Turncoat: Turncoat Trilogy Book 1

Chapter 18.2

I walked out of their front room to see Brother standing across the street. He leaned against a wall and took a long drag of a cigarette. He straightened up, his rifle leaning against the wall.

"So, they chew you out for potentially giving up community secrets?" he asked as I walked over.

"They both know I wouldn't do anything to hurt the community," I said. "I don't know why they doubt me."

"Because, you might not have told them, but they both knew your father and what he did," Brother said. "That's why they don't trust you. They know you're not pure."

"Then why allow me to do anything?" I asked. "It seems counterproductive if they don't trust me."

"They had someone look at your digital defences," he said. He slung his rifle over his shoulder and we started walking.

"I promise, there isn't anything weak about them, it's a similar system I used in training to isolate hackers during back hacking resistance, only now everything is beefed up double," I said. Irritation entered my voice as I learned they didn't trust me.

"Oh, I know, I've seen the code myself, I couldn't have created a better system myself," he said. We lasped into silence as we wound deeper into the slum. Entering the crowded market place, he pointed to a small store. "Talk to the shop owner, she'll take you to your friends."

"Thank you, Brother," I said.

"Just remember it when I or my brothers need your help, sister," he said.

Of course, he just wanted a favor. I nodded my head and started walking for the store.

The storekeeper was a short woman with a head of silver hair and a smile. When I entered, she walked over speaking rapidly in Tzi. "Welcome, welcome daughter, what can I get for you?" she asked. "A fortune, your future, fertility charms sure to work on your boyfriend, communication with the other side? You are an orphan, do you want to speak with your father, mother?"

Looking at the woman, I wondered how the government hadn't managed to arrest her yet. She might not speak anything but Tzi, it was a scary thing I realized. People here might not speak anything other than Tzi, especially in this part of the slum.

"I would like to see my friends, I was told I could speak to you about it," I told the old woman.

"I don't speak with the living," she said. "I don't know why that boy thought I would be good to hide living people. This shop is small." She started rambling as she walked away. I followed her back through a sheet of beads into a small back room covered in lavish silks with a small table in the center. She continued walking, entering another back room. I followed her into the a hallway.

"You're friends are in the furthest room down, last one of the left," she said.

"Thank you," I said.

She grumbled something and left me there. I walked down the hidden hallway, probably a safe haven for escapees from the north, headed south. With each door the hall seemed to get longer and longer, as I waited for the end of it. I saw a few children sitting in an open doorway, playing a game with rings and dice.

The little girl waved at me with a smile on her face. "Hello, big sister!" she shouted.

"Diana, shush!" came from inside the room.

She looked down and rolled the dice. I kept walking and finally saw the last door at the end of the hall. I knocked on it and waited. When nobody answered, I raised my hand to knock again when Vicki opened the door.

She paused and her lips split into a smile. "They did it," she breathed.

Before I could process anything, she threw her arms around me and pulled me tightly against her chest. Her hand entangled itself in my hair and she pulled me into the room.

I hugged her back, looking around to see the small area holding only her. "Where are Nick and Kai?" I asked.

"Meeting with some informants, one of us decided to wait here incase you came back," she said. She pulled me inside and kicked the door shut. "Lemme look at you. God, you're so skinny." Her finger traced my cheekbone.

"They didn't feed me much," I admitted.

Vicki shook her head. "Then we will get you something to eat," she said. "I'm just so happy you're back." She trapped me in another embrace, burying her face in my hair.

"I missed you too," I said, hugging her back. At that moment I realized how much I craved physical contact with her. My hands dropped to her waist and pulled her closer, my head finding a resting place on her collarbone.

"I forgot how much I love how your hair smells," she said, her voice muffled. I could feel her smiling.

"That's probably sweat," I muttered.

I felt the vibration in her throat as she laughed and then nuzzled closer to me. She lifted my chin and pressed her lips against mine. My eyes closed as I returned her kiss. Her fingers entangled in my hair, sending tingling sensations along my scalp. She tasted like strawberries.

When she broke contact, my eyes opened. I don't think she could have looked more beautiful if she tried. "Let go get you something to eat," she said and grabbed my wrist, pulling me out of the room and down the hall.