Slayer Read online

  “Thanks,” I said. “You didn’t have to get me a watch though, as fancy as that looks.”

  “It’s more than just a watch. It’s a communicator. A little more compact than what Omegas use, so not to draw too much suspicion. But it performs the same functions. It can record your voice and send them through as text messages.”

  “Right. I don’t see why I need a communicator though. All of the information I need is on the gauntlets and I’m not taking them anywhere else. If I need to contact you, I could just call you. Speaking of which, you haven’t given me your number… I suppose you’re gonna tell me the reason for that now.”

  Redgrave bowed his head slowly. “If the LOD finds out what we’re doing, they’re capable of shutting everything down. They’re not above tracking my location to find where we are. That includes any forms of communication. If you can’t make it to the warehouse, you can contact me directly through this. It’s a direct line that doesn’t use standard telecommunications. They’ll be able to track it eventually but it should buy us more time to get to Anarchy.”

  “Whatever helps.” I strapped the watch around my wrist. “I was never much of a watch guy. What do you think, Jade? Doesn’t stand out or anything, does it?”

  I flashed the watch at her and she shrugged. “Just make sure you don’t lose it. Fancy thing like that could make you a target in Newmire.”

  “I don’t intend on showing it off, if that’s what you’re getting at.”

  She smiled half-heartedly then glanced at her phone.

  “I have one for you as well, Jade. Now… If you two are done for the evening, I’ll get some work done,” Redgrave said. “The path to Anarchy is constantly changing. I want to make sure you’re ready for what awaits you.”

  “I guess it’d be a good idea to head home. Kinda tired…” I headed for the exit with Jade right behind me. She kept her head down, her eyes focused on her screen. I didn’t think much of it. Everybody had their heads buried when it came to their phones these days.

  We stepped out of the warehouse and the night sky reminded me what time it was. “I’ll never get used to seeing the Pandora sunlight and the Newmire moonlight right after. Is it like that at the District?”

  She ignored me, her eyes focused on whatever it was she was looking at.

  “Jade? You all right?”

  She jerked her head up. I wasn’t sure what to make of the way she looked at me but it was obvious something was on her mind.

  “I’m fine,” she said.

  “You sure?” I didn’t expect her to tell me what was wrong, even if there was something wrong.

  “It’s okay. Really. You should probably get some rest.”

  “…Right. I’ll see you tomorrow. Come by the gym if you wanna train.”

  She nodded. I stared at her for a few moments before turning around to leave.

  “Hey, Enzo.” I’d only taken a few steps when she called out to me. “I was wondering… Maybe you’d like to hang out for a bit. That last fight was hectic. I need to unwind a little. Maybe get a drink or a cup of coffee or something.”

  “Now that you mention it, I am a little antsy… I know just the place.”

  ~ ~ ~

  The wooden furnishings off to one corner of the room looked like they hadn’t been used in ages. I never saw anybody sit in them before, so I wondered if they were just for decoration at this point. The floorboards were creaky. The tables were clean but had their fair share of wear and tear. The building was pretty spacious, too, with enough room to house about fifty people or so. The only thing that wasn’t so old and decrepit was the lights. I think it was the only thing the owner bothered replacing. They shined bright enough to illuminate my drab surroundings.

  Not that I cared too much about them. Neither did the other patrons. Truck drivers who were taking a break after a long ride. Security guards working the late shift and needed some coffee to get through the rest of the night. Older guys who just finished a late session of poker and were reminiscing about all the mistakes they made. The Fancy Diner was the spot where everybody went to when the more savory people of Newmire were sleeping to get ready for the next day.

  “Haven’t seen you in a long time, sweetie.” The old waitress gave me a wink as she poured me a cup of decaf. I’d known her for years but she looked the same age as she did when I first met her. Curly white hair. Wrinkles on her round cheeks. Glasses with frames thick enough I wondered if it was a burden for her nose. She was always smiling though.

  “You know me, Ruthie,” I said. “I’m never much for staying up late. Usually, anyway…”

  She eyed Jade sitting next to me at the counter. “What can I get for you, sweetheart?”

  “I’ll have the same,” Jade said.

  Ruthie poured Jade a cup of steaming coffee. “You let me know if you need anything else.” Her rotund body walked over to a nearby table to talk to a trucker who’d stopped in.

  “She seems nice,” Jade said.

  “Ruthie’s always been that way. That’s the kind of service you get at the Fancy Diner.”

  “The Fancy Diner, huh? I wonder how they came up with that name.”

  “Gotta get the customers in somehow. That flickering neon sign outside does a decent job. Late at night, everybody ends up here eventually.”

  I blew on my black coffee and took a sip. The bitter taste was enough to help me unwind and forget about everything I had to deal with earlier in the night.

  “You been in Newmire all your life?” Jade asked.

  “Born and raised. I know this place like the back of my hand.”

  “You were a fighter. Never got the chance to move anywhere else?”

  I chuckled at the thought. “I had some fights up north in the city. But just because I was a professional doesn’t mean I’m some world champion like everybody thinks. I was just… just another MMA fighter. Nothing special.”

  “You were pretty good though. Seven wins. All of them by knockout. Only one loss. And it was a split-decision.”

  I put my cup of coffee down and glanced at her.

  “I looked you up,” she said with a shrug. “Can’t get away from the Internet these days.”

  “After what Alisa said, apparently not…” I sighed as I took another sip. “I had plans of being a fighter and making the big time but I… I just didn’t have it in me. After I lost, I stopped caring. But I had some skills. Knew what I was talking about. Turns out there are tons of people who want to learn. I think I’m a better teacher than fighter anyway.”

  Jade sat solemnly next to me. She clutched her phone tight in one hand while she stirred some cream into her coffee.

  “Your father,” she said. “When was the last time you saw him?”

  I didn’t answer immediately. I thought about my father every day but nobody ever knew that.

  “Sorry. I didn’t mean to—”

  “It’s all right,” I said. “Nobody ever asks me about my dad. It was a long time ago. It’s not like people know about it. Even people in the Legion have been kept in the dark…”

  The memory of that late fall afternoon came back to me. I could still remember the leaves falling. The sky. The empty streets. The way Grandma put her hand on my shoulder. All of it was in my head without having to think too hard.

  “I was ten when he said goodbye. Told me he had work to do. He always had work with the Legion. I got used to him coming and going. One day, I’m seeing my dad off to work. A few months down the line, Grandma and I get some visit from some guy in a uniform just like my dad’s. They tell her and she tells me he’s not coming home.”

  I let out a short chuckle. “Cried like a little baby for I don’t know how long…”

  “You lost your father. There’s no shame in that.”

  “I knew my father died doing something he was proud of. He wouldn’t have gone out any other way. Didn’t matter that I was a kid. Had no choice but to accept it. My dad died defending Earth. He’s not the first man to ever do th
at. But you know what really bugs me? He was the only one. Omegas are supposed to come back. You’ve got those special Recall Boxes. It’s one of the reasons everybody’s so willing to apply. More than half of the kids in my gym are heading to a District right after high school. They get to fight without having to worry about dying permanently. My dad had all the luck…”

  I let out another laugh at the absurdity of it all. I wasn’t one to dwell on it though.

  “Seventeen years,” I sighed. “You’d think I wouldn’t be so pissed.”

  “Enzo.” Jade suddenly put her hand on my shoulder. She squeezed me gently but hard enough to make me turn my head.

  Her eyes narrowed slightly. A cold but focused stare had me wondering what she was thinking.

  “Your father’s still alive. We’ll find him.”

  “I know…”

  I took another sip of coffee and all of the tension building up left me. “How about you, Jade? You from around here?”

  “Yes. I figured while I’m on leave, I would come back to Newmire and—” Her phone suddenly vibrated in her hand. She looked at the screen, scrolling through a text message as her thumbs went to work with a response.

  “Listen, Enzo. I gotta go. Something just came up.”

  “…Coffee’s on me.”

  She smiled softly and nodded. “Thanks. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Her smile left as soon as she started heading for the exit.

  I watched her leave then turned back to my coffee.

  “That’s a good-looking woman.” Ruthie had suddenly appeared right in front of me. For such a big woman, I wondered how she managed to get there without me noticing. “Such smooth skin. Maybe she can let me in on her beauty regimen.”

  The old waitress gently patted her cheeks. I hid my smile behind another sip of coffee. “I think you get big enough tips just the way you are, Ruthie.”

  “Never hurts to improve.”

  Another laugh escaped me when the communicator Redgrave gave me rumbled on my arm. I looked at it and saw something appear.

  SYNERGY with ENZO DRAKE

  Jade Conrad - Level 2: +3 to Control

  The first points I ever earned in control didn’t even come from leveling. I wondered if I would ever find them useful.

  “Nice watch you got there.” Ruthie leaned against the counter to get a closer look at it. “You were never the type to spend that kinda cash on something decadent.”

  “It was a gift.”

  “Wish I had someone to give me a nice gift like that. I’ve been hanging around the wrong people.”

  “Give it some time, Ruthie. You never know who’s around the corner.”

  13: A Problem Of Ego

  Alisa tied her dirty blond hair back into a sloppy ponytail behind her head. Her black sports bra hugged her chest tight. Her matching shorts did barely enough to cover her ass. From her stomach to her legs, most of her tan skin was on display. Despite her small frame, she had a youthful, athletic physique even though it was the first time I’d ever seen her in the gym. Most guys hanging around the Bloody Guts were focused on whatever work they were doing but a new face like Alisa always turned heads, even if they never wanted to admit it.

  “All right, Champ! Let’s kick some ass!” She bounced up and down in place, throwing out some punches right in front of me.

  Her enthusiasm was welcome but it still got a chuckle out of me. “Settle down now. First things first. Before we start throwing some punches, there’s a few things you gotta know. One, stop calling me ‘Champ.’”

  “But you were a pro, weren’t you?”

  “Just because someone had a few pro fights doesn’t make ‘em a champion.”

  Alisa clenched her fists and rested them on her hips. “But it’ll help me. I mean, the training will be a little better if I think I’m getting it from a champion. What do you say?” Her eyes widened. The way the smile grew on her lips made her look like a kid begging for a Christmas present.

  I sighed, knowing it wasn’t a big concession to make just to keep her childlike enthusiasm. “Fine. You can call me ‘Champ.’ But just you. I hear you going around the gym and telling me that’s what I asked for, I’m pulling the plug on it.”

  “Oh yeah!” Alisa pumped her fist into the air and resumed bouncing in place.

  “Second of all, you need to settle down. Relax a little bit.” I put my hands on her shoulders to settle her down. “It’s good that you’ve got energy. I don’t wanna train anybody who doesn’t wanna be here. But you’re only human. No matter how hard you train, your lungs are gonna run out of oxygen. Your heart can only beat so fast and get so much blood to the rest of your body. Eventually, your muscles will give out. That’s why you’ve gotta use your energy when you need it.”

  “Hmm… I guess that makes sense. Didn’t think I’d get a science lesson from a boxing class.”

  “Boxing is a science. Every punch has an angle, an impact. Energy traveling from one spot to another. Make a fist.” She followed my instructions and I took her hand. “All of that energy starts from your feet. It flows, taking it from all of your muscles, traveling up your legs, through your core, extending through your arm and to your hand when you throw it forward.”

  I held my other hand up and pressed her fist into my palm. “When your punch connects, all of that energy passes from you and into your target. How much energy passes depends on how accurate you are, what angle you’re coming from, how fast you’re throwing. So many different variables. But you know what the best part is?”

  “What’s that?”

  I raised her fist and tapped it against my chin. “You don’t need to get all the variables right to land the perfect shot.”

  Hearing how to properly concuss someone put a smile on her lips. Everybody in the gym wanted to know how to hurt someone. Alisa though… Her eyes were so wide, there was a part of me wondering if it was a good idea to go through with teaching her.

  “Pretty smart,” she said with a smile. “Must be all of that experience.”

  “I picked up a thing or two. Do it enough and you don’t have to think about it. That’s how it’s gonna be for you eventually. But that’s the finish line. It’s a long, long race. So the last thing I’m gonna tell you before you start is to have patience. Nobody ever rolled out of bed knowing what to do. Look around you. Thousands and thousands of punches have been thrown. Hours and hours of grappling on the mats. Those heavy bags have absorbed enough damage to knock out a million people.”

  “Not to mention all of the sweat these people are dripping. Pee-yew!” She waved her hand in front of her nose.

  “I told you you’ll get used to it,” I said with a laugh. “You work hard enough, pretty soon you’ll be the one smelling the worst out of everybody here.”

  “As if! I’m a lady! Ladies don’t stink as bad as boys do.”

  “Well, if you don’t got any kinda stink on you when you’re done training, it means I’m not pushing yourself hard enough.”

  “We’ll see about that.” Alisa twisted her lips, trying to maintain her innocent look. I knew she was somewhat serious about all this training because she didn’t wear much makeup. Not that she needed it, since her skin had only a few faint freckles on her cheeks and nose.

  “Okay,” she said. “I get through all your prerequisite lessons. What do you say we get started?”

  I gave her a nod. “First thing you need to do is learn how to wrap your hands.”

  “I can’t just put the gloves on?”

  “The gloves are for your target’s protection. The wraps are for your protection. Now—”

  “Oh, yeah!” A sudden loud voice boomed through the gym. With all of the grunting and groaning, a person had to raise their voice really damn loud for everybody else to hear.

  Everybody turned their attention to the entrance to see three guys walking in. Never saw any of them before but from how fit they were, they looked like they were in pretty decent shape. All of them wore white tank-tops and athletic pants
. The blond guy in the center of the trio held his hands out, flanked by a couple of guys with long, brown hair.

  I wouldn’t have thought much about three guys coming to the gym looking for a workout. But the way they sauntered forward made it seem like they were going to make an announcement.

  “This is it, huh?” the blond said. “The Bloody Guts Gym. Newmire’s best.”

  Alisa crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow at all of them. “You know these guys?” she whispered to me.

  “Can’t say that I do…”

  The blond kept walking around slowly, eyeballing all of the men and women he moved by. “My name’s Ethan. That’s my boy Brandon. And over there’s Sergio.”

  I didn’t own the gym. I was just another trainer. But I was already at the point where I thought I needed to do something.

  So I walked right up to Ethan and stopped him from moving forward. Ethan stared at me, eyes narrowed and lips cocked into some smug little smirk. The way he styled his hair made him look like some rich, preppy kid, which made him stand out since there were no rich, preppy kids in Newmire.

  “What do we got here?” he said as he looked me up and down.

  I stood face to face with him and nodded. “You need some help, gentlemen?”

  “We’re Omegas. On break. Relaxing, you know? We thought, hey, maybe we’ll get some work in while we show some people what it means to be an Omega.”

  “You’re free to use the gym as long as you pay the fee. But I don’t think our facilities are the same as something on an LOD District.”

  “You’re probably right. Judging from the way the people look around here, you’re not getting the same results either.” Ethan looked back toward his boys and they snickered like some children.

  I’d seen guys like him before. The older Omegas who trained in the gym were retired and didn’t care too much about showing off. But when you got a younger, fresh guy, he was never shy about letting everybody know. It’s like Red Mana gave everybody extra confidence.

  Ethan turned toward the small crowd in the gym that had gathered around. “To be an Omega, you’ve gotta be fit. Strong. A good workout will help you. But it won’t do the wonders Red Mana will do—”