Only the Moon Watching

Chapter 40: I Get Into It

Chet's working kitchen duty at dinner, and he doesn't release his grasp on my tray when he hands it to me. He leans over, breathing onto my peas, and whispers, "Steak reminded me: I forgot to mail your letter. My bad. You gonna be on the bowl tonight? First thing after dinner? He's real anxious about it, must say something mushy and stupid."

"Baby!" Tangler knocks my tray playfully, breaking his grip. "You don't flirt with anyone but me, got it? Don't be making eyes at my friends, all whispery and leaning in."

"Wasn't," says Chet. "Just getting her a message from Steak."

"Ooh an important one?" Tangler asks, too loudly for my comfort. I wait until she's taken a tray and lead her to our table, explaining quietly: "I need to get back to my cell ASAP, Steak's been trying to pass something to me for three days."

One of Kristina Kelly's henchmen sticks out a foot as we pass and I trip, but manage to keep my balance. Tangler and I hurry to our seats and I shovel food into my mouth as fast as I can.

Shiv could be back tonight, any minute, but I want to make it back to our cell first so I can read Steak's message alone.

"HO!"

As I lift my head towards the source of the noise, something cold and wet explodes in my face, colliding with my nose with a crunch that makes blood pour into my mouth.

"Whab tha 'ell?" I ask, spitting milk and mucus and blood onto my plate. Tangler, Ripper, Needler, and Vapor jump to their feet to defend me. Garda Girdle looks lazily over the balcony, watching us, but apparently she didn't see Kristina Kelly lob a milk carton at me.

"Asses in chairs!" Girdle snaps. Reluctantly, the girls sit. Tangler helps me dab at my bloody nose with a napkin.

"Is it broken?" I ask, because it's painful enough to make me suspicious.

"Nah, I've broken plenty of noses and the sound is totally different," says Ripper, reassuringly. "Yours crunched, it didn't snap. It just got knocked around a bit. The really good sound is like when–"

"Sergeant Gordon, what's your twenty?" Garda Girdle's distracted by an incoming message on her radio and Kristina Kelly and Grifta take the opportunity to stride across the room and take seats at our table.

"Ho." Kristina says, cooly. "You and I have some unfinished business."

"Weird," I say. "Considering we've only just met. But if you want to wrestle, I think Shiv's down for it. Soon as she gets back from Ad-Se–"

"Behind you, about ten steps back beneath the stairs, theres a blind spot. You and I stand there, Girdle can't see us. We can talk in private."
"We're talking now, Kristina–"

"I have a message you need to pass to Steak, it's urgent."

Urgent.

Steak had said he wanted to talk to me urgently too!

Was it the same message? Had they reunited already? Gotten back together?

Overwhelmed by curiosity, I find myself standing and backing towards the stairs. Kristina Kelly advances on me, calmly, counting down the steps. "9...8... We'll be quick while Girdle's distracted..."

I feel a knot of fear in my throat and clench my hands into fists, ready to defend myself if she starts swinging.

"3...2...blind spot."

Instinctively, checking for any sign of Garda Girdle, I look up at the floor above us and that's when Kristina Kelly's hand closes around my throat.

"I won't squeeze unless you scream. Listen to me: Steak's ex-girlfriend screamed. The one who turned him in? I paid her a little visit. I want you to tell him about it. I want him to know that even on the outside, I was still loyal to him. I taught the little snitch a lesson. I'm in here again for him."