The Burn Zone (29 page)

“
Come on, spaceman.
”

Nix followed him around the corner. When they were out of sight, I leaned a little closer to the glass.

“
Something else, Niu-
niu
?
”
he asked.

“
You still deal in weapons?
”

He raised his bushy eyebrows.
“
Weapons?
”

“
Guns.
”

“
What are you going to do with a gun?
”

“
Hopefully nothing,
”
I said,
“
but I
’
m in trouble, Wei, and Dragan needs my help.
”

“
And you think you
’
re going to need a gun?
”

“
I hope not.
”

“
Guns are trouble,
”
he said.

“
Then why do you deal them?
”

“
That
’
s not the same thing. Come on, you
’
re better than that.
”

“
Please. It
’
s an emergency.
”

He frowned, but he didn
’
t say no.

“
Guns cost money,
”
he said instead.

“
I know.
”

“
You don
’
t have any money.
”

I looked up and down the hall,
then
nodded at the door to the foyer.
“
Let me in.
”

He reached down and buzzed me in, the bolt in the door snapping open. I opened it and slipped into the cramped space. The smoke made my eyes water and my nose burn.

“
Look, I can do you a favor,
”
he said,
“
but the people I deal with don
’
t deal in favors, you know?
”

“
I know,
”
I said. I pushed an ashtray full of butts away to clear a spot on the desk between us, and put the stun gun down there.
“
You can use this to trade.
”

He looked it over.

“
Not bad,
”
he said,
“
but it won
’
t get you a real piece.
”

I dug out the ration sheet and tore a strip off, then two of the three doses of blue crystal I
’
d found in the safe back home. One by one I put them on the pile between us.

“
The stunner,
”
I said,
“
plus three ration punches, plus two doses of blue shard. This is all government-issue stuff.
”

Wei looked it over, nodding.

“
What kind of gun you looking for?
”
he asked.

“
Something small and light,
”
I said.
“
I don
’
t need some hand cannon I can
’
t even lift.
”

“
I still say it
’
s a mistake,
”
he said,
“
but if you say you need it, I
’
ll get a good gun for you. When do you need it by?
”

“
I
’
ll try and be out of your hair tomorrow morning. Can you do it that fast?
”

“
I
’
ll make some calls.
”

“
Thanks, Wei.
”
I leaned forward and hugged him. He kind of stiffened up for a second, but then he relaxed and patted my back.

“
Okay,
”
he said.

I gave him one last squeeze,
then
broke away.
“
You
’
re the best.
”

“
Not hardly
,
”
he muttered.

I caught him smiling, though, just a little, when I slipped out and shut the door behind me.

~ * ~

Chapter Ten

16:11:21 BC

I headed back to the room and was about to knock when I heard Vamp
’
s voice on the other side.

“
... your deal anyway?
”

“
Deal?
”
Nix asked.

“
Why are you here?
”

“
Sam arrived in Shangzho last night to return her surrogate, and claimed to have been attacked by a haan pretending to be human. I was sent to follow up with her.
”

“
Why are you still sticking around? She
’
s in enough trouble as it is without looking after you.
”

“
Because I believe I can help.
”

“
Yeah, you
’
ve been a big help so far.
”

“
My species stands to lose more than yours.
”

“
If what
’
s on that recording is true, you guys plan to wipe out millions of us—
”

“
There is no
‘
we
’
in this case. One haan made a deal with your species to wipe out your enemies,
”
Nix said,
“
and as terrible as Sillith
’
s plan is, I am facing the extinction of my entire race. So yes, my species stands to lose more than yours. No haan in their right mind would sanction what
’
s on that recording. I am here because I think I can help stop this.
”

Vamp made a contemptuous snort, but when he spoke
again his voice was a little calmer.
“
If the stuff on that wet drive gets out, you guys are pretty much screwed.
”

“
Yes.
”

“
Still, I
’
m telling you straight up—if it comes to it, I
’
ll hand that recording over. If we don
’
t find that kid and fast, I
’
ll hand it over.
”

“
I understand.
”

“
I
’
m sorry, but there
’
s too much at stake here.
”

“
The recording doesn
’
t indicate where the boy is now.
”

“
No, but it will let our people know what
’
s going on. Even if the burn starts, if they know how it
’
s spreading they might be able to stop it.
”

“
I understand, and I won
’
t try and stop you.
”

Vamp didn
’
t believe him. I couldn
’
t see him, but I could picture the look on his face.

It got quiet again, and I was about to knock when Nix suddenly spoke again.

“
Do you plan to mate with her?
”

“
Who?
Sam?
”
Vamp asked. He laughed a little, and I felt my face flush.

“
Yes.
”

Vamp
’
s laughter petered out, and I waited, leaning against the wall with my forehead on the door.

“
I wouldn
’
t, you know, put it that way,
”
he said,
“
but yeah. I mean, I want to.
”

“
Why?
”

“
I don
’
t know,
”
Vamp said.
“
Why are you asking me?
”

“
I
’
m just curious. I sense your arousal when she is near. You seem determined to hide this from her. I just wondered why.
”

Vamp didn
’
t say anything for a while. I waited, feeling guilty for eavesdropping, but not guilty enough to stop. When we first became friends
he didn
’
t have any interest in me physically at all—zero. It was why we worked because at the time I couldn
’
t handle being touched, not by anybody. I wondered what it was, what I did, or said, that changed his mind.

“
It
’
s complicated,
”
Vamp said. When he said it, his voice was soft, distant, thoughtful... all of the things that he wasn
’
t.
“
We
’
ve been friends a long time. I didn
’
t mean for it to happen, just... something changed. I don
’
t know if she—
”

My hand jerked toward the door like it had a life of its own, and rapped on it three times. The voices stopped.

Vamp opened the door and I saw Nix standing near the basement window where flickering electric light trickled in. The room was a cramped box of water-stained dry-wall and yellowed paint. There was a single bunk, a musty, flat mattress laid over a wire spring mesh with only a sheet to cover it up. Across from it a tiny TV sat chained to a stand of peeling fake wood, and to its left a plastic curtain hid the chemical toilet. It hadn
’
t changed a bit.

“
You two getting along okay?
”
I asked them.

“
Yes,
”
Nix said.
“
I was just asking if—
“

“
So, you were a housekeeper?
”
Vamp blurted, tossing me a bottle. I caught it, then twisted the cap off and flicked it back at him. It bounced off his shoulder and skittered across the floor.

“
Hey, watch it,
”
he said.
“
I
’
ll have management send you in here to pick that up.
”

We laughed a little. Not long, but it felt good.

“
Nix, let me see your arm,
”
I said.

“
It will be fine.
”

“
Let me see it.
”

He held out the arm and ran one spindly finger down the seam of his sleeve. In response, it split and peeled away like the petals of a flower to expose his forearm. Against the light of the table lamp, I could make out the bones inside. Two of them were broken, splinters lodged in the meat around them.

“
Shit, Nix,
”
I said, holding the arm carefully and leaning closer.