Ghosts of Koa, The First Book of Ezekiel (6 page)

Zeika sighed as she walked towards the stall, peeking in just in time to see the large slab of wall tile moving upward. A secret door to an old speakeasy, and through it glided David Kohler, or "Wavy Davy", as some on his circuit now called him. Zeika leaned against the wall outside the stall and crossed her arms, looking at him critically.

He must have gotten his style from the history books of hustlers because the fool was completely out of context. Shiny finger waves set against pale skin, like a black sea on a white sand beach. Three gold teeth, which often switched places on different days, were set in a mouth that used to kiss all the girls. He always dressed up, and today he sported a dark red shirt, unbuttoned to the navel, tucked into a gaudy, gold-plated belt and black slacks. Polished gators on his feet. But none of the trimmings could hide the deep crags in his face, or his yellowing eyes, or the nervous tics in his fingers, all lingering specters of heavy drug and alcohol use.

Zeika tried to feel sympathy for him but came up empty. A lot had happened since the economic collapse, and even more had happened last spring, when the Azure raids began in the Protecteds. A lot of people-- friends, neighbors, workers, good Civilians-- had plummeted into some messed up places. Davy hadn't been one of those good people, though. He'd always been a creep and outcast, slinking around the streets of the Fifth. But the man who was once garbage was now godly. The recent darkness that had been cast over the Protecteds allowed vermin like him to thrive, and he did so on the very vices that now gripped the indigent. The streets on which so many had passed him by were now his domain. Poor, desperate girls clung to him for his connections and for work, and he controlled all of them. Julie was one of many in his stable.

"Hello, David," Zeika said, not bothering to mask her disgust.

"That's my name, the prettiest and wittiest. But look at you! You looked so tired when you got here. Outta breath. Why don't you come through to the other side and get comfortable?" He stepped closer as he said this, his gaze sliding to places they shouldn't, especially for a man his age.

She rolled her eyes at his suggestion. "I'm not a working girl. I assume Julie told you that already."

"Yeah, yeah, but she didn't tell me how
fine
you'd become, either. Mm!" He bit his lip, a gold tooth protruding from his crooked grin. He looked like some broke-down comic book character or something. "Time flies like a goose from Christmas dinner! One minute I'm cheering you on at your ballet recitals and martial arts competitions, and next thing I know, you're all woman and wiggle."

"Look. I don't generally do business with pimps. So let's get on with it. I'm already struggling to re-swallow my lunch."

"Pimp?" He laughed and shook his head. "That's a filthy thing you're callin' me, baby. Me, I'm more of a manager... a manager of lovely ladies of leisure."

"Whatever. Manage your dick out of our business, and we'll do just fine." She threw the bag
 
down at his feet, its contents clanging together. "Everything you asked for. Where's my money?"

"A business woman. I like that." Davy reached into his pockets, produced a thick roll of green, and started counting it. "You know, you ain't always gotta bring the bag, girly. You got some zippers of your own to sell that I'd pay real nice for. Others too--"

"Keep counting, David. Four hundred, clean."

"Ah, come on, I count dough in my sleep. We can talk."

"We have nothing to discuss except the exchange."

"Oh, we got plenty to discuss! What? Don't act like you've never bartered your God-given slice, baby. We all know where you got that work pass from. Now you think your shit's too hot to swap with civvies, eh? Think I can't afford it? Azures ain't the only guys that get to be treated nice, you know."

"What I
think
is that you wouldn't know what to do with it. You couldn't come if I called you."

Davy paused in his counting, look at her, and scowled. Zeika never broke her gaze. Inside, she hated it, talking and acting that way. Hustling meant she couldn't be the best of herself, but worse would be to end up like Julie: bouncy, cute, and getting her ass handed to her every night. In order to be taken seriously, to keep both her and Manja safe, Zeika had to be rock hard. This was the lay of the land now, this was the game, and if she wanted to stay a step ahead, she had to speak the language. She often wished she could be softer... but out here, soft didn't survive.

Guess Davy bought the tough girl act because he sneered, breaking their gaze to look back down at the money. He shook his head before starting his count again, pretending as though he hadn't lost his place. "All you civvie bitches, swinging from the Azure boner branch like fuckin' monkeys," he muttered. "And now you're all used up, the lot of you. A sad world we're in when Jills can't get it hot for their own Jacks."

"Yeah, because that's the only time when the world gets sad, right? Get over yourself. Hand me the money, and get the hell on."

"Yeah... because you
need
this money, don't you?" Davy looked up, smiling slyly. He'd finished his count and was now looking at her with a carnivorous gaze, like a cat who'd cornered a rat.

Zeika regarded him with suspicion, suddenly very aware of how small the bathroom was, of the fact that she was leaning against a wall, of how he was slowly halving the distance between them. She tensed, watching his movements.

Don't do it, asshole.
I really don't want to hurt you.

"The mighty have fallen, yourself and your Papa included, baby. So you'd better play nice," Davy continued, still advancing. "The meek like me have inherited the earth. We're highly favored. 'Specially me. So many good things just gravitate towards my energy--"

"Like flies are attracted to shit," she said, making a face. "Yeah, totally. I can totally see that."

"You come work for me, and you ain't gotta flip another waffle ever again in your life. I'll take care of you."

Zeika extended her hand, waiting for the money, but Davy kept on.

"I've been real nice letting the daycare use my secret place, haven't I? Someone's gotta pay up, right?"

Hairs raised on the back of Zeika's neck. Somehow, it didn't sound like he was asking. It didn't look like it, either. Davy's eyes danced, as though the machinations of his mind had suddenly turned diabolic, cruel.

"If
you
don't wanna pay, then that's fine," he said, grinning. "But I see you gotta cute little sister in there. I'd give her about three or four more years before--"

She reached into her robes, but Davy was faster, grabbing her arm with one hand and pinning it against her body before she could draw her field knife. His long fingers tightened around her neck, and air rushed out of her chest as he slammed her into the concrete wall. The bulky contents of her pack dug into her spine as he pressed on her.

"Get off me," she seethed.
 

Davy's grin widened as he squeezed, and though he thought he had the upper hand, Zeika could feel it, the control slipping away from her second by second. She struggled to keep herself from walking through that door, but he'd just threatened her, threatened Manja.

"I'm warning you," she snarled again, ready to let loose. "Get the hell off me, or I promise you'll regret it."

Davy got close to her ear, rubbing his nose against her cheek. She squirmed as his stale breath condensed on her lobe as he whispered into it. "You smell really good," he said. "Like desperation. Tell your Papa if he's serious about doing business again, don't send his pretty little jailbait kid to negotiate. Gets me... distracted."

Laughing, he let go, and she pushed him off her, snarling.

"Go fuck yourself!" She rubbed her throat as it opened again, allowing her to breathe.

"I wish you luck with that too, baby," he muttered, lighting a cigarette as he picked up the duffel bag. He tossed the wad of cash he owed her in the sink. "But don't forget to send me a video of it, eh?" Cackling, he disappeared into the wall of the stall with his package, the tiled door sliding closed behind him.

Zeika shuddered and grabbed the knob of the money sink, turning it on full blast. She splashed her face and neck trying to get his stench off. So gross. It was bad enough that Civilian girls had to keep their guards up against Azures. Civilian guys weren't much different sometimes. It all sucked, really, but Zeika had chosen not to dwell on it, at least not until today. Ugh.

Her face dripping, she turned off the faucet and pocketed all five hundred dollars' worth of bills as they floated, not caring that they were soaking wet. It was just as well. She didn't want Davy's grease on her money, either.

"Hey you." Julie stepped in, timid in her walk. "Got what you came for?"

"Yeah, and more than that." Zeika wrinkled her nose, still feeling the icky warmth of Davy's body on hers. "Thanks, though. I owe you one." She walked up to her, coming in close. "Listen," she dropped her voice to a whisper. "About the daycare space..."

She explained what had happened with Davy, repeated what he'd said about Manja. Horrified, Julie agreed to move the daycare across town-- today-- to one of their old stations until they found a new space. The kids' parents would help to move the classroom supplies later. She apologized the entire time, blaming herself.

"
Stop
, Jules. Stop taking responsibility for all these assholes," Zeika said, forcing a smile. "Please."

Julie nodded, but cast her eyes down. "Yeah..."

Zeika grinned, suddenly unable to hold it back: "Plus, you got some other 'holes' to worry about--"
 

Julie laughed and shoved her playfully. "You're such a bitch, you know that?"

Attagirl. Keep smiling.

Warmth filled Zeika up as Julie hooked her arm around her neck and walked her back into the daycare.
 

Simply laid, the one room cavern was just big enough to hold the entire class, with some extra room for limited movement. Crates of children's books, bundled sleeping bags and floor pillows, battered toy trucks, patchwork dolls-- they all lined the craggy walls. Children's kitchens and tool shops kept lopsided vigils nearby. Even hanging loosely on the wall was a mini chalkboard where the children could use colored chalk to draw pictures. A few adult-sized chairs were scattered around, but besides those, the thinning gym mat on the floor was the only soft spot in the cave for sitting.
 

In the center of it all, a group of about ten barefoot kids all moved in unison. They were following the motions of the head daycare teacher, Denise, a rock in womanly flesh.

Julie dropped her arm and straightened, as though she'd just remembered something. "Got news," she whispered. "Didn't want to hit you with it when you first stepped in, but I'm not sure now's the best time either--"
 

"Shoot."

"We just got a call from some parents. We've extended daycare hours. Town meeting."

Zeika felt her skin prickle, and she broke her gaze from the group of kids, looking to Julie for confirmation. Jules nodded, her expression serious. The explosion, along with the gnawing dread that had come with it, crept back into Zeika's mind. "Meeting about what?"

"The influx of refugees into the Protecteds." Jules sighed. "We can't house them fast enough. That, and the explosion. Apparently, the target was an Azure summit, and Koa hit the bullseye. Real bloody. And it happened within ten meters of Demesne Six's border. On the
inside
."

As the words sank in, Zeika felt her lips part. "But, how? The borders--"

"It could have been a mistake," Julie reasoned with a shrug. "I mean, it's easy for a rookie Koan to fudge the demesne boundaries by accident..."

Zeika looked at her, helpless. The world really
was
just going from ass to toilet.

"Try not to worry about it," Julie said, trying to be upbeat. She put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Just keep it in mind."

"Yeah," Zeika muttered, embittered by the words. "I'm just not sure how much more I
can
keep in mind."

"Form one!" Denise's command barreled across the room, drawing their attention.

"HAI!" The group of kids stepped forward with their right feet and crouched. As they did, they lifted one arm over their heads and circled the other arm down as though drawing an imaginary air circle. Their right legs were extended, each child balancing on his or her toes like dancers.

"Like swans, children! Keep those toes straight! Arms up and loose, hands and fingers like butterflies!" Denise instructed. She walked around, fixing each child's form as necessary.

"Swans and butterflies are girly!" One boy complained as Denise came around to him.
 

"All right then, be graceful like a ninja. Toes straight like a ninja. And arms up, loose and free. Hands and fingers like-- er-- like
worms
! Yes! Like limber, sneaky worms!"

"Cool!" The boy whooped. His stance improved immediately.

"Gonna start packing..." Julie muttered, and she moved off.

Zeika set her bag down onto one of the tattered love seats. She scanned the crowd of kids, finally relaxing when she spotted one four-year-old in particular. Manja was focused, her eyes hard, an adult-like seriousness on her mahogany face as she held her stance as still as possible. She was just as short as her peers, but the thick crop of kinky hair and stark blue eyes were almost impossible to miss in the crowd.

Denise barked again. "Form two!"

"HAI!" They pivoted, completing the air circles with their arms, ending the move in a step forward.

Zeika held back a small laugh as the kids straightened up like mini soldiers. The sight was enough to push her fatigue and worry and lingering disgust to the bottom of her thoughts.
She clapped softly, stepping forward onto the mat.

"Very nice, you guys! All of you will be experts in no time!"

"ZEEKY!" Manja whipped around. Giggling, she made a beeline for her. "Zeeky, I missed you!"

The girl's smile knocked the chill out of Zeika's bones, and she knelt, scooping Manja up in her arms, snuggling her nose into her cheek. "What's kickin', Commander? How was your day?"