JanePtinum

  “Vince?”

  “Hm?” I jerk awake at the sound of Cassie’s voice. There’s not a single muscle in my body that isn’t sore. I’m way too old to sleep in a chair. “I’m awake.”

  “Morning.” Cassie has a familiar look in her eye.

  She wants something. Right, I promised to get her hand working.

  “Right. Give me a second.” I push myself to my feet, my muscles compining with every movement. “But you have to eat first.”

  “Ugh, fine.” She rolls her eyes. “But be quick.”

  “I remember you being more patient.”

  “Shut up.” She responds, failing to hide a smile.

  “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  I head downstairs, trying my best to work out the tightness in my muscles all the while. I guess I should talk to Sonia first. I’m sure she’s focused on some project, and turning on an arm isn’t interesting.

  The compound is already busy. Most scrappers have already returned from the wastes, which means a storm is probably going to hit today.

  “Vince!” A voice makes itself known, even through the throng of people. A young man whose name I can’t recall is waving his arm at me. “Help us unload?”

  “Sorry, can’t. Doctor’s orders.” I respond along with a tap on the side of my head. “Maybe next week!”

  I open the garage and am assaulted by Sonia’s bring music. She has to be going deaf.

  “Sonia!” I have to yell at the top of my lungs to get her attention. Half a second ter the music stops.

  “What?” She doesn't even bother to take her eyes off her project. I'm not interesting yet.

  “I need you to turn on Cassie’s hand.”

  “No.” Sonia responds ftly. “She’s not healed yet.”

  “Look, I know. But we either turn on her hand, or she’s going to activate the whole arm.”

  Sonia lets out a loud sigh and spends a few moments to think.

  “I’ll be up when I’m done.” She eventually responds.

  “Thanks. I’ll buy you a drink sometime.” I tell her and leave.

  Next I head to the canteen, which takes a while, but goes smoothly. I grab a pte of pasta for Cassie, with only the barest hint of sauce on it, and grab a breakfast bar for me. I can barely choke down the bar, but I don’t have time to sit and eat. Soon enough I’m once again walking into Cassie’s room.

  “You’ll never guess what breakfast is.” I say as I open the door with my hip.

  “Beans?” Cassie asks disappointedly.

  “No, actually.” I pce a small pte of pasta on her p and a gss of water on her dresser.

  “Oh good, it’s worse.” She grabs the fork and idly pokes at her food.

  “I told Sonia not to help you if your pte isn’t clean by the time she gets up here. Make sure you eat.”

  “Bullshit.” She calls me out.

  “Feel free to take the risk.” I say as casually as I can. “I’ll be back in a few hours.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “There are a few people I need to talk to.”

  “Ah. Have fun.” She knows exactly where I’m headed.

  “I will.”

  I once again leave her room and head downstairs. The west wing of the building is guarded by a single man, the only way in or out.

  “They’ve been asking about you.” The guard says when he sees me.

  “Well I guess I shouldn’t disappoint them then.” I draw my handgun and knife, and pce them on the table next to him.

  I open the door and am met with two dozen kids screaming my name.

  “Vince!” The kids rush me, threatening to pull me to the ground.

  “Ok ok!” I ugh. “Let me sit down!” I wade through the sea of munchkins towards a chair. The kids cling to every limb but I power through. I finally lower myself into the chair and grab two of the smaller kids to pce on each knee.

  “Where have you been young man?” The sea parts for Alice, staring me down with her hands on her hips. She’s so small she barely comes up to my knee, but has more than enough personality to make up for it. She’s a born leader, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she repces Silver one day.

  “I had to save a friend.” I tell her.

  “And what is that?” She asks me accusingly, pointing up at the new scar on my face.

  “That’s what happens when you get in a fight.” I tell them.

  “Did you kill him?” Colin asks with far too much excitement. He’s one of the rger boys, and is far too interested in killing. I’ve done my best to steer him in a better direction. While it hasn’t completely worked, at least he’s stopped asking to see my gun every time I enter.

  “Of course I didn’t.” I reach down and tousle his hair. “There are better ways to resolve a conflict. Besides, I lost.”

  An equal number of shocked and disbelieving yells cry out from the kids.

  “But you’re the best.” Jamie, one of the kids on my knee says, tears welling in his eyes. He’s one of the youngest kids in the compound. Someone found him crying in a trashcan. Unfortunately, we never found the parents, and I hope for their sake we never do.

  “Hey, it’s alright. I wouldn’t say I’m the best, but that’s why you solve your problems with your brain, not your muscles.”

  “Did Ivy kill him?” Colin asks.

  “No Colin, she didn’t. Ivy only goes after kids who are mean to their sisters and brothers. Have you been good?”

  “Yeah.” He says in the guiltiest way possible. He won’t even look me in the eye while he lies. I’ll have to have another talk with him ter.

  “Vince?” Zia, another of the very young ones, gently pulls on the sleeve of my arm. “Can you tell us a story?”

  “A story?” I lift her up and let her sit on the arm of the chair. “Hmm, well I can think of one, but I think it’s a little too mature for you.”

  “I’m mat- mitu- mater- mature!” She puts on the best pout she can. She absolutely has no idea what that word means.

  “Are you now? How old are you these days anyway?”

  “I’m five!”

  “Five? Since when! You were just four st year!”

  Zia and a few of the other kids giggle.

  “Well I suppose you’re old enough then.”

  I hang out with the kids for a few hours. Mostly it’s telling them toned down stories about lessons I’ve learned the hard way. At some point I get roped into a tea party with Zia and a few others, and after that they demanded yet more stories. I must have told most of them a dozen times, but the kids still hang on to every word.

  “Alright.” Eventually I have to stand up. “I’ve got to get going, kids.” I announce to the room.

  “Noooo.” A cry rings throughout the room.

  “Don’t leave.” Zia clings to my sleeve.

  “I’ll tell you what.” I crouch down in front of her, only to be tackled from behind. I manage to stay vertical though. These kids are going to be too heavy for me to handle soon. “I’ll be sure to come back before I go out next time.”

  “Promise?” She holds out her pinky finger.

  “I’d never break a pinky promise.”

  After completing our contract I stand up.

  “You better come back.” Alice demands.

  “I will.” I wade my way to the door and give one st wave to the kids.

  On my way out I collect my sidearm and knife from the table. Only one more thing to do today.

  “Hey Oscar, is Silver avaible?”

  “Let me check.” The receptionist types a few words on his computer and turns back to me. “Go on in.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Vince.” Silver says before I even open the door.

  “Silver.” I take the seat across from them. “I need you to be straight with me.”

  Silver stops typing and turns their full attention to me. They stay silent, waiting for me to start.

  “What’s got you so scared?” I ask them.

  “You’re going to have to be more specific.”

  I can see in their eyes, they know exactly what I’m talking about.

  “Dirt cheap food, selling more of Sonia’s scrap than ever. Lower payouts than ever, despite bringing back more than average. Hell Silver, we ran out of soap for a week! What are you saving up for?”

  “I’m not saving up for anything.” Silver begins to rummage through their desk. “I’m buying time.” They toss a small pile of letters onto the table. Real paper letters.

  I grab the top one and begin to read. It’s a ransom note for a near unfathomable amount of money. It’s littered with threats, not against Silver, but against our people. A promise to hunt down every scrapper, one by one, and to kill them. It goes into gruesome detail of exactly how they will be dismembered piece by piece.

  My blood runs cold at the sight of the signature. ‘With love, Mara.’

  I dig through the pile, trying to find the oldest one. These have been arriving for three months at this point.

  Adrenaline courses through my body, screaming to go, to fight, to yell, to kill. A storm is coming, leaving now will get me killed. I sit back and cmp down on my emotions.

  “When were you going to tell me?” I ask, my voice barely containing my rage.

  “When I had more information.” They say, their voice void of emotion. “If I told you earlier you would have just run off and died.”

  “Ok, fine.” They’re absolutely right. “Then I hope you found enough, I’m leaving once the next storm passes.”

  “Give it three storms. You and Cassie both need more rest.”

  “I’m not bringing Cassie. I’m not letting her get hurt again.”

  “That’s not your decision to make. If you don’t tell her I will.”

  “Fuck, Silver!” I sm my hand on their desk. “Just let me take care of this!”

  “No.” They say with enough force to make me sit back. “I’m not going to let you get yourself killed. You can’t beat her in a fight. All of you together might.”

  “Just show me what you learned.”

  Silver pulls out a map, knowing they’ve won the argument.

  “Each person Mara’s sent has both arrived and left from the east. It’s a different person every time. My scouts have tracked them as far east as the Mississippi canyon. They follow that south into the gulf fts, head west to Dals, then north-west into the Rockies. That is always where they vanish.”

  “Vegas.” I jump to the end of their story. Of course she’d stay in Vegas.

  “I don’t think so. I still have a few connections there, and they haven’t heard anything about her. It’d be a good pce to pick up the trail though.”

  No choice but to interact with my old life. It’s been over fifteen years though, who would even still be alive? A couple of people come to mind, but who would be willing to sell out Mara? I’m sure she stabbed at least a few people in the back, it shouldn’t be too hard. And if nobody’s willing? I can fix that.

  “I know a few scumbags who are too evil to die.”

  “Good. It’s a two day drive to Vegas. You’ll need extra supplies and a good mechanic. I’m sending with you Lucas’ new group. They’ll carry repcement batteries for you and head back at the midpoint. You set out in three cycles.”

  Silver returns to their computer, silently dismissing me. Great, looks like I have one more conversation to have. It can wait until tomorrow though. No need to stress everyone out on our vacation.

  JanePtinum