Slayer Read online

  “Yeah. Then you got these assholes who join up with the Legion, pumping themselves up with Red Mana. Stuff’s as bad as steroids.”

  “Red Mana’s easier to trace than any drug. Anybody who’s got a drop or ounce or whatever it is inside of them isn’t allowed to compete. Not in anything officially sanctioned, anyway.”

  “I guess that makes sense… Then you’d have a bunch of Omegas beating each other up inside of the ring or the cage. Then again, people might wanna see that.”

  “Maybe…”

  While Bruce pondered the possibilities of how to cheat with Red Mana, I finished putting away the gym equipment.

  “How about you, Bruce? You wanna fight? We can get you signed-up for some amateur bouts if you want.”

  “Hmm…” He twisted his lips like he wasn’t sure what to say. “I don’t know. I got some scuffs on my face. God knows what my parents would say if I showed up at home with bigger bruises.”

  “Most people here aren’t trying to compete. They’re just training. Nothing wrong with pushing yourself.”

  “Speaking of Omegas, since high school graduation is around the corner, I was thinking about… maybe applying for the Legion. That’ll probably put an end to my fighting career. What do you think I should do, Enzo?”

  I smirked at the thought. Over the years, I’d worked with countless people. Everybody always asked me for my advice, even when I wasn’t qualified to give it. And with something like this, I definitely wasn’t qualified.

  I put a hand on Bruce’s shoulder then smiled. For a second, it kinda freaked me out I could tell him something to influence him. That made it even easier to tell him the truth.

  “I can’t tell you what to do,” I said. “Your parents. Your family. Your friends. Nobody can. You just gotta do what’s best for you. If you think joining up with the Legion is the right decision, that’s your decision.”

  “Well, I heard they get paid pretty decent. If you rank up high enough, your stipend can give you a nice living.”

  “That’s your choice, Bruce.”

  “What do you think of the Legion?”

  I had an opinion about the Legion. Now wasn’t the time to give it though, so I bit my tongue. “I think… it’s a good option for some people. Maybe you’re one of them. I can’t tell you for sure.”

  He nodded, a smile slowly growing on his face. “Thanks, Enzo. I should probably get going now.” He reached down for his gym bag then slung it over his shoulder. His eyes shifted to the side of the gym and the smile slowly left his lips.

  “Who’s that?” he asked.

  “Who’s who?” I turned to the direction he was looking and saw someone standing at the entrance to the gym. I didn’t have to stare for very long to figure out who he was looking at.

  Some fair-skinned woman in a pair of tight blue jeans and long, jet-black hair scanned the gym with her arms crossed. Even if she wasn’t wearing a shirt with thin straps holding it up, I would’ve noticed her.

  “Never seen her before,” I said.

  “I’ll bet. A girl like her you’d remember.”

  The woman kept scanning the gym before she looked at me. When our eyes met, she didn’t move her gaze away. She just kept her arms at her side and stared unblinking at me.

  “Maybe you beat up one of her boyfriends and she’s here to collect on his medical bills.”

  “Ha!” I scoffed. “Everybody signs a waiver before they step foot in the gym. You get hurt, you pay for it your damn self. It’s in everybody’s contract before you can train here.”

  “Wait a second… I signed a waiver?”

  The slight mix of confusion and concern on Bruce’s face made me laugh again. I looked back over to the entrance but the woman was suddenly gone. Any thoughts I had of her left just as fast.

  “C’mon,” I said as I patted Bruce on the shoulder. “I’ll walk you to your ride. Oh, and before I forget. Nice job today.”

  Bruce held his chin up and nodded. “Thanks.”

  ~ ~ ~

  “Choose your class. Wield your weapon. Level up. The world needs you! Do your part to save Earth and fight against the evil forces of Pandora by joining up with the Legion Omega Defense today!”

  A group of recruits in black uniforms gave beaming smiles as information on joining the Legion flashed on the screen. In the background, some sorta patriotic trumpets played to make the scene even more heroic.

  Legion advertisements did everything they could to get young people like Bruce to sign up. But most folks saw them often enough they stopped paying attention to them.

  At the moment, my attention was more focused on the drink the bartender placed in front of me. “One tall glass of pineapple juice with ice. I’ll never get it.”

  “Get what?” I said.

  “The drinks you get.”

  “We’ve been over this,” I sighed. “Not everybody has to get loaded after work every night. Sometimes you just want a simple drink to relax.”

  “Alcohol’s relaxing.”

  “A little sugar is enough for me.” I held the straw to my lips and took a sip. The sweet juice wet my throat and made me forget about a day of training in a stinky gym.

  The bartender leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. “How’s the gym?”

  “The gym is the gym,” I said with a shrug. “Same as every day. Why do you ask me that every night?”

  “I don’t know. I figure one day you’ll have a story for me.”

  “Well, tonight’s not the night, Hank. Just another ordinary, average, boring, run-of-the-mill day.”

  I figured telling Hank I didn’t have a story for him would be enough. But considering how dull and drab the scene was, there wasn’t much else for him to look forward to.

  While the Bloody Guts Gym was full of sweaty people looking for a place to train, Lucky’s Pub might’ve been just the opposite. The lights were a dull yellow. The musky scent of rotting wood and old liquor burned my nostrils. Some of the dreary patrons probably contributed to the odd smell. The television made just enough noise to accompany the music from the digital jukebox. The quiet conversations were kept to a minimum, with the balls smacking around on the pool table being the loudest thing in the room. The people at Lucky’s weren’t the most enthusiastic bunch but at least I knew I wouldn’t get any trouble from them. In a town like Newmire, that was rare.

  Hank was probably the least threatening of them all. Old and stubby with a pudgy gut that stretched out his white button-up shirt, the bald man looked like he was only a few years away from retiring. The way his wrinkled cheeks sagged on his face made him look like a sad puppy. I was almost sorry I didn’t have an interesting story to tell him. But I always reminded myself he had a more interesting life than most people. The retired Omega didn’t show any signs of the Red Mana they used to boost themselves but nobody ever tested him.

  I sucked on my straw while I stared at the television, not paying too much attention to what was on it. Hank stayed leaning against the shelf of liquor with his arms crossed like he was trying not to fall asleep. Lucky’s was definitely the place to relax after a day at work.

  “C’mon.”

  Hank spoke up suddenly. I shifted my eyes slowly to him, not sure he was talking to me. He raised his eyebrows and held his hands out.

  “You gotta have something for me?” he said. “A new fighter coming up in the ranks. Maybe some pro who stopped by for some sparring.”

  I shook my head and chuckled. “Sorry, Hank. Most people at the gym are just looking for a workout. And the people who do fight are just amateurs.”

  “How about you? You ever think about stepping back into the cage?”

  I let my straw fall from my mouth and straightened up. “We’ve already been over this,” I sighed. “I’m not a fighter. Those who can, do. Those who can’t, teach. That’s how the saying goes.”

  “If you’d just give it another shot.” Hank raised his eyebrows, trying to egg me on. The older man’s broken-toothed grin
made me laugh. It would’ve been convincing if I hadn’t gone over this in my head a thousand times.

  “Fighting doesn’t do much for me,” I said.

  “You can’t tell me you don’t get no satisfaction from cracking a man’s skull and sending him to another dimension.”

  “I can, actually.”

  “What about the money?”

  “I’m not broke.”

  “What about the fame? The glory? The women? Eh, eh?”

  I stuck my straw back between my teeth as I held back a smile. “Can’t do much with any of those.”

  “Huh? A man leaves everything on the table because he just doesn’t wanna do it. I can respect that.”

  “If you respect that, how about you stop bugging me about it?”

  “I will… for tonight.”

  “…Good enough,” I sighed.

  “Looks like you don’t have to fight to get some attention, anyway.”

  “Huh?” I turned toward the entrance of the bar where Hank was looking. Standing near the doorway was the same dark-haired woman I saw at the gym just a short while ago. She was a few meters away but it was obvious her eyes were on me.

  I should’ve been flattered. Any man would’ve appreciated a woman staring at him from across the room. But she was already crossing the line into stalker territory.

  “Friend of yours?” Hank asked.

  “I don’t know.”

  “An admirer. You know, some of these women, when they spot a guy… I heard stories about how they follow a man home and get so obsessed they kill him just to make sure nobody can have him.”

  I slowly turned back toward Hank. “Why the hell are you telling me that?”

  “It’s just a story. It’s not like this broad…” He turned back toward the entrance and the woman was gone. “Well, there you have it. She’s gone. Nothing to worry about. I’m sure she’s not the obsessive murderer type.”

  “And what makes you say that?”

  “Intuition.” He tapped the side of his wrinkled forehead with his index finger. Despite how sure of himself he appeared to be, Hank didn’t inspire much confidence in me.

  “Whatever…” I sighed as I sipped my drink, enjoying my quiet moment for as long as I could.

  2: Jade

  The stench of liquor and smoke in Lucky’s Pub was something I’d gotten used to quickly. When you spent enough time in the sweaty, smelly gym, everywhere else seemed like a breath of fresh air.

  But ‘fresh’ places weren’t exactly easy to find in a place like Newmire. The smell here wasn’t fresh either but a lot more tolerable. Something sweet. Perfume made of sugar and candy. Inhale deep enough and you’d get a little light-headed. Open your mouth and you could taste it on your tongue.

  That was only just the beginning. If you’d ever been in a strip club, then you knew what to expect. The smells. The dim but colorful lighting to highlight all of the flesh on display. The music blasting loud to drown out the conversations. Which is a shame, because the conversations going on weren’t shit you’d hear anywhere else. The Pussycat Club had all of that and more.

  Up on the stage, a young twenty-something twirled around on a pole. Her body was firm and the curves of her hips were enticing. Most eyes were on her tits though, swaying in rhythm to the music from her ballet-like movements. A couple of six-inch heels made her slender legs look even longer but weren’t enough to hide her small frame. Not that she cared too much about hiding anything. A short-haired, blond pixie had the crowd mesmerized with her fairy dust.

  The men at the stage showed their appreciation. A couple of businessmen in black suits tossed a few folded dollar bills at the dancer’s feet. Their ties undone and their hair disheveled, they looked like they’d just gotten off a long day at work and decided to stay out a little longer.

  Other guys who didn’t wanna show their appreciation with dollars stood a few feet farther from the stage. Their heads down and their hands in their pockets, they kept their eyes focused on the blond at the center of the room. Her eyes. Her chest. Between her legs. There was more than one thing for them to focus on. Outside, they would’ve called guys like them perverts. But in here, they were honest men who didn’t hide their feelings. That meant they were treated like royalty.

  It’s not like I was in any position to judge them. I wasn’t here for the same reasons as them but I’d be lying if I didn’t appreciate a girl slithering around a pole to prove just how flexible she was.

  I sank comfortably into my seat cushions. My hands in my jacket pockets, I looked around to enjoy the rest of the scenery. Women in skimpy bikinis and lingerie to show off their assets walked around the club, searching for their next target with the bass thumping through the speakers as the soundtrack. Guys did their best not to stare too much, but all it took was a glance for a girl to sit next to him and try to see just how much they could take him for.

  Some kid a few seats away from me got my attention. The guy looked like he was nearly a decade younger than me, barely eighteen. A shapely brunette in a black thong and a matching bra rubbed her leg against his thigh. Even with the lighting of the club, the smirk on her lips his clear. It was only a matter of time until she took him to the back.

  I held back a smile. I remember when I was him, young with pussy the only thing on my mind.

  “Hey, you.”

  A girl plopped down on the seat next to me. I worked my way up her long heels, up toward the black bikini bottoms, and then at the black push-up bra that cupped her breasts to make them look like a couple of decent-sized tomatoes. The curly-haired brunette gave me a cheery smile, her white teeth brighter than anything in the club. The dimples in her cheeks almost made her look out of place. Almost.

  “How are you doing tonight?” she asked, her voice as enthusiastic as her smile.

  “I’m doing all right, I guess.” Never much for small talk. A cute girl didn’t change matters.

  “My name’s Kylie.”

  “Enzo.”

  “Enzo… I like it. It’s nice to meet you, Enzo. You from around Newmire?”

  “Unfortunately.” I fixated my eyes on the girl on stage rolling around on the dollar bills being floated toward her. Through the corner of my eye, I could see the brunette still keeping her attention on me.

  “You come here often? I’m new around here and I think maybe you and I can have a lotta fun…”

  I turned to her and she winked. If I was the young guy a few seats away from me, that alone would’ve worked. I was too old for that now though.

  “You’ll do fine in the Pussycat Club,” I said. “But I’m not what you’re looking for…”

  She scrunched in her face, her seductive smile slowly disappearing from her lips. “Just here to watch, huh?”

  “If I had some decent cash, I’d probably do more. I’m not the guy you’re looking for though, Kylie. I think…”

  I looked over her shoulder toward the corner of the club. I wouldn’t have thought much about someone enjoying themselves. Even if it was a woman. But it only took me a second for me to recognize her.

  I narrowed my eyes slightly to see her clearly. That same raven-haired broad I saw at the gym and at the bar. I knew the shit wasn’t a coincidence the first time I saw her. Now I was thinking this shit was serious.

  “You think what?” Kylie’s voice broke me out of my daze. She waved her hand in front of me, an eyebrow arched. “You all right, Enzo?”

  I looked back at the girl in the corner and watched as she got up from her seat. “It was nice meeting you, Kylie. Maybe I’ll see you around.”

  “I hope so.”

  I popped up from my seat, not giving the brunette a second thought. I moved through the club as fast as I could, brushing by all of the girls trying to grab my attention and the guys too distracted to get out of my way. The club wasn’t big enough that the woman I was walking after could get away.

  She kept moving until she got to the back of the club, pushing the back door open and letting some o
f the moonlight in. A few seconds later, I finally caught up and stumbled into the alley after her.

  The stench of the dumpsters in the back alley weren’t enough to distract me. It was easy to spot her. She wasn’t alone though. A couple of guys who were out here, too, got her attention. They didn’t look any different from most of the guys I saw walking streets. Disheveled clothes and dirty faces. They were probably pushers who weren’t above taking advantage of someone. And the way they eyeballed the girl, that was a real possibility.

  “What do we got here?” One man in a beanie scratched the side of his head as he walked up to the woman, a growing smirk on his lips.

  “Pretty girl,” the other man said. “Most of the pretty girls are usually in the club, ass naked. You’re all dressed up though.”

  The woman crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. “Don’t even think about it,” she said, her voice as matter of fact as you could get. “Club security isn’t having it.”

  “Club security always tells the girls working in the club to never come into the back alley. They say any girl who steps back here gets what it’s coming to ‘em.”

  “It’s their own fault,” the other man added.

  One moment I’m enjoying a show. The next, I’m in a back alley about to watch a girl get assaulted. Newmire was some fucking town.

  As they approached the woman, the guys finally turned and took notice of me.

  “Who’s this asshole?” one of the men said. “You with her?”

  I’d only just started shaking my head when the woman spoke up suddenly. “He’s with me,” she said. “He’s my boyfriend.”

  She turned and gave me a wink. The corner of her lips twitched slightly. I didn’t know if that smile was good news or bad news. But it was definitely something.

  “Boyfriend, huh?” Both of the men walked over to me. They stood right in front of me, so I could see just how dirty their shirt and jeans were. Their clothes smelled as bad as they looked. Definitely a couple of bums capable of assaulting an innocent woman. “You stepped into the wrong alley.”