Finally back home I was exhausted. The day before was really shitty, frustrating, physically exhausting and traumatizing at the very least. Officer Abrom staying around postponed my rituals of relaxation that I had planned. While she slept I had time to get on top of the police surprise operation, figure out what the hell they were doing there and even checked the material I collected earlier that evening. After kicking the door behind me my body moved on its own and I dropped dead until sundown.
In my dreams, in the depths of my subconscious, I started to hear a buzz. A very distant noise. I tried to ignore it but it started to get closer, and closer until I laid my hand on top of it. My screen was vibrating.
With one eye half opened I tried to see what was happening just when my security alarm went off covering the whole room in bloody red lights. It was a security breach, my door was being hacked. As quick as a husband caught cheating, I jumped off to check the doorway cameras. The moment I laid eyes on the intruder the blood on my veins boiled and I marched to the door.
- Are you fucking joking me?! - the creature standing in front of me couldn't look more pitiful. Still my first thought was to hit it on the stomach.
- Yo, St, great update, huh!
- I've told you not to do this, you little shit! I was sleeping for fucks sake.
In my chest, my startled heart wanted me to run back to bed, even though my head begged for revenge against the one who woke me up. In the end the heart always wins and I crawled to my sheets, turned my face to the wall and covered my eyes with the blanket.
- No one told you to upgrade your lock. - I heard the door closing and steps going directly to the kitchen.
- Don't touch my food, Jake, or I swear I'll throw you out that window.
- You know I can't fit.
Jake talking off my ears was the last thing I wanted. Under the covers I closed my eyes begging to go back to sleep by focusing on my breath. In and out. I had to ignore him. Breath in and a new smell was detected on my pillow, a sweet shampoo smell. Officer Sun.
She left her scent on my pillow after only one night. How could I have not smelled that while she was here? It was so soothing, like a bedtime song caring me all the way up to cloud 9.
- Hey, were you here last night during the shooting? - Jake's voice stabbed me in the ear from up close. His mouth was full but he was still talking - I couldn't get inside. Had to sleep on the train. - his chewing was loud as a crusher - Fuck, my neck hurts!
- Goddamn it, you're not gonna let me sleep, are you?- I threw the covers away.
- I thought you'd be all over this operation. - he got off my bed in a hurry heading to the other end of the room.
- Well, I'm not. - by this time I was half sitting on the bed, watching Jake go over the fridge again. - Step away from my fridge!
Under the pillow, my screen began to vibrate again. Above many unread messages from Jake, telling me to open the door, there was a new text from an old Trinity guy I did a job for once. He was asking me to come down to the store.
Gigs for the boys normally involved obtaining information. New buyers, clients who didn't pay their debts, background checks, easy stuff, anyone with a screen and half a brain could do it that's why they didn't contact me unless they wanted it done fast. While others would take a week I would do it in one night. They came to me when they wanted efficiency and agility and with the latest events that was exactly the case.
Outside It was already dark when I left the building to meet my contact. The wind was strong, bringing down a heavy smell of rain. On the streets people were out throwing some kind of party on the central yard. It was one of few open spaces around which made it very popular with the kids and teenagers. Probably it was the closest thing to a park we would ever get.
One turn after crossing the yard and I was at the meeting point, a liquor store used as a Trinity hideout. At the door two men with tattooed arms were smoking and chatting under a bright neon sign that said "Licor".
- The manager texted me.
- What's up, St? - one of them extended his fist as a greeting. - He's on the back.
Most of the people that knew me I didn't know them, just like this guy. He probably saw me when I came to talk to the manager about some other job, I didn't remember his name and neither his face. My memory was shit when it came to retaining simple information.
On the inside the place was genuinely a liquor store, while on the back they ran a small drug lab. Places like that one were scattered all over the slums, a couple in each section to facilitate logistics and distribution. Over the years a great network was built locally spreading to every side of Tier-1, completely controlled by the Pharmacy unit. This guy I was about to meet was one of the many managers of the operation.
When I arrived at the small door hidden inside the supply room, the first thing I noticed was a cloud of blue smoke covering the face of about five men. My nose inched, making me want to sneeze which I hold back to not sound disrespectful.
- St my man! - the same rough fist bump was offered to me again when I stepped on the door.
- How're you doing, boss?
- You'll tell me that. What the fuck happened last night?