Catalyst

CHAPTER 3

My bike sits several streets over from Shooters. I'm relieved to find it in the same place, resting against an abandoned casino, this one a little less recognizable than others.

Once a glittering metropolis of casinos, nightlife, and flashing lights, Legas now looks like nothing more than a pit. Gone are the glitz, glamour, and material wealth of the Casino Age. Gone are the colors of the rainbow blazing across neon signs and white lighted billboards decorating the town. Instead, many of the buildings sit vacant, a perfect place for squatters at night and vagrants during the day. Now, this is a tarnished, a broken, and a defiled city.

Obviously, I never saw this place at the height of its wealth and prosperity, but I've been told it was an unbelievable sight. But that was before. Before Pacifica's government got a "moral compass" and made gambling illegal, forcing the shutdown of all casinos. But it's funny how crime increases when things become illegal. Kind of like Prohibition all over again.

I throw my leg over my Harley and hike my miniskirt up a little further, my bare thighs pale in the moonlight. The engine roars, and I take off in the direction of the abandoned Megasphere. It was once a thrill-seeking ride, taking its victims far above the city. Now it sits, dark and desolate, lurking like a sentinel at the edge of the Gateway.

I skid to a stop in front of the Megasphere, the heat from the exhaust pipe licking at my bare legs. This is the place I like to come. To think. To get away.

The door to the empty building creaks when I open it. At night, everything looks eerie in the darkness. As I switch on my pocket light, the room in front of me glows a sickly yellow. I know this place well and could easily find my way in the dark, but I choose not to. Too many low-hanging beams and rusty pipes make it dangerous and stupid to traipse through at night.

It takes several minutes to climb to the top by way of the emergency staircase, but when I reach the roof and step outside, the breeze lifts my hair and passes over my bare arms and legs, reminding me it's worth it. I move toward my favorite spot and settle into one of the abandoned ride chairs. My legs dangle over the city. From here, I can see it all. The vastness beyond. The tiny pockets of light.

It is only here, at the top of the Megasphere, that I'm able to find peace. The peace that was ripped from me the night my father passed away-the night my world turned upside down. Even though GIGA was willing to let me stay on as a student after my father's death, I couldn't go back. I never belonged there anyway.

I stare at one light pocket in particular. The suburbs where we lived before my father died. Before we couldn't pay the mortgage and had to move to a double-wide on the outskirts of town.

When my father died and I found the photo in his briefcase, I became curious. After we found out about his supposed involvement with the Devil, I was angry. How could my father keep something like that from us?

Anger and curiosity is not a good combination.

And after months of wanting to meet with the Devil, I now know something about my father I never would have imagined.

The smell of burning wood fills the air around me, and I squint at the valley below, trying to locate the source. Smoke rises from a burning building on the edge of the Hollow, the area where most of the government buildings outside Rubex, Pacifica's capital, are located. I'd bet anything it's the handiwork of the Fringe, an extremist group.

I suck in a breath and tilt my head back, resting it against the seat. The wind roars at this height. It drags through my hair and prickles against my skin.

I don't really like the person I've become in the last year, but circumstances necessitate this lifestyle. As a seventeen-year-old dropout, there aren't many options afforded me. Except one-the art of lying and stealing. The truth is, thugs don't really care how old you are, as long as you're willing to do the work.

A light in the distance draws my curiosity. To get a better look, I slip from the seat and ease to the edge, leaning over slightly. It's past the city, deep in the desert at the base of the mountains. I wasn't aware anyone lived all the way out there.

The sound of shoes scraping against concrete startles me, and I turn quickly, surprised to see a boy close to my age. I use the term boy loosely as he is built more like a man. With broad shoulders and a solid build, he looks to be about twenty.

He moves toward me, his hands out like he's trying to calm a raging sea.

"Let's not do anything hasty, okay?" His voice is smooth and deep, almost melodious.

My eyes narrow as I cross my arms over my chest. "What the hell are you talking about?"

He inches closer. "Trust me; you don't want to do this."

My heart pounds. I take a step away from him, wondering if he's mentally sound.

He continues. "Nothing can be that bad for you to want to end your life-"

End my life?

Anger flares up, hot and heavy. What is he doing here? This is my place. My space.

My eyes flash, and when I don't respond, he looks doubtful.

"You are a jumper, right?" His eyes crinkle in concern.

"No," I practically spit out. "I'm not a jumper. And even if I was, it would be none of your concern."

His facial muscles relax in response, and his mouth turns up into a grin. I want to punch the smile off his face. Who does he think he is? I certainly don't need him to rescue me. I don't need anyone to rescue me.

He tilts his head and stares at me with a bemused expression. "If you're not a jumper, then why are you up here? Do you have a death wish?"

"Do you?" I retort.

The irony of the situation hits him, and he bursts into laughter. Refusing to stand there and be laughed at, I turn on my heel and stride to the stairs.

His laughter subsides, and I hear him call after me. "Wait! I'm sorry."

I pick up the pace and hurry down the stairs. He's directly behind me, which causes my heart rate to speed up. I don't think he's chasing me, but the presence of him makes me leery. I'd really rather not shove the heel of my hand into his nose, but I will if he tries to touch me.

My breathing comes in ragged gasps by the time I push through the exit, but the boy sounds as if he's only walked a few feet. His breathing is smooth and slow, an indication that he's most likely genetically modified-a GM.

"Listen, I wasn't trying to offend you," he persists.

I continue to ignore him as I move toward my bike across the street. His hand latches on my arm. Instinctively, I turn, prepared to deliver a forceful blow to his face. But right before my palm connects with his nose, he grabs my wrist, stopping the impact. Of course, he's quick.

I wrench my wrist free and glare at him. "What do you want?"

His mouth turns down in a frown. In the glow of the streetlights, his hair is the color of fresh wheat and his eyes are a warm chocolate brown.

"To apologize. I'm sorry I assumed you were a jumper."

I cross my arms over my chest in the most defiant stance I can muster. "Feel better now?"

"Yes. I mean, no-"

I swing my leg over my bike, suddenly self-conscious when his eyes shift to my pale bare legs. Groaning inwardly, I rev the engine.

"Look, just forget about it," I call out to him before the bike moves down the dimly lit street. Only as I turn the corner do I venture a glance in his direction. I see him re-enter the Megasphere, and it is then, as I speed away, that I wonder what he is doing there.

****

This is the END of CHAPTER 3, but if you'd like to read more, you can download the ENTIRE BOOK for FREE on Amazon. Click on the link below to claim your FREE copy! Happy Reading! :)

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