Crack in the Kill Code (AmpCore #2)

14 - Diet of the Other Side

Holly sank her teeth into the greasy sandwich, tearing off a chunk of it and chewing with relish. She didn't know exactly what was in it, if she was totally honest, It was some kind of synthetic bastardisation of poultry, packed around processed veg, lathered with a thick, garlic sauce, all crammed between two slices of dark bread.

She had to admit though, it actually tasted alright, which was a bit of a shock to the system. Raised in the heart of Hadrian, Holly knew just how good food could get if you had the crypts. Maybe her standards had just fallen through the floor, along with the rest of her life.

As she ate, she kept a wary eye on the clientele in front of her. She had her back to a solid wall, tucked in the corner of the establishment while she observed, waiting for her quarry to materialise. Ripping off another mouthful of the sandwich, she washed it down with a glug of the sickly-sweet soda, sucking air through her teeth at the sharpness of it. Unlike the sandwich, the drink left a lot to be desired. It might as well have been a class of liquidised sugar for all she could taste. No wonder people out here seemed so wired all the time.

The people she'd been waiting for arrived just as she finished her meal. As she crumpled up the thin, stained paper wrapping, however, she realised quickly that her initial plan would need some modifications.

Two men came barrelling through first, clad in thick factory-style blast jackets, and lugging something in a big black body bag. From the way they strained, she was willing to bet there was something a hell of a lot heavier than a human body inside. The pair stopped briefly in front of the bartender, exchanging a few hushed, hurried words, before he nodded and ushered them through a door marked "STAFF ONLY".

Her interest only grew when three more gang members followed, staggering in through the bar's side door, all supporting a fourth. Holly's brows rose at the sight of the woman, the tanned skin of her face drained of blood, arms wrapped around her mid-section. Even from this distance she could see the crimson seeping through the gang members' fingers.

She waited, and watched, gulping down the last of her drink. She'd known to look for them here, but she hadn't been expecting to catch them right after a gunfight. Moving silently, she freed her amplifier beneath the table and sent out questing fingers across the bar towards them.

Before they could disappear through the door as well, Holly managed to get her hooks into the injured woman, in an instant raking invisible fingers through the body. What she found filled her with both excitement and trepidation. These were not gunshots, or even traditional blades. Even with just a cursory brush over the injured ganger she could see the ripping, hacking claw-like incisions, just like the people on the docks.

It was a miracle the woman's insides were still ... inside. But she had minutes to live, Holly knew it instantly.

That presented an opportunity.

Wiping her mouth, she waited for a minute until the initial commotion died down, then rose from her seat. She kept her amplifier out, but concealed within the pocket of her coat as she walked towards the bar.

Holly walked straight towards the door, flexing her implants as the barman spotted her. He took a step, aiming to bar her path, his mouth opening to shout a warning.

She squeezed one eye shut in concentration, until she found the man's vagus nerve. Then she gave it just enough of a squeeze to send him into a seizure, before he collapsed in an unconscious heap. To the casual observer, she hadn't gotten within ten feet of him, and by the time anybody noticed what had happened, Holly was already through the door and descending the stairs.

Frantic voices echoed towards her. She slipped her amplifier back into its sheathe, a calculated risk under the circumstances, but one she knew she needed to take if she wanted to get a word out before bullets started flying.