A story of a girl just trying to do her job and get by in a hard, treacherous life. Set in the near future, she works for a man who walks a fine line between obeying the law and bending it to the breaking point. Not one to kill unnecessarily, she finds herself in a tricky situation.
Sharon walked casually down the dim hallway. Around her paint and wallpaper peeled off the wall and was ground into the threadbare carpet. As she rounded a corner she pulled back on one side of her hood, glancing back behind for anyone. Licking her lips she smiled and returned the hood. At the end of the corridor she keyed in a pricey punch code and slipped inside the apartment unnoticed.
The room was completely black, but with a blink and roll of her eyes everything came into psychedelic waves of greens and yellows. Off in the corner was the red mound she was looking for. Silently she slipped over to the bed and mounted it lightly. Once seated atop her target she peered down at him, he was breathing deeply, so deeply in fact that had she not been able to see the heat rising off him she might have mistaken him for dead. She leaned down, letting her weight rest on his hips, and whispered softly in his ear, “Succubus has come to take what is due, jockey.” She brushed her tongue over his ear as he stirred, his form glowing an even brighter red. With a flick of her wrists razors slid out from below her nails and she pressed them against his cheek, her nose hovering only inches above his own. She rolled away her thermo vision and switched on a light above the bed.
Still half asleep he reached up and ran his fingers over her body, pressing up against her through the blankets. With a smile she dug her nails in deeper, drops of blood pooling out of the punctures slowly. Finally his eyes blinked open and flashed a grin up at her, “I been waitin for ya, mona.” Through nibbles against the tender flesh of his neck she muttered, “Then I’m sure you know why I’m here.” He arched his back, grabbing her waist tightly, “Ooh.. you do this for all ya targets?” While trailing thin lines of blood down his face she moved her hand down to his neck. She pressed her palm against the skin, tightening his airway, and scratched idly with her forefinger just below his jaw.
She sat up and reached into her tight jacket and pulled out a small chip. She waved the chip in front of his face and set it on the pillow next to him. “Who said you were a target? You know what I want from you.” She leaned down again and nuzzled her cheekbone against his temple, sending hot air over his skin, “Maybe you’ll cooperate hm?” His eyes rolled and he pushed up against her again, breathing out a “I think so..”
His hand left her waist and he pointed across the room to his console. With her face still inches from him she turned her head and followed his hand with her eyes. She slipped off him and with her hand still clutched around his neck she urged him out of the bed and over to it.
Chip in hand, she sat him down and handed it to him. She reached around from behind him and trailed her nails over his naked torso, leaving red scratches on his pale, pasty skin. He slotted the chip, transferring everything she needed over to her. Her eyes darted across the screen, watching everything that did or did not go onto her chip. Just as he was about to pull the chip out she tapped a razored finger against the screen at a file he’d hoped she wouldn’t see didn’t go on the chip. He chuckled airily and quickly moved it over.
Once the chip was back inside her jacket she spun the around the chair and sat on top of him, facing him with her arms wrapped loosely around his neck. As she scratched her nails against the back of his head gently she asked, “Now you’ll be a good boy?” He nodded stiffly, avoiding pressing against her blades. With a kiss on the forehead she got up and slipped out of the room as silently as she’d entered.
She stretched her arms up over her head, tummy exposed to the bitter cold beneath the hem of her jacket. Smoke curled around her face while she blew out breath to warm her fingertips. All around people scurried into warmer shelters, but Sharon stood in place, feeling the wind whip at her hair, her face only half protected beneath her hood. She tossed her precious chip up into the air, neon lights glinting off it's surface. With a whir a hover-cycle zoomed over head. Leather enclosed around the shiny object and slipped it into a pocket.
"Thus whispers are passed in this chaotic world of ours." She breathed in a long drag of warming smoke. Neon lights and holo-ads assaulted her senses as far as she could see. Huge buildings rising up like giants, the people inside them no less innocent. Just inside a dark alley lay a door that looked much to old for it's surroundings. Inside Sharon found the peace of a dark, smoke filled room. She rolled her eyes and peered into the deepest corners, finding a few human shaped bits of red. The sweet smelling smoke filtered out of their hookahs in a wave of color as it dispersed around the room. She plopped down into a bar stool just as her eyes returned to normal, being met by a huge toothy grin on the other side of the slab of wood.
"'Ello Sharry."
"Boris, how many times I gotta tell you not to call me that?"
Boris opened his meaty hand apologetically while the other reached under the bar and tossed a phone onto the bar. "'E said 'e call ya when 'e get back."
She rolled her eyes dramatically, pocketing the phone. "He don't watch it I'm gonna get antsy, never see 'im any more."
Boris grinned and plugged his ears. Sharon scoffed and waved her hand at him. "Usual then missy?"
She held her chin in her hands on the bar like a school girl, "Yeah.."
Just as she finished her drink and slid a fresh cigarette between her lips the front door of the pup crashed inwards. Before she had a chance to spin around in her seat multiple hands slammed her into the surface of the bar, wrenching her arms behind her.
"Sharon Green, alias Succubus, you are under arrest. To avoid immediate judgment you must comply calmly."
"Oh this if just fantastic." She tried to hold onto her cigarette but it was hastily pulled from her lips. Over her shoulder she saw Boris's large frame staring down the barrel of a gun while trying to stay calm, but she saw the quiver in his fingers.
She sat tapping her fingers against the cold metal of the table, her hands fitted with Kevlar gloves. Her lip had been chewed raw while she glared at the camera watching her. She tried to shake her hair hair out of her face to no avail. They had also taken the precaution to cuff her hands to the table.
"How long you fucks gonna let me sit in here, huh?" She slumped backwards in the chair, her head hanging upside down over it, facing the door. Finally it opened and in walked a very large Judge in full armor. Upside down she thought he looked like an action figure gone wrong. Like the artist had forgotten what human proportions looked like. Sharon's giggle didn't amuse the hero though and he grabbed her hair, yanking her head forward with an audible crack.
She smiled through her hair and finally shook it free, "Thanks, gonna save me money on the doc." As he walked behind Sharon the Judge slammed her head forward into the table. As blood trickled down around her lips she stopped smiling.
"Where is it?"
She leaned forward and wiped her face off on her jacket, "Well seein as I'm here, I'm guessin' whatever 'it' is wasn't in my cube. Maybe you can enlighten me?"
He slammed a fist on the table, his face millimeters from her cheek, his breath flowing over her, "The chip you whore. You killed Eon for his info, now where is it?"
Her eyebrows furrowed and she turned to face him, eyeing his tag she saw his name was Thompson. "Nah, I didn't kill'im."
Thompson reached inside a pocket and laid out photographs of Eon's corpse. The wounds on his cheek and the scratches on his neck and torso she recognized. None of them were deep enough to kill anyone. Most of them were hardly more then red lines. But the wound in his neck was wide enough to stick a hand into. She was sorry to admit she admired the quality of work. "I don't usually gotta kill for what I take."
Thompson flashed his pearly whites and stood up straight again. "No, I've heard of your...method." He ran a gloved hand through her hair and gripped it at the nape of her neck, forcing her to look up at him. "Isn't going to work today, and your boy won't be able to get you out of this one. We got that phone call, explained what it was you took. He's cutting you loose."
Sharon's mouth fell open in amazement. Did he really just cut her out when she'd done this for him? Well if this was the thanks she was going to get it, so be it.
The next morning Sharon ventured by the pub again, slipping inside quietly she went directly to the bar where Boris was standing. One look at her face told Boris to watch his mouth. Her lip was practically one big scab and her nose was crooked. With her arms crossed over her chest and weight all on one foot he towered over her, and yet his hands still shook ever so slightly.
"No uh.. no clone death missy?"
She sucked air in through her teeth, "No, Boris, no clone death."
His nervous laugh was quickly shushed when her mood still did not alter.
"Boris, you said other people were after that info, just which people did you mean?"
His shoulders slumped over and he wiped his forehead off with the back of his hand, "Ah Missy, it wasn't s'posed to turn out this way. You were s'posed to get it where it was needed and the it'd all work itself out."
"Boris. The fuckin Jakes are after that info. I took Eon's copy so that we didn't have to worry 'bout him, scan? Now he's dead. Our jockey is dead. And me? Guess who cut me loose cause I was caught? But I didn't have it anymore. I -did- my -job-, Boris. I did it well and you know it. You call up Davis and tell him I deserve better then this." She reach out suddenly and snatched up Boris's shirt, pulling his huge frame onto the bar top, "You know what I'm capable of Boris, don't make me do it."
As she walked out she yelled over her shoulder, "Three days, Boris."
And for three days she waited and watched. Generally unnoticed by most passer-bys she watched who came and went from the pub. She watched as Davis made his appearances. She watched when he locked eyes with her, he knew. But did he care? A couple times Boris caught sight of her as he hurried in. His hands shook as he locked up for the night.
As the sun dropped on the the third day she emerged from her shadowy territory. She slipped inside the pup and locked the door behind her. It was nearly empty. Silently she hopped up onto the bar and stat cross-legged, watching as Boris crouched underneath, restocking some alcohol. She sat perfectly straight and still, her hands sitting idly in her lap. Her patience began to wain however and she bent over at the waist and let her hair fall into Boris's line of site, her head sideways at an almost unnatural angle. As his eyes skimmed in her direction he jump, hitting his head on the bottom of the bar.
"Evening, Boris."
He emerged rubbing the back of his head and grumbling under his breath. She straightened so her eyes were level with his. By this time the other patrons had noticed the girl sitting on top of the bar, staring down the tender. They tried to avert their eyes and look enthralled in their smoke.
Sharron reached out and scratched a razored nail across the surface of the bar, smiling as Boris winced at the sound. "Missy I don't know what to tell ya. I tried talkin' to 'im be 'e just firm on this one." Sharon stuck out her lip in a tiny pout and caressed the side of Boris's face lovingly, the sharp tips of her nails missing his skin. Without a change in emotions she struck out at Boris, slicing four thin wounds across his cheek. As the blood seeped down onto his shirt she raised up onto her knees and pulled him into her, rubbing the back of his head to comfort him while he tried to ease the bleeding of his face. She kissed the top of his head and whispered, "Tell him I'm coming to see him tomorrow. Tell him that you are mine again."
She jumped off the bar, retracting her razors as she landed. She slid a clean rag down the bar to him which he immediately picked up and pressed against his face. As she unlocked the door and left, Boris watched, the shaking in his hands gone.
Boris banged open the door to Davis's office. The wounds on his cheek were still fresh but had stopped bleeding. He walked casually over to Davis's desk, a stark contrast to his entrance. After seating himself without asking he watched as Davis finished up typing on his terminal and slid it aside.
"It's late Boris."
Boris shrugged, "'Fraid that's not to be avoided. Sharry's comin ta see you tomorrow."
Davis tapped his fingers against the desk and leaned back in his chair, "And?"
"And I ain't stoppin'er. Was pretty fucked up shit you pulled, sir. Cuttin 'er lose when you was the one who told the Jakes Eon had that info they been searchin high and low for."
Davis opened his hands, palms up.
Boris stood his massive frame looming over Davis's desk, planting his hands on it and staring down at him, with a raised voice he declared, "You know damn well she did what you asked. Hell, the chip was outta'er hands fifteen minutes after she left Eon's place! No way she was gonna get caught with it. Jakes weren't in my pub but ten minutes later."
The door to the office eased open and out of the dark hallway Sharon emerged, her eyes glazed over. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she reopened them, her eyes appeared normal once more. She stooped down and picked up a small snake that had slipped under the crack and eased it up onto her shoulder. Her fingers trailed over it's smooth skin, "Thanks for the pet Davy. The range of his video feed is amazing."
Boris had turned towards the door and now stood straight with his arms across his chest facing Davis. Sharon walked around the desk and stat on top of it, swinging her legs on either side of Davis's chair, "So, here's how it is. Your guys out there?" She wiped her hands off and opened them, "No more, it's just you and me. And Boris, who I'm sure you've figured out isn't on your side anymore." She planted her hands on the desk between her legs and leaned forward some, "So, I suggest you listen to me."
Davis watched her cooly and pulled out a cigarette to puff on. "Sharon I created you, you'd do this to me?" She laughed and took the cigarette from Davis's mouth. As smoke trailed out of her mouth she said, "Do what to you? Sell you off to the Jakes? Test your loyalty as you so test mine each and every day?" She laughed again and passed the cigarette back to Davis, "I'm sorry, but no, I'm not dealing with this any more. You created me, now see what you have done." She sat up straight and opened her arms, her head tossed backwards and razors extended beneath her nails. She lifted her head and tilted it to once side, "You see?"
Davis nodded in understanding, "So what is it you want?"
Sharon giggled softly and reached out towards Davis who was just past her reach. He sat forward and allowed her to run her fingers gently over his face. "Davy, you run the show 'round here, no one's challenging that. You're good at it. Just as I am good at my job. I wouldn't enjoy the paperwork side of what you do. So, here's the deal." She raked her fingers through his hair, the blades scratching his scalp just enough to redden it, "You keep doing what it is you do best. But this time, everything goes through me." She slipped off the desk and eased onto Davis's lap, "Like partners."
He gazed down at her with a stern face for a long time, "If I say no?"
Sharon smiled, "If you say no then we play a few games so that you understand my meaning." Her eyes followed her fingers as she brushed some of Davis's hair out of his face, "You know I'm good for you, that we make a great team." Davis closed his eyes, turning his head to plant a kiss in Sharon's palm. She flashed a smile at him and pulled his face in to kiss him softly. "I'm glad you agree."
She raised herself off Davis's lap and moved around to Boris's side of the desk, trailing her hand over his back as she passed him. The snake slithered around her neck and tasted the air around Boris. She watched Davis from behind Boris, only half her face showing to him.
"So what did happen with the Judges, Sharon? You showed back up pretty quick without a CD on your hands."
Sharon moved around Boris and sat in one of the chairs, letting the snake curl around her forearm, "They think I'm retrieving that data for them."
"And when you don't turn up with it?"
With her razor nails now retracted she ran her fingers over the snake as it snoozed with a smile, "Oh, I will turn up with it. Just...altered."
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