Unholy Ghosts - Stacia Kane 3 стр.

The blonde led them down a glaringly bright red hallwaymore idand into a large red room. Everything was red, the carpet, the furniture, the walls. Different shades of red, like a nightmare. Chesss eyes dilated as the room shrieked at her. Being in this room straight would be bad enough. Being here while 400mg of narcotic simmered in her blood was like being trapped in the womb of a fiery spirit prison.

Sit you down, Terrible said, urging her onto one of the velvet couches. You wait for him.

Dont think Id be going anywhere, even if I tried.

Naw, Im guessin you wouldnt be. Those heavy sideburns moved as he showed her his teeth. But we wait, just the same.

She leaned back and closed her eyes, shutting out the horrible red. It remained imprinted on the back of her eyelids, chasing her even into her own head. Her lips curved. Plenty of demons in there already.

Outside, the Market was slamming, full of bodies and radios and live music. In the office next door, people were fixing, lining up against the walls for their turn, heading downstairs to hit the pipes. She shifted in her seat. Pills were what kept her going, but the pipes were something else entirely. Shed been hoping to get down there herself before the night was over, to fill her lungs with thick honey smoke and float home to bed. That was looking less and less likely by the minute.

How much was she into Bump for? Three grand, four? The Sanford case turning out to be real had seriously hit her finances. Debunkers were paid shit, barely enough to cover her rent and bills. The bonuses were where the real money came from, paid for her supplies andeverything else she needed.

Three or four grand wasnt that much, though. Shed owed him more than that before and always paid.

Metal clinked and heat brushed her skin as Terrible lit a cigarette from a flame half a foot high. Chess sat up. Can I have one?

He made a why not face and held out the pack, then spun the wheel on his black lighter for her. She had to tilt her head to avoid burning her nose.

They smoked and waited for another few minutes, until finally a door opened in the red wall and Bump slouched into the room.

He moved like he was riding a platform with oiled wheels, silently and smoothly, faster than he looked. Rings glinted on his fingers and diamond studs sparkled in his ears, but his clothes were surprisingly nondescript. Chess imagined it was his at home look, because the few times shed seen him out on the streets he looked like a bedraggled medieval king. Tonight, though, he wore a plain burgundy silk shirtanother shade of red to add to the off-tune chorusand black slacks. His feet were bare save a gold toe ring on his right foot.

He pulled a wilted sandwich bag out of his pocket and tossed it casually onto the table in front of her. Pills slept inside, each one whispering a promise. Pink Pandas snuggled against green Hoppers, blue Oozers and red Nips looked patriotic set against the pure, clean white of the Cepts. Every one was a different ride. Up, down, sweet, or sleazy. Two months worth of good feelings, right there in front of her. Her mouth filled with saliva; she swallowed it, along with some of her pride for good measure.

You into me, Chess. Bumps voice slurred low through the room, adding to the impression he gave of a man who thought slow, moved slow. It was a lie. Bump hadnt become lord of the streets west of Forty-third by being slow. You into me fuckin good, baby.

With effort she tore her gaze away from the bag and focused on his scraggly beard.

You know Im good for it, she said, hating the faintly whining tone that crept into her voice. She cleared her throat and sat up straighter. Ive always paid before, and Ill pay again.

Naw, naw. This aint like before. You know what you owe? I give you the number, you see what you fuckin think. Fifteen, baby. Fifteen big ones you owe. How you pay that back?

FiftI do not, theres no way

You forgetting the interest. You owe Bump money, you pay interest.

I never did before.

He shrugged. New policy.

New policy, my ass. What the fuck game was he playing? Shed expected to be threatened, maybe. She hadnt expected this. Even if thats your new policy, my actual debt cant be more than four grand. What interest rate are you charging, two hundred percent?

Dont matter what the rate is. I fuckin charge the interest I want to charge. He leaned back against the arm of the other couch and pulled a knife out of his pocket, then started cleaning his fingernails with it. I says its fifteen, so its fifteen. When you pay me?

I can go somewhere else.

Aw, sure, ladybird. You go anywhere you want. You head on over to Slobag on Thirtieth, see how them tattoos get preciated by the fuckin scum down there. But you still owe me.

Again she glanced at the bag. Bump smiled. You want one? Go head. You have one. Whatever you like. He picked up the bag and held it out to her so it gapped open. Go head.

She cocked an eyebrow at him. What are you going to charge me for that?

His laugh seemed to come from his feet and roll up his body. I dont gotta charge you none for it, baby. You owes me enough already, aint you?

He folded his knife and tucked it into his pocket. Coursenow Im thinkingcould be I know a way you pay. A way you work off your owes.

Forget it. She started to stand up. Shed never go that low, no matter what. Even she had a little self-respect, and the thought of letting a grease stain like Bump have his sleazy way with herugh.

Aw, baby, I know whats in your head. Not that. Though ifn you wanted to I could take you on a real sweet ride. Thats a promise from Bump. The ladies never had it so good as when I give it them.

He laughed, then shook the bag at her. Go on. You take one. I know what you need, dont I? Dont Bump always know? Bumps your fuckin friend, yay? So you trust Bump. Take what you want, then we have a chatter. Maybe we help each other.

Warily she reached for the bag. Her impulse was to grab an Oozer, but she managed to refrain and took another Cept instead. She had a feeling she would need her brain for this one.

Good, thats real nice. Now, why dont Bump tell you what? You hear my plan?

She nodded, dry-swallowing the Cept.

Bump sat down next to her, close enough for her to smell the pipe room on his clothes. He smiled. Maybe I got a problem. Maybe you help me with it.

Uh-oh. She was going to have to turn him down. The only people who ever asked witches for favors were those who wanted either unholy luck or unholy deeds done, and she didnt much feel like doing either. Especially considering Bump was already a pretty lucky guy, and she wasnt a killer.

Whats the favor? Im not agreeing, Im just asking.

Oh, I think you agree, ladybird. I think when you hear, you say yay. Let me run this down. You know the airport?

Muni? Even if the third Cept had kicked inwhich it hadntshe wouldnt have been more mystified. Triumph City Municipal Airport was a major hub, and one of the few areas that was heavily policed. Most Downside residents, especially drug dealers, stayed as far away from Muni and the surrounding factory district as they could.

Naw, naw, what you fuckin say? Muni. Not Muni. Chester. You know Chester Airport.

Chesters been shut down for years.

Yay, it have. But maybe Bump open it back up. Maybe Bump expand his fuckin business, he open it up.

This was starting to make some kind of sense. I dont have enough pull in the Church to lean on the city leaders for something like that, nowhere near enough.

Bump got the pull. Bump already got that place wide up, see, wide up. But Bump gotta problem. Bumps planesplanes carrying them sweet pills you ladybirds likeBumps planes crash. Something attacking planes, dig? Make they go all silent. Turns they off.

I dont know anything about planes. Ive never even been in a

Not planes, ladybird. Ghosts. Say Chester haunted. Dont guess on that. Somebody sending signals, making planes silent. Electromagnetics and such, yay? You find sender. You find sender, you rid they.

He leaned back and lit a cigarette, letting smoke wreath around his head. You catch me them fake ghosts, so my planes they fly. You catch, ladybird, and we even. No more debt to Bump.

Chapter Three

Pleading exhaustion was not the best idea for getting out of doing something for a drug dealer. Or, to put it a different way, it was a very good idea. As Terrible drove them out toward the airport, Chesss entire body felt sparkly, light, as if someone was about to tell her the punch line of a very good joke at a fabulous party. At least thats how she imagined it would feel.

Hed even chopped up four more Nips nice and fine for her and bagged them, so she could snort them tomorrow if she wanted to. There had to be some advantage to having him grab her by the ballsfigurativelyand squeeze, right? And this job wouldnt take long, probably only one night, so she should milk it for all it was worth. The kind of equipment that would down a plane couldnt be easy to conceal. Shed find it, shed tell Bump, and four thousand dollars worth of debt that had magically grown to fifteen would go bye-bye. Not a bad deal, really.

She felt so damn confident and good in that moment she would have agreed to walk naked into a Church service.

Something cold and wet nudged her arm. Oughta have you some, Terrible muttered, pushing the bottle of water up to her face now. You dont realize the thirsty until morning. That speed, she make you dry.

Got my own. She pulled hers from her bag and took a long swig. Thanks for the reminder, though.

He shrugged.

They were out of Downside now, speeding along the highway. Chess couldnt see the stars through the city lights but she knew they were there, winking above them, forming patterns and shapes in the sky. She sighed and settled back in her seat, glancing at the speedometer.

Are you really driving a hundred and twenty?

Terrible shrugged again.

Not real verbal, are you, Terrible?