Limitless

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Chapter 13 - Hope

She won't tell me her name.

I can understand that well enough. Most kids in the streets keep their names a secret, especially after participating in an illegal Griz Fight. Besides, I don't want to know her name. I'm still worried about losing the bet. Justin's defeat cost me a thousand Units. Money that was being saved up for plague medicine. And it's all the girl's fault. Stupid me.

Jess continues to ask questions as she helps the Girl clean her wound as best as she can. I keep quiet most of the time. I'm on guard. After my dust bomb and escaping from the gamblers, we found shelter in an abandoned library. Most of the walls are collapsed and left most of the room in the mercy of the hot sun. Jess and me found a small are with a ceiling she was cleaning up the wound of the new Girl. She says something and I see Jess smile.

'My name's Jess.' She knows better than to say my name. 'Which part of the city are you from?' She studies the Girl's wounds. 'That's a nasty one, but nothing that cant heal. I'll try to find some goat milk for you in the morning, until then just try spitting on it. It'll help with infections.'

I can see from the girl's expression that she already knew this. 'Thanks.' She says. 'I'm really grateful for your help.'

Tess smiles. But I can see that even she feels uncomfortable with the Girl around.

I tighten my jaw. Night will fall in an hour or so and I have a wounded girl to add to my duties. I also need to go meet the guy who was looking for me.

After a while, I rise and join Jess and the Girl. 'We'll stay here for the night.' I look at the girl. 'How are you feeling?'

'Okay,' she says, but it's obvious that she's in great pain. She doesn't know what to do with her hands, so she keeps moving them to touch the wound, and then stopping herself. I have a sudden urge to comfort her. 'Why did you save me?'

'No goddy clue. You cost me a thousand Units.'

The Girl smiles for the first time, but there's something eternally cautious about it. She seems to take in and analyze every word of mine. She doesn't trust me. 'You bet big, don't you? Sorry about that, she made me angry.' She shifts.

'I'll go get some water,' Jess says. She jumps up and goes toward the open stairwell to the water's edge. Once she's gone I take a seat next to the girl. My hand accidentally brushes past her waist, and I pull away quickly, afraid that I've hurt her.

'It'll get well soon, if there's no infection,' I say. 'You can stay with us till then.'

'Thanks. I'm tracking down Justice after that.'

I lean back and study the girl's face. She's a little paler than the other girls around here, with big eyes that glow with the gold flecks of light. She's pretty in a way that distracts me, just like in the Griz Fight. No, pretty's not the word. Beautiful. It's not only that, she reminds me of someone. Maybe it's her eyes, something coolly logical and fiercely defiant at the same time... I feel my checks grow warm; I look away, thankful for the growing darkness. Maybe I shouldn't have helped her. Way too distracting. At this moment all I can think of is how beautiful she is and what I would do to brush my hands against her brown hair.

'So, girl,' I say after a while. 'Where'd you learn to fight that well? You broke her arm without even trying to.'

I see her hesitate. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice that she's looking at me. I turn towards her and she quickly changes her gaze to the water, as if embarrassed to be caught looking. She absently touches her wound and makes a clicking sound with her tongue, as if out of habit. 'I like to hang out near the military camps. I watch the cadets fight.' She says.

'Wow, your a risk taker, huh? You shouldn't have much trouble on your own, then.'

She laughs. 'You saw how well I managed on my own. And what about Jess. Is she your sister?'

'Close enough.' I say.

After a few more minutes of talking, Jess comes with water and we sit in silence for a while. Night has fallen and the girl dozed off in a fitful sleep. I tell Jess about my encounter with the bartender and what she says.

'I don't think you should go.' She is careful not to use my name, in case the Girl can still hear us.

After a while she agrees and I prepare myself. I wear pretty much the same clothes I wore to break into the Limit. Brown boots with knives tucked under them, black trousers and t-shirt, gloves and a handkerchief. I run off towards the financial area of the city.

I'm at the back of the bank, careful to stay in the shadows. I don't see any soldiers anywhere and I think of going back. That's when a man approaches. He's short, and has a rich look. He's wearing a suit; I've only seen a few people wearing those around here. The suit is a unique shade of brown, and a white shirt underneath.

There are two people walking behind him and they look like his bodyguards. They're wearing identical black suits and I can see the outline of machine guns underneath them. This guy should surely be someone rich.

He walks towards me. 'Hello.' I stay silent. Prepared to run anytime. 'Plague vaccines.' He pulls out something from under his suit. It's a vial labeled Marburg virus mutations.

'What do you want me to do?' I'm prepared to do anything for this.

I listen to him. It takes him three fourth of an hour to finish it and give me the needed equipment.

'When is it?' I ask

'Two days from no, 48 hours' I'll meet you here after you're done.' He says. The bodyguards stay silent throughout all this.

I know what to do. It's like nothing I've even done before. It's a dozen times more dangerous and impossible than the hospital stunt, but this time, I have money and technology on my side. I'm ready to do this. But if I fail, I'm a dead boy.