word, Jerry began his pursuit. Shannon saw her chance as the captain was distracted and ran the opposite direction.
Neither of them got very far. Jerry tackled Andrew quickly, and the captain grabbed Shannon before she made it fifty feet. The handcuffs made running odd.
Captain Richardson said, “Look, I don’t know what’s going on here, but I can’t just let you run away from one of my SOs. Looks bad. We’ll bring you in and try to get to the bottom of this.
Shannon’s face fell.
MIMI HAD WATCHED THE whole thing. She watched as the guards took Andrew and Shannon away. How could this have happened? She took a deep breath. There was no time to worry about that now. She had to think quickly. Would there be a way to free Shannon from the SOs? She didn’t know.
She tailed them for many blocks from the shadows of the alleys. She knew the streets well. Every crack was familiar. Every shadowy spot was an ally.
There were no openings. No gods or devils intervened. Why would they, they were from nowhere. Even the gods and the devils cared little for those from nowhere.
When Mimi watched Shannon cross the threshold of the entrance to central security, hope leaked from her heart like a barrel of water with a hole in it.
The giant migrating city of Manhatsten had a rigid legal code. No lawyers. No public defenders. Only favoritism. Mimi had seen it dozens of times. History is a circle.
She found a place to weep, to sag in the concrete. A corner of shadows. Stinging tears. Smoky vision. Utter despair. Sleep.
SHE WAS BEING LIFTED. Dreaming? No. The smells were too strong. She started to struggle.
“Easy now. Calm yourself.” The woman’s voice was soft and soothing. A strange calm fell over Mimi.
Her voice embodied a dreamlike quality. “Where are we going?”
“To a library. You will be safe there.”
Mimi was certain she would be. Rarely had she been so certain of anything in her life. She found that she did not mind letting the two large SOs carry her. She didn’t mind much of anything.
This concerned her. Like the tumbling of a lock, things began to click in her mind. She became unsettled again, felt the urge to resist, to lash out, rising.
“Calm, Mimi. I am not your enemy.” The voice was compelling.
Another’s woman’s voice said, “Damn. She broke through already?”
Mimi couldn’t see either of them. Both them walked in front of the two SOs who carried her. One had long blonde hair, the other a fiery red.
“Yes, it’s curious how quickly she bypassed my suggestion.”
“She’s dangerous. We should put her back where we found her.”
“Ryla said the same thing about you when we found you.”
“Maybe, but at least I had an honest job. This one is like a stray cat.”
“Feral cat. And I would hardly call Running an honest job.”
“Either way Noatla, I don’t know if she can be trusted.”
Mimi listened, and her agitation began to grow again.
“Rest, Mimi. Soon you will have answers.”
“How many times do you think you are going to have to do that?”
“At this rate, a half dozen more.”
“Can’t we make these SOs go any faster?”
“Serah, you know very well what will happen if we push too hard. Besides, what’s the rush? Soothing her isn’t so difficult. It’s also clear she doesn’t know the full extent of what she can do.”
“How can you be sure of that?”
“If she knew what she was capable of, do you think she would have allowed her lover to be taken away like that?”
“I guess you’re right. Maybe we should suggest that she sleeps again?”
“Mimi, are you tired?”
Mimi knew it was the woman with the blonde hair speaking, but she did not turn to face her. She had the strangest impression that this woman was not using her lips to speak.
Mimi said, “I...I don’t think so.” The moment the words came out, she realized that she wasn’t using her lips, either.
“Mimi, I think you’re tired. I don’t even know how you can keep your eyes open. Why don’t you just rest a while? I bet it would feel wonderful to close your eyes, just for a few minutes.”
“But Shannon...I have to...”
“Shannon can wait. We will make sure she’s okay. Just close your eyes, Mimi. You know how good it will feel, how easy it is just to let your eyelids close. After all, they’re so heavy.”
“No. I can’t...”
Mimi forced her eyes to stay open. She felt the agitation rising in her again. She felt the strength in her arms and legs returning.
“It’s not working Noatla. You better do something fast.”
Noatla said, “Officers, put her down gently. I want to speak with her.”
They obeyed. Mimi jumped up, ready to run, but Noatla, a tall, thin, blonde woman, grabbed her by the arm and held her tight. She was surprisingly strong for how skinny she was. Her face appeared to be chiseled from rock, and her light eyes were piercing.
“Wait a moment, Mimi, just listen.”
Mimi had been wrong. The woman’s lips moved just like anyone else’s. Perhaps she was mistaken because of what she had done earlier in the day?
“Why should I?”
“You want to help Shannon, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“You’d think after all the resistance she put up when we tried to get her up here earlier, that she didn’t want to save her girlfriend,” The red-haired woman said.
“Hush, you know all too well what it was like before you entered the Order. Mimi, do you recognize me?” asked Noatla.
“No, should I?”
Serah said, “Of course she doesn’t recognize you, you think this one votes?”
Mimi said, “Votes?”
Noatla smiled. Mimi liked her smile. She began to notice how attractive this woman was. A pang of guilt hit her chest, and her mind turned back to Shannon.
“Yes Mimi, I am Senator Noatla Lightfoot of District 14. This district. If you come with me, I might be able to help you with Shannon.”
Mimi scowled. “Why would you want to help me and why should I believe you?”
“Those are both very good questions. All I ask is that you come with me to the library and hear me out. After that, you are free to do whatever you
wish.”
“With the SOs following us? How do I know you don’t want to sell me to one of your Upper friends?”
Noatla frowned for a moment, but then stood and turned to face the SOs.
She said, “You may go now. You are needed in District 13.”
The two SOs turned and left without a moment’s hesitation. Mimi felt a deep sense of relief to see them go, but she still was wary of trusting an Upper. The Uppers loved to mess with the homeless, some of them got off on it.
Serah said, “What’s in District 13?”
Noatla smiled, “Oh, probably nothing, but I am sure they will figure out something important to do.” Noatla turned back towards Mimi. “So, will you come with us?”
This time, the woman wasn’t using her voice. Her lips were still. Then it occurred to Mimi.
“Are you like me? Can you skim?”
Noatla smiled. “Much more than just, as you put it, skim.”
Mimi asked, “What’s at the library?”
“A chance for you to use your gifts for the benefit of this city. A chance for you to be off the streets and in a safe home.”
“Why? What’s in it for you?”
“Come, listen. Hear what we have to say. I promise if you choose to leave, no one will stop you. As you’ve already seen, we cannot even pacify you for long. You have an extraordinarily strong mind.”
Mimi nodded and followed.
Chapter 7
A Hidden World
MIMI DIDN’T KNOW WHAT to think. A whole room filled with other women, women with her same abilities. All sixteen were sitting in a semi-circle, in a lower level of an ancient library. Here, there were still semi-preserved books in paper. Mimi couldn’t fathom just how long some of these books had been around.
There was, however, a much more important question. How was it that she had gone so long living in the city without knowing about this strange little club?
Noatla said, “Actually, the more pertinent question is, how did our Order go so long without stumbling upon you? It’s a mystery to us.”
Mimi almost spoke up, almost said something about it feeling like a violation, having your mind invaded. Instead, she laughed. Being on the other side of it was strange. Daniel had made a similar comment once, that it felt invasive to have your mind probed all the time. Which was one of the reasons she had decided to stop doing it to those who knew of her ability.
Noatla said, “You’ll learn how to think without thinking on the surface of your mind soon enough. Every one of our sisters here has learned this skill.”
Mimi said, “Why, so you can keep secrets from each other?”
Noatla shook her head. “No, it’s more about allowing yourself time to think and reflect before you say something. Except, here we don’t have the barrier of thought to spoken language.” Mimi noticed that Noatla was no longer using her lips to speak and that all of the other women seemed to be nodding in agreement.
Mimi chose to speak out loud. “What makes you think I want to stick around? That I want to join your little club?”
The woman with red hair she had met on the street spoke in mind-to-mind contact with Mimi, “Because we have a chance to actually free your partner.”
“Mimi, this is Serah,” said Noatla. “Serah is a Runner.”
Mimi’s eyes widened. “Impossible.”
Noatla shook her head, “No, not impossible. Not if you allow us to teach you some of the other things you are capable of.”
“And just what is it that I am capable of? Mind control?”
“No, not control,” said Noatla. “Mind suggestion. We cannot control anyone’s mind, but we can give them suggestions. If they are things they are already inclined to do, then they are easy to motivate. If they are things they are resistant toward, it takes a little more skill to get them to comply. It really isn’t much different from conversation.”
“And if they don’t comply?”
“Then we seek another route.”
“Why not simply try to force them?”
Several of the sisters eyed each other. It was a long moment before Noatla responded.
“Because trying to force a mind can have terrible consequences.”
“What kind of consequences?”
For a moment, Mimi thought that Noatla was going to answer.
“No, Mimi, this is not the time for such a conversation. But let me say that it is dangerous to both the giver and receiver of the orders, and so it is one of the things we consider taboo in this order.”
“Fine. So, you said you could help me. What’s the catch?”
This time it was Serah who answered. “Membership.”
“Membership?”
Noatla nodded, “Yes, we want you to join the Order of the Eye, to complete our circle.”
“Creepy name for a women’s club.”
This solicited laughter from a few of the other women in the room, even Noatla chuckled a little.
Noatla said, “True, I suppose without context you might think it is a strange name. But the title clarifies what we are. Besides, I didn’t choose it.”
“And what are you?”
“Watchers, mostly. We try to interfere as little as possible in the affairs of the city. But we do watch and protect the city.”
“Protect it from what?”
Noatla considered, but this time only for a moment. “Again, in time.”
Mimi shrugged and ran her fingers through her black hair. “Have it your way. So you want me to join your little club and then Shannon goes free? What happens to me after that? What happens to her?”
“Well first, as a senator, I am hoping that I can use some of my connections to prevent her from ever even going to a trial. If I can manage to do that, then any further intervention will be unnecessary.”
“And then?”
“Well, we would like you to join the Order of the Eye. But we, of course, cannot force you to remain among us, nor would we want to. If you wish, you can disappear into that interesting little hovel you have down in the lower levels.”
Mimi eyed Noatla and then looked around the room and saw, with certainty, that all these women knew where she lived.
Mimi shrugged. “Alright, you know where I live, how long have you known and how the hell did you find out?”
“Actually, we only found out a few weeks ago. That afternoon when you encountered the sanitation workers. You tried to push on them, to force your way into their minds. That alerted Sister Kayla to your presence. Before that, we were ignorant of your existence. After that, we had you followed.”
“You could read that from here?”
“To try and control someone or to try and force open their mind so you can read their deeper thoughts requires a massive expenditure of energy. There are only two places you can draw that energy from: yourself, in which case you could make yourself very ill, or from something else alive around you. If there is a great deal of life around you, then the cost to those living beings is low, they may feel a sense of weakness temporarily and nothing more. But that impact would ripple outward. The stronger the push, the more energy it would expend and the further out it would spread. So, when you tried to push your way into those two individuals’ brains, it sent out a kind of shockwave through part of the lower levels of the city. Sister Kayla, here, happened to be residing in that area for a few days while she was working on a project for the Order. She recognized the feeling and then waited ‘til you came the surface. After we felt out your mind specifically, it was easy to find you, wherever you went.”
Mimi shifted uneasily. “How were you able to pick me out, out of so many people?”
“Training, mostly. This skill is like any other tool. It can be trained and developed for particular purposes. Of course, you will have to give up Likatol in the long run, but we can take our time weaning you off it.”
Mimi frowned; they seemed to know everything about her.
“Some of our sisters have certain specialties, certain s
kills they can focus on and develop more keenly than others, just like with any skill set.”
“So, Sister Kayla,” Mimi noticed the woman with short gray hair sitting in the corner, “can detect people who have our particular kind of talents?”
“That is one of her specialties, yes. We can all do it if the person is close enough, but Sister Kayla can reach anywhere in the city. She has the greatest range of any of us.”
Mimi reached up and brushed the hair out of her eyes. She wondered what Shannon was doing at that exact moment. But her thought trailed off back into her present circumstance. Then it occurred to her, and a grin spread across Noatla’s face.
Noatla said, “Yes, my particular focus is to soothe people. I have always had the ability to help others feel less stressed and to disarm them when they put up emotional barriers. I can sometimes make them feel a bit more tired, so it acts as a tranquilizer.”
“Then stop. I don’t want to be soothed.”
Noatla nodded, but her face betrayed concern. “Very well, if that’s what you want. Please understand I only wanted to help you think a bit more clearly, rather than running off and trying to solve the situation yourself.”
“So if I join your little club, you’ll help me prevent Shannon from becoming a Runner?”
“That is the hope, yes.”
“What if you can’t? What if she becomes a Runner and you can’t stop it?”
Serah spoke up. “Then our task becomes much harder, but not impossible.” Serah was using her voice, not directly communicating with her mind. “See, every time someone becomes a Runner, they go through a series of procedures. But the very first one is an implant in the base of the skull.”
“What does that do?” asked Mimi.
“It is a behavior chip. If you do something that’s threatening or disobey your orders, they send a significant shock to your system. It’s not one that is strong enough to kill usually, unless they turn up the voltage, but it keeps you incapacitated for a decent amount of time.
Mimi shifted in her chair and looked again around the room at all the faces that were staring at her. All the eyes pierced her, but in a strange sense, this did not unsettle her, not even a little bit. It occurred to her that she likely had the same piercing eyes. Shannon and all those partners before her had often complained of the way she stared at people. Perhaps she would fit in here. And perhaps these women could offer her a way to become even more powerful and knowledgeable. Maybe she would have enough knowledge to protect anyone she loved.
Mimi of the Nowhere Page 6
