Deux

Dragging the burlap sack behind me, I slowly make my way back to the black market. For times like these, there's a super-secret entrance called the pipes. As a colony made on mines, there are plenty of ventilation pipes that connect the colony. While most of them are too small to fit inside, the main pipe is a two-meter wide smoggy safe heaven. Everyone knows that there is no fighting in the pipes. The Spikes demand it in fact. No fighting, no enforcers, no information gathering, and no loitering in the pipes. In a way, you can say the pipes are the heart of the underground.

Coughing into my elbow, I tighten the scarf around my face. Since this is still a ventilation pipe, the air quality is terrible. Dragging the sack through the grainy white powder, I wipe my teary eyes. Mother might be part of this soon. As you can expect, rules are meant to be followed but can be easily broken. The Spikes at their weakest struggled to keep the pipes in check. That is until these white sands started dominating them. Following the loser in front of me, I enter the market.

Making my way to one of the receptionists, I drag the sack between us before letting it go, "I wanna sell the organs and all." Looking down on me, he reaches for the sack, "That'll get you 300 credits yea?" Frowning, I grab his hand, "Bodies go for 1000 credits if fresh. This one is only three hours old."

Grinning, he shakes my hand off and opens the sack. Whistling, he closes it and pulls it behind him, "700 credits and I'll throw in cleanup services to wherever you pumped this one." Another attempt to gather more information. Shaking my head, I just gesture at the board behind him. Dropping his smile, he casually reaches into his trenchcoat and pulls out a small pouch, "800 credits, take it or lose it." Glaring at him, I grab the pouch and disappear further into the market.

Step one, done. Step two, murder an enforcer. Why an enforcer you ask? Well, because killing just anyone might not attract the union's attention and might just get me implicated in a revenge killing. Killing an underground official on the other hand is a quick way to join the white sands that dominate the main pipe. It's said that the spikes eject bone ash into the pipes, but isn't bone ash off white at best? Maybe I'll be able to find out soon.

So what's the big deal? I should just kill an Enforcer and get it over with you say? Well, let's start with people generally don't want to die. They fight, scream, and struggle. What does that mean for the lighter and less lethal of the two organisms? I'll let you do the calculations. Pushing past the canvas flap, I join the eagerly waiting group of amateur killers. Everyone knows, a good killer procures their own tools. Fewer trails and less evidence pointing to you if you do the job properly.

Hearing the door to the backroom rattle, I impatiently push myself in front of the crowd. Why act obtrusive? Simply because it doesn't matter. Once you buy tools for murder from the market, the market will keep a general eye out for anything that can connect you. In my case, I plan on being caught. There just isn't anything they can do to make life more difficult short of killing me. Watching a familiar old lady covered in facial scars, I smirk.

"I heard you were here just yesterday kid. One body, not enough or what?" she cackles. Not bothering to check my face covering, I just shrug. She's known to never overcharge, but in exchange, she never holds her tongue. Glancing at the others behind me, I drop four large credits onto the counter, "I need an instant paralytic." Raising an eyebrow, she deftly snatches a few vials from the merchandise shelf and shows them to me, "You know that these are fast-acting, but also only effective for brief amounts of time?"

Ignoring most of the vials, I point to the one with a smidgeon of clear liquid. Returning the others, she takes the credits and gently rolls the vial in my direction, "need anything to use with it?" Grabbing the vial I pull out my concealed needlepoint knife from my sleeve, "You think that'll work?" Keeping it in my sleave is quite a hassle, but you never really know when you meet someone asking for a quick stab. If it comes to a confrontation, I'm better off running, but a quick stab can stop most people. Grunting she puts her hand out. cautiously reaching out with the knife, I pull it back when she smacks my hand. "The vial, give me the vial boy. You're using the wrong weapon" she explains.

Grabbing the vial, she returns it before bending behind the counter and looking for something else, "That was a neurotoxin, tetrodotoxin if you want to be specific. Exactly what you need, but that one needs to be injected or ingested. That knife of yours can do neither." Bringing out a small spherical pack, she tosses it to me, "This'll do. Just point at the target and squeeze, the powder is contact-based. It's weak and can never kill, but it'll disable anyone immediately in front of you." Examining the pack, I finger the opening before putting it away. Flinching as a large credit hits my face. "The price is normally 2 large credits, but I'll charge one on top for saving your life. Use the needlepoint to gut your prey. Now leave through the flap. Next!" Stooping over to pick up the credit, I hurry out of the shop.

Blending back into the crowds, I make my way into the area proper. Rolling my shoulders, I glance at the enforcer up ahead. About two meters to go and a bit to my right. Completely in the middle of the crowd standing on an elevated surface. To get through this alive, I need them to chase me long enough for them to not immediately kill me after. The only problem? The scavengers in area four know the streets like our few guaranteed rights, how could we get caught unwillingly. The solution? New construction. I can act like the new construction caught me off guard and let them chase me into a dead end. The next enforcer spot is another five meters from the first. How crowded is it right now? Enough to wave my hands around and not touch anyone. In other words, I am and will be visible.

Breathing out slowly, I start tensing my muscles as I pass the first enforcer. Here we go! Starting into a jog as I pass the first enforcer, I eye the second enforcer's platform. One square meter long platform is elevated by half a meter and surrounded by a concrete enclosure with a roof. Two doorways facing the directions of traffic and two window-sized openings facing the openings of the side streets.

Just a couple meters left, I pull my face covering tight and pull out the poison pack. Let's hope this thing works. Speeding up, I hold the pack away from me and pointing forward. Breathing in, I jump. Landing on the edge of the platform, I squeeze. With a small pop, a dull gray cloud drenches the enforcer before falling away. Clenching my teeth, I drop the used pack and pull out the knife. Seeing his arms rigidly by his side, I step forward and push the knife through his throat from left to right. Pushing him over, I glance backward to see the other enforcer already running towards me.

Don't you just love it when you're law enforcement is in decent shape? Launching off the platform I turn into a side street just in time for a bullet to pulverize a mottled brown brick where my head was earlier. Stick to the plan. Stick to the plan! Just keep running towards a dead end and hopefully, the run will cool him off. Psyching myself up, I count the alleys I pass. Hearing the enforcer stomping behind me, I start using other people as obstacles. Nine streets. Barreling between a couple I stumble. Eight streets. Running around a vagrant, I spot a gap in traffic a few streets further. Seven streets left. I hear him shoving pedestrians out of the way. Six streets. I jump over an outstretched leg and push a kid behind me.

Now that I think about it, what if the run doesn't help him cool off? Do I still die? No! I need to get caught, but I need to stay alive long after getting caught. Five streets, almost no foot traffic left up ahead. Hearing his labored breathing, I wonder if I should just get away and think of a better way. Four streets. I hear him breathing erratically from his nose. Four streets. Counting the remaining pedestrians in front, I edge closer to the right side of the street. Reaching the end, I throw myself sideways, into the side street as another bullet smashes the opposing wall. No more convenient cover.

Sighing, I run into an alley taking me to the next street. I can already hear him behind me. Knocking a trash can over behind me, I once again throw myself to the right as I enter the next street. No gunshot. Either he's not as close, his gun is jammed, or he no longer is going to shoot me. All good news for me. Entering the next alley to the right, I glance back to see the enforcer doing his best to keep our distance constant. What changed?

Not willing to find out, I exit the alley and meet a fist with my face. Feeling my legs kick out from underneath me, I smash into the ground. Not letting up, the newcomer kicks me into the wall. Shielding my head with my hands I catch a glimpse of an enforcer's uniform. It seems like I got caught earlier than planned. It's not like it would have made much of a difference, but let's hope that this one is in the mood for prolonged punishment.

Grunting as they kick me in my back, I use one hand to brace the wall and one to shield the back of my head. Ignoring the pain, I watch for the next attack. It's probably useless, but whatever damage I mitigate is more I have to work with later. Hearing the previous enforcer catch up and chuckle, I hear a distinctly female voice behind me. "Almost gave you the slip huh, Dave?" she said. Grunting, the enforcer named Dave reached for my collar and pulled me up. The female enforcer roughly slaps a choker around my neck and cuffs my wrists to it.

Tearing my face covering off, he points his pistol at me. I guess the gun didn't jam. Inspecting it I find a standard grey pistol with no visible texture other than on the grip. Roughly pushing me against the wall, he slowly positions the muzzle between my eyebrows and on my forehead. Feeling the slightly warm metal touching my skin, I suddenly start smiling. Its showtime! Smirking I do my best to look annoying, "Shoot me. Do it quickly!" Frowning, he pushes the gun harder. Just when I thought I failed, he pulls the trigger.

Pulling it a few more times, I scrutinize his face before giving him a surprised look. He himself looked confused. He meant to pull the trigger. He meant to shoot. Cutting in from the side, the female enforcer pushes him away and drags me to the center of the street. "You see this Dave? The dirtbags are watching. Do you really want to end him just like that?" she asks while pointing out the sizable crowd that had gathered. "The command has been looking for a way to send a message to them. Why don't we just solve the problem and get ourselves some progress towards a promotion?" she says, practically announcing the conversation at this point. Cradling my ribs, I change my strategy to completely focusing on the pain.

I've escaped immediate death, now all I can do is play along and hope they don't decide to create a new punishment. "Heh, I get it. You could have just told me y'know?" Dave whispers. Walking in front of me, Dave grabs my hair and hoists me up. "You see him?" he shouts. "This one right here just committed a crime, an egregious crime worthy of death," he announces. Pausing his monologue, he lets me fall, "Will we kill him? Of course, but not before he regrets his actions so much, that he forgets everything but his regret. Not before he pays in blood for what he took. Not before he serves the Union one last time."

I've got to hand it to him, his public speaking skills are much better than a caveman's. I almost couldn't hold my happiness at what I was hearing. "This man, now a criminal, will be serving as cannon fodder on the frontlines. His fate is to fight against the monster hordes and die being eaten alive. Burn his face into your thick heads, because it'll be your faces instead should you choose to break the law."

Holding in my tears, I almost couldn't help laughing in joy. He almost convinced me to do it again.