The Burn Zone (26 page)

“
All right,
”
I said.
“
Come on. Let
’
s beat it before she gets up.
”

“
Beat it where?
”
he asked.

“
I
’
ve got somewhere I
’
ve got to be. If you really think you can help, you have to come with me.
”

I crossed back to the guard and pulled the badge from her clip. Leaning over her, I noticed the four-pack of smokes in her shirt pocket and grabbed it. While I crossed back to the security boot she
’
d put on the door, I shook one out and stuck the thin black cigarillo
’
s end into the corner of my mouth, tasting sweet anise on the side of my tongue.

“
You
’
re going to steal from her?
”
Nix asked.

“
Bitch owes me these.
”

I ran the badge through the boot
’
s reader, and the light flipped from red to green. Digging into my pocket, I dredged up my lighter and flipped the cap open, sparking the flame and then holding the end to it. I puffed clouds of blue-black smoke,
then
took a big hit, holding it for a few seconds before blowing it out my nose.
Chems
tickled into my bloodstream, appetite suppressants, stimulant, and something else ... a narcotic undertone that played well with the double cross. I smiled and flicked the badge back toward the sleeping woman. It cut through the air, spinning in an arc before pegging her in the side of the head with one corner and bouncing away.

When I turned, I felt the same nostalgic pang from
him that I
’
d felt the first time I met him back in the hotel, only stronger. It startled me, and I looked up into his eyes.

“
There it is again,
”
I said.

“
What?
”

“
Nix, do we know each other?
”

The three pupils in each of Nix
’
s eyes bloomed like sunspots as he radiated uncertainty. He wanted to say something, but for some reason he couldn
’
t. .

“
We do now,
”
he said instead.

I sighed, and he took my arm.

“
I can help you, if you
’
ll let me.
”

Vamp,
I sent.
When you see me, I
’
ll be with a haan. Don
’
t freak out

I logged off before Vamp could respond,
then
gestured for Nix to come along with me.
“
Come on. I know a place.
”

“
Then you trust me?
”

“
I don
’
t know, but I need someone to weigh in on this, and you
’
re the best I
’
ve got.
”

“
Weigh in on what?
”

I tugged Dragan
’
s wet drive from my 3i port, and it dangled from the end of the lanyard as I handed it to him.
“
Can you access this?
”

“
I can.
”

“
Then do it on the way.
”

“
What
’
s on it?
”

The guard stirred on the floor again, and I gestured toward the door.
“
You tell me.
”

~ * ~

Chapter Nine

16:26:34 BC

After two jumps and a half hour
’
s walking, the GPS flashed to let me know we were close. It had been a long time since I
’
d spent any time on the row, and
being back, I couldn
’
t decide if I
’
d just forgotten how bad it had been, or if it had gotten worse. It made me think of one of those sags in old blacktop, a cracked pocket filled with road grit and cigarette butts that no one ever picked up. Hangfei
’
s flash had faded, its neon glitz replaced by rusted signs, graffiti, and smog-stained glass. The steamy hot air smelled of asphalt, and everyone walking the street looked like trouble.

“
Okay,
”
I told Nix,
“
keep your eyes peeled for the name Wei. It
’
s somewhere on this street.
”

“
What is this place?
”
he asked, his electronic voice rising over the hum of traffic.

“
My old stomping ground.
”

I kept my voice calm and easy, but the truth was that I barely recognized the area anymore, and I
’
d begun to wonder if this had been such a great idea after all. Trash bins were practically buried under heaps of garbage, and the people who sat crowded together on the stoops of vacant shops looked mean and hungry. Eyes glinted in the shadows from hairy, unwashed faces. They followed
us as we passed, while slurred conversations petered out and grew hushed.

“
Why here?
”

“
Nobody will look for us here. Just watch yourself.
”

“
We have attracted the interest of several humans,
”
Nix pointed out.

“
We
’
ll be fine.
”

“
The inertial dampener will stop high-velocity impacts but won
’
t stop—
”

“
We
’
ll be fine,
”
I said, not completely confident that was true.
“
I used to live here.
”

The wind blew and sent streamers flapping overhead, where two festival ghoul puppets swung by their necks from a power line. The street up ahead was splattered with red festival paint. At least, I hoped it was paint. No one down that way looked too festive.

“
Why?
”
He scanned the crowd and the mass inside his head made an anxious twitch, silhouetted against the neon sign that shone through from behind him.

“
It wasn
’
t exactly by choice, Nix.
”

“
Your parents lived here.
”

“
No. We lived in Baishan Park. They rented crash tubes by the week there.
”

“
Why didn
’
t you stay with them?
”

“
Mom died when I was eight.
”

“
And your father?
”

Ditched me.

“
He ... ran into some trouble.
”

I was pretty sure my dad killed my mom. Not on purpose; I think he just flipped his lid and went too far. Either way, he was long gone before even a token cop ever showed up.

“
Doesn
’
t the city provide care for orphans?
”

“
Orphan,
”
I snorted.
“
Those homes are worse than the street.
”

His questions had begun to grate on me. Anxiety
pricked in my brain as he poked at nerves I didn
’
t want poked. I wanted one of the smokes I
’
d taken at the metro, hoping it would calm me down, but didn
’
t want to take them out in plain view.

“
Worse than here?
”

“
I
’
ll help you....
”

I shook my head, waving him off. At the time I thought I
’
d do anything to stay out of one of those homes, but the truth was I
’
d questioned that choice a million times since.

The image of an ugly, balding man in a suit seeped up like gas from a sewer grate. Humid air ruffled his coat-tails as he handed me a squashed ration. I
’
d been so tired, and so weak, that he used his other hand to steady me. I reached for the ration, but it was gone, pulled away, just out of reach as he drew me closer.

“
I
’
ll help you,
”
he said. His voice shuddered, and he sounded out of breath.
“
I
’
ll help you, but first you have to help me.
...
”

I shook my head again, a nervous twitch.
“
Look, I managed, okay?
”

“
I was only—
”

“
I don
’
t care. I don
’
t want to talk about it, so get off it!
”

My voice had risen without my meaning it to, and my hands had curled into fists. People were looking over at us, some pointing. I tried to calm down, but when I relaxed my hands I felt them shake.

“
Sorry,
”
I told him.
“
I
’
m sorry, I didn
’
t mean to snap. Just... things didn
’
t always go so well back then. I don
’
t like talking about it.
”

He didn
’
t answer.

“
I guess you probably think we
’
re pretty sick sometimes, huh?
”
I asked him.

“
Sick? No.
”

“
Yeah, well... I do.
”

“
Actually, I find you quite beautiful at times.
”

“
Yeah, right.
”

“
It
’
s true. Not all haan would agree, especially those not born here, but your world is impressive in its own right, and as a people you have a resilience that can be very moving. We were like you, once. One day, you will be like us.
”

“
Everyone wants what you got, I
’
ll give you that.
”

“
It
’
s more than that. We are better for having met you, even if not everyone sees it.
”

We walked in silence for another few moments.

“
So ... is your planet anything like this?
”
I asked him. One eye rolled toward me.

“
No.
”
He paused, and then corrected himself.
“
It was quite similar in makeup. Our societies were very different.
”

“
What is it like? Where you come from? You guys never talk about that. Are you not allowed?
”

He was quiet for a minute, and from the vibe I picked up from him I thought that he wasn
’
t supposed to say anything. I sensed loss, and a need to communicate it mingled with frustration.