Hacker

Chapter two

Alison rolled onto her back and felt an odd tug on her forearm. She was attempting to recapture the fading fragments of her dream. Images of being cornered and attacked in an alley lingered behind her lids. Alison banished the the thought and sunk deeper into the warmth of half sleep. She could stay in for a couple more minutes, after all Jubin was only expecting her at noon. The guards had a habit of becoming lazy after lunch was served and that was when her kind became most active.

Today would be good pickings too, it being market day the main square would be bursting at it’s seams. Hundreds of unwary customers milling about like lost sheep, sorting through merchandise and fretting over prices and watching the salesmen, not their pockets. If work was as profitable as she hoped, Alison might be able to buy groceries for the week. A wave of deja vu swept over her. Ali shrugged it off, thinking it would be nice not to worry about food or lack thereof for a while.

 A noise intruded upon her reverie. It sounded like a cough. Alison froze-what the hell. Ali strained her ears until she could nearly count her own heartbeat. Tension poured into her muscles. Then she heard it, the rustle of clothes and the intake of breath. There was someone in her room. She tasted salt and quickly released the fleshy piece of cheek she had bitten into. Alison wondered briefly why her throat was uncut and her lungs still drew breath but decided not to jinx herself. She curled her fingers around the blankets and smelt clean sheets and disinfectant. The knife under her pillow would require too much time and she would lose the element of surprise, she would just have to take her chances. Wait, what disinfectant? Where was the trademark smell of blood that permeated throughout her apartment? Her dream surfaced and Alison suppressed a groan. It wasn’t a dream. She felt a pang of despair as she remembered dropping the groceries and losing her hopes of having a full belly. The pain hit at the same time as the memories. Any vestige of drowsiness fled and stiffness swiftly replaced the vacancy.

 Her temple felt warm and wet and spongy. Alison concentrated on breathing in and out and found there was no pain in the action. Good- at least her lungs were okay. I can breath easy now she thought sardonically. Alison went through checking the rest of her body with a similar strategy, silently examining herself. She was lightheaded and her whole body ached. Now that she was conscious Alison started to feel all the new lacerations and bruises that she couldn’t remember acquiring. The pain had a peculiar flat feeling to it, lacking any sharpness. Ali hadn’t seen her reflection yet but she was sure half of her face would be a mottled mix of black and sickly yellow. The odds of her making a clean getaway in this state were very, very slim.

 Alison peeked through her lashes. Curiosity and fear clashed, she wanted to know where she was but wasn’t stupid enough look around. This was no normal robbery. It took a second for her sight to clear and for her eyes to adjust to the light. A fine tube ran from her forearm to a bag full of unknown liquid held by a stand. Her stomach flipped and she resisted ripping the needle from her flesh, she didn’t have an affinity for alien objects sticking into her skin. Whatever was pumping into her system must be dulling the pain.

The soft sheets pulled up to her chin and she had a ridiculous amount of pillows piled about her. The thin night dress that clung to her body ruled out escaping with her dignity. The only light seemed to come from two light hanging from the ceiling and the walls were made of thick red brick. There was no windows, she must be underground. Great, needles and a cellar, I’ve really set myself up here Ali thought, trying not to grimace.

 Alison was surprised how little noise the four people in the room made, no wonder she hadn’t noticed them. A middle aged man dressed in the white coat of a doctor sat straight backed behind a dark mahogany desk. He peered down at paperwork with spectacled brown eyes. He ran his fingers through his salt and pepper hair that matched his well trimmed beard and did a good job of ignoring everyone else in the room. Anger warmed her blood as Alison saw her attacker leaning nonchalantly against the doorway, thick arms crossed over his even thicker chest. Blocking her way out. Again. His nose looked an angry red and two black circles surrounded his eyes. Alison couldn’t help but feel smug at his discomfit.