Estranged [Completed]

Promotion

Two months later, Kalei walked along the perimeter fence, and Mar quietly matched pace at her shoulder. It was a fresh day. The rain had just cleared and spring was making itself known. Birds flitted back and forth over the chain-link fence, heedless of the border they traversed. Past the razor wire, Kalei could see the open ocean, brilliant blue with huge cargo ships and a few scattered fishing vessels sailing into East Lake Bay on their way to and from New Port. The ships gleamed as the light glinted off various metal instruments and objects. The bright sunlight reflected off a rolling ocean wave, blinding Kalei. She looked away.

Mar rasped, "Ya think that one will be a problem?" Kalei looked at where the old woman was pointing and saw a lone figure standing on the street corner, anxiously shifting her weight. The person was wearing far too many layers than was appropriate on this warm day. Even from this distance, Kalei could see the winter coat bulging as it tried to contain the bulk of several shirts, causing the figure's torso to look oddly disproportionate to its legs.

Kalei almost laughed. "Of course she will. That's Lecia."

Lecia glanced over her left shoulder and saw the two Wardens. She jumped slightly, as though the sight of the pair had surprised her, then she immediately turned away and started speed walking toward the nearest alley.

Before the woman took more than two steps, Kalei called out, "Hey!" She pulled off her Warden's helmet.

Lecia glanced back at the Wardens again, this time tensing up as though she was preparing to run, but then she noticed– "Kalei? Is that you?" Lecia called back.

"Yup," Kalei replied as they approached.

Lecia looked her up and down. Kalei stood still for the scrutiny, fully covered with the standard black polyester from head to toe. Minus the helmet, of course. Lecia's eyes lit up. "You're a Warden now!"

Kalei shrugged. "Apparently."

"So? Does that mean they taught you how to kill Estranged?"

Kalei's grip on her helmet tightened. "No. Supposedly, I need to be an experienced Warden for that." She consciously loosened her grip and felt the swirls in her nails relax as well. "If you ask me, they're just stringing me along. But, it doesn't matter. That's not why I'm here anyway." Kalei knew Lecia understood what she meant, but neither of them said it out loud.

Mar pointed at Lecia. "You. Come on." Mar turned and led the way.

"What she means," Kalei interpreted, "is that we have orders to escort you out of the district on sight." She made a sweeping motion with her arm, as if to say, "After you." Then she said, "It doesn't mean we can't talk on the way."

Lecia pulled her attention away from Mar and seemed to remember Kalei. "Of course! You know—"

"Hold on." They made a few slow steps as Mar trudged on ahead of them. Once the old woman was out of earshot, Kalei picked up the pace again and said, "You know, you really shouldn't hang out Downtown. I can come to you."

"It's not like I come Downtown just to find you. Besides, most Estranged are too zoned out to really come after me. The typical pattern I've observed is that they find a few other Estranged and settle in for a long series of highs. I could jump up and down in front of them and scream my name, but if I'm more than ten feet off, they won't even bother."

"Fascinating. Well, anyway, does Landen have the device ready? Have they learned where my family is?"

"Not that I know. My contact with Tusic changed his number right after your meeting, and I haven't been able to get in touch with any of them since."