The Phoenix Society

Chapter 13

"This has to be it, right?" I asked as my eyes scanned the area in front of me. The tunnel Banks and I had travelled through had opened into a large room beneath the cities surface. There were four other entrances located around the room, each flooded with people coming and going. They looked identical to the tunnel Banks and I had walked through, with the addition of some rocks and rubble. The room, which was alive with endless groups of people, was lined with booth after booth. Some booths were larger then other and had display items such as weapons, laid out neatly along their tables. While others were a simple basket with a person standing beside. The room was dimly lit by flashlights and lanterns brought by those participating in the market. That coupled with the dust, dirt, and grim, made it made it extremely difficult to make out any familiar faces. What I could tell is that everyone seemed to know each other.

I watched as a man with a cheerful grin on his face slapped the back of another as they traded small baggies of white powder. Past them, I watched a women pick up a long blade off a table. She swung it through the air. After a moment, she put it back down and pulled out a large wad of cash and handed it to the seller.

"I mean, this looks like an underground market to me." Banks said. The chatter only grew louder the closer to the room we got, by now it was nearly impossible to make out any distinct conversations. I had to strain my ears to hear Banks and he was right next to me. Banks stepped into the market and slowly maneuvered through the crowds of people. No one seemed to pay attention to us as we moved, they were too focused on doing their illegal bidding.

"Can I offer you a sample?" A women stepped in front of me and shoved a plate of small, perfectly round pills into my face. "These are my specialty. Make ya feel real nice and warm. Only need to take one."

"No thank you." I declined. The woman's face fell as she turned her attention to another group of people. "I didn't think there would be this many people." I stepped over a rock that lay in my path.

"You'd be amazed at the things people will do to make money." Banks responded. His gaze was focused ahead of him, his eyes searching the crowds of people for anything that somewhat resembled Rider. "What did you say he sold?"

"He makes his profits by selling old jewelry. Gold chains, earrings, necklaces. Advertises it as real gold. No one ever cares enough to check." I rolled my eyes. "Pretty shitty to have to make your living off a lie."

"I'm not seeing anything." Banks said his eyes still scanning the area. He craned his neck to see over a crowd of people that stood blocking out path. "I'm not sure how anyone finds anything in here."

I frowned. He was right. The lighting mixed with the large amounts of people were not helping our cause. It would take hours for us to find Rider in this mess, if he was even here. I turned my body around toward the vender trying to sell me the mysterious pills. She had her back to me as she was talking to a group. I reached my arm out touching her elbow as I joined in the group.

"$250 a round, a thousand for the bunch." The woman's scratchy voice said. My eyes wandered over the group she was talking too. One by one they each shook their head before moving deeper into the market. The women sighed turning her attention to me.

"Rough day for business?" I asked.

The women glared at me as she tried to move away.

"I was wondering if you could help me find someone." I followed as she moved behind her plastic folding table. The women set her tray down, causing some of the pills to topple off. The women grunted as she moved to pick them up.

"You don't just get information for free." She grumbled. The woman's gruff voice was so scratchy I had to lean in closer to discern what she said.

"I'll take the whole lot." I told her. The women looked up at me. Her eyebrow raised and she crossed her arms.