Part 01
Slinking through dark alleys after curfew wasn't Vila's idea of fun. More like the worst idea he ever had. Every shadow and dark corner seemed to hold unknown menaces. His mouth was so dry that swallowing was painful.
It seemed too quiet. Unnaturally quiet. He was sure that everyone could hear his footsteps as he tried to move quickly through the streets. Here in what he liked to call Deltaville, or what the Federation had designated as Delta Quadrant, Grid Seven Four Two slash E, being caught wandering around the streets when there was a curfew in effect was a sure way to get hauled into the local security precinct, asked lots of questions they already seemed to have the answers to, and if you really couldn't keep your mouth shut, sent to one of the rehab centres reserved for the lower grades who needed retraining on the social niceties of their place in Federation.
Vila shivered from both the cold and the thought of retraining. He'd made the mistake of being caught once and sent to one of the rehab centres when he was young and just starting out. He was not about to make the same mistake twice. He put his arms around himself, trying to stay warm. The higher ups swore that the temperatures were all the same no matter which area of the domes you were in. That was obviously a lie. He doubted if the privileged Alphas knew what it felt like to be so cold that you could see your breath.
His stolen treasures seemed to be burning a hole in his pocket. Any moment now, he expected a security trooper to swoop down on him and demand to know what the bulge in his pocket was. He blamed it all on his friend for getting him into this situation. Though it was really more of a friend of a friend of a friend. They didn't make for very good lookouts. So now, here he was wandering the streets after curfew with a few 'borrowed' items in his pockets. If it could be any worse, he didn't want to hear it.
Why was there a curfew anyway?
No one had said. Of course, Deltas weren't really important or smart enough to have things explained to them. They just did what they were told, and it had better be yesterday.
But one thing for certain, this was one serious curfew. And they were obviously looking for someone. There were Central Security troopers everywhere. Those harbingers of doom and gloom didn't come out unless there was something really important going on.
Vila felt sorry for the poor bastard they were looking for. Central Security wasn't exactly known for its sense of humour. He was just glad it wasn't him. Now if only he could get home without being spotted.
A soft groan caught his sharp ears. It was coming from…no, he must have imagined it. The last thing he needed was to check out something that might get him into more trouble than he was already in. Vila hurried on.
There was another moan and then a crashing sound. Vila looked around nervously, hoping no one else heard the sounds. Another sound, a low moan bitten off before it could get louder.
Vila hesitated. Someone was clearly in trouble and whoever it was, was making enough noise to bring a whole Federation patrol on them. The sounds seemed to be coming from a dark corner, near several large battered storage containers. He approached carefully and peered cautiously around one of the containers.
It was what he was afraid of. A man was lying on the ground. He had a hand covering a huge bleeding wound in his chest and he was moaning softly.
From the looks of it, the man wore a tech uniform of some kind but his fine features and well-kept hands told Vila that this man was an Alpha.
That nearly made Vila leave him. He didn't like Alphas on the best of days. To see one in this state should have made him happy.
The man on the ground groaned again and tried to get up. The stranger tried it again with the same result. His voice was a ragged whisper, "Anna. Have to get back…" He seemed delirious.
Vila bent down and touched the man on the shoulder. The man reacted and tried to strike out at Vila's hand but only gasped in pain again.
Vila backed off and said, "It's alright. I'm not security. I'm here to help."
The man's wild and fevered eyes were deep with suspicion and pain. There was also fear. The man asked in an uncertain voice, "Help?" It was as if the idea of someone helping him was an alien concept he had trouble grasping.
"Yeah, you know where I get us both off the streets before you make enough noise to bring down all of Central Security on us?"
That made the man look around in apprehension and then he regarded Vila carefully. It was clear he was trying to determine if Vila could be trusted enough in his offer of help. Even half-lying on the ground and bleeding all over the place the man had a dignity and strength of character that made Vila take notice. He'd never seen Alphas close-up before.
Vila realized that this must be the man that all the Security people were looking for.
What was he thinking about earlier? If it could be any worse, he didn't want to hear it. Well it had just gotten a whole lot worse.
Vila had a momentary thought. If Central Security was so interested in this man, there might be a big reward in it for him if he turned him in.
The man's dark eyes stared at him and Vila was filled with guilt. He could almost swear that the other man knew what he was thinking. Vila said, "I wasn't thinking of it. Honest. I wouldn't turn you in. Even if you are an Alpha. The Federation is looking for you. Not in the good way. That makes you one of us."
"Does it?" the man asked as if he did not find this an agreeable notion.
Vila asked, "Do you want my help or not?"
"It appears I have no choice." The man looked very pale and he seemed to be shivering.
Of course, he was an Alpha. He wouldn't be used to the cold. Plus it looked like he'd lost a lot of blood.
First things first. Vila took his jacket off and moved to put it around the injured man's shoulders, stopping at the look in the suspicious eyes. The stranger seemed unsure about this gesture or maybe he was wondering if Vila was trying to trap him in some way. After a moment of staring at Vila and the held jacket, the man nodded and let Vila put it around him. "Thank you." His voice was cultured and polite. Just like an Alpha.
The man's jaw tightened as he fought another bout of pain. He panted as the pain passed. In a hoarse voice he said, "It's no use. Leave me." He looked exhausted.
Vila looked down at him, unsure what to do next. Even though they had just met and the man was an Alpha, there was something about him that made him not want to leave.
The man was getting weaker by the minute and his eyes seemed to no longer focus. He was barely able to gasp out, "Can you…do…something…for me?" The man's voice had changed. It was no longer as hard or suspicious. There was a faint plea in it.
"There's a woman…I need…to get a message…to her. They'll be…after her soon. Have to warn her." He tried to stick his hand inside his shirt but his hands went limp and he fell back unconscious.
Vila realized that this had been what the man had been trying to do. Despite his severe injuries and the fact that he could barely crawl, the man had been trying to warn this woman. He must love her very much.
Vila put his hand on the man's shoulder and tried to shake him gently. There was no response. The man was definitely unconscious.
Oh great. Now he was stuck with an unconscious man that Central Security was looking for. There were patrols everywhere. There was some nameless woman who was in trouble but he didn't know who it was. And he was still out in a curfew and had a stash of stolen goods in his pockets.
Somehow, the last bit didn't seem that important anymore. He had to save this man.
Vila searched man's pockets. Other than for a few tech-type tools, there was nothing to identify him. He felt for the inner pocket the man must have been trying to reach before and pulled out two documents, opening one of them at random.
Blank exit visas. The man was trying to get away. Probably with the woman he was so concerned about. Vila slipped the visas back into the man's inner pocket and patted it. The visas would fetch a lot on the underground market but it didn't feel right to steal from someone who was helpless. It was no challenge at all. Besides the man was going to need it. It was one thing being pulled in by the local security people, another thing to end up in one of the Central Security Detention Centres. Vila had heard that hardly anyone came out of those places alive, and the few unlucky ones who did were never the same again and were usually shipped off to the worst penal colonies. He shuddered.
Vila realized that he didn't even know the man's name. They'd been too busy to exchange the normal social pleasantries like names, identity numbers and why would Central Security be looking for him.
There was no way he was going to be able to carry the man back to his place. The trail of blood would be a definite give-away. He'd have to hide them both somehow until the curfew was lifted in the morning. The dark, sheltered corner they were in wasn't too bad. Maybe look for something to stop the bleeding. And clean up the trail of blood. The man was lucky that Security hadn't seen that yet.
He hoped the man would survive until he could get him some help.
Part 02
Vila looked down at the man he had rescued. The man's breathing was shallow and strained. His face had the pallor of someone sent to one of those penal colonies where you were forced to work in the mines and never saw the light of day.
The man was extremely lucky that they'd been able to find some help to get them both to safety. They were in Vila's flat now, a tiny closet of a place in one of those sandwich-type megaplexes reserved for the lower-grades. It was home and at least they were relatively safe from the prying eyes of Federation security here.
The Doc, who was really a field medic who had been invalidated out of active service because of injuries to his leg, had been able to stop the bleeding and performed some impromptu surgery to fix the damage done by the blaster shot. It wasn't a pretty job and it would probably leave a nasty scar. Delta's didn't get the best in terms of tissue regenerators, but at least the man was still alive.
Vila was feeling a bit faint himself. He decided that watching someone's chest being sliced open was an experience he didn't want repeated in this lifetime.
Vila smiled ironically, as he wondered how the man would feel if he found out that Delta-blood ran through his veins now. The man had lost a lot of blood and they were fortunate enough to be a match although the man might not consider it lucky. Vila imagined that any self-respecting Alpha would prefer dying rather than suffer the indignity of having 'inferior' blood in them.
The man hadn't woken up since he collapsed in the alley. Vila was getting worried. The Doc had said to expect him to be unconscious for a while but Vila would feel better if he woke up sooner rather than later. The Central Security troops were still on their deadly manhunt. There had already been some residence-to-residence searches in some grids. They really must want him badly.
So what was he doing harbouring this fugitive? Vila had asked himself that more than once since finding the Alpha. But there was something about him. He didn't know if it was seeing the nasty wound in his chest or hearing the man's ragged breathing. Maybe he felt sorry for him. Or seeing the suspicion in the man's eyes turn to fear and concern when he kept trying to reach the unknown woman he must have loved more than his own life. Vila was a bit of a romantic at heart. The man's devotion touched him, even if the man was an Alpha. He didn't think that kind of thing existed outside the vid-entertainment channels.
The man moaned and then suddenly his eyes snapped open. His whole body seemed to tense in instant defence and his eyes had a hooded wariness and suspicion. Of course, that quick and unfortunate action caused him to clench his jaw in pain.
Vila said, "Careful. You don't want to open up your wound again."
The man's eyes narrowed and he asked in a harsh voice, "Who are you?"
Great. All that work and the man didn't even remember him. Though…did that mean the man had brain damage? The Doc didn't say anything and there didn't seem to be any injuries to the man's head. The man had seemed out of it before. Vila hoped that was it.
He said, "Just the man who saved your life. Your friendly neighbourhood hero but you can call me Vila."
The man's eyes raked Vila from top to bottom. "You saved me?" He said this as if he couldn't believe that this would be possible from someone like him.
"I don't see anyone else in this room. Do you?"
The man eyed him again but this time with a much more measured look. He was still highly suspicious. "Why?"
"Just call it my good deed for the day. You were just lucky enough to be it."
The man didn't seem satisfied with this answer. He repeated again, "Why?"
Vila didn't think the man would accept his real answer, which was he didn't really know why. "Are you always like this with people who save your life?"
The man's eyes were like lasers boring into Vila's eyes, trying to get at the truth he was sure was hidden there. Vila couldn't really blame him for being suspicious. He'd probably be the same in the man's place or even worse. Being the target of a manhunt and not knowing who to trust must be a horrifying experience. Vila hoped he would never have that pleasure.
Suddenly the man's eyes widened as he realized something. He tried to get up and at the same time asked, "What time is it? How long have I been out?" He gasped involuntarily at the sharp stab of pain in his chest and fell back panting.
Vila put his hand on the man's shoulder. "Easy. That's not a good idea. You'll open up that wound again."
Through continued pain, the man asked in a tight voice, "How long have I been out?"
Vila looked at the chronometer on the table beside the bed. "About ten hours."
A faint look of panic appeared in the man's eyes and he tried to get up again, this time with more effort. His teeth clenched in agony but he continued his fruitless struggle to get off the bed. "Have to save Anna."
Vila put his hand on the man's shoulder and gently tried to push him back down. The man turned dark, angry eyes towards him and Vila backed off.
Vila said, "You're going to hurt yourself. Then how are you going to help Anna?"
The man asked with sharp suspicion, "What do you know about Anna?"
Vila said, "Nothing. Just that you were trying to get to someone last night even though you could barely move and there were patrols out looking for you. And you're trying to do it again. You must love her a great deal."
The man fell back panting, his face strained in pain. The effort seemed to have exhausted him. "She's…important to me." The man unexpectedly grabbed Vila's arm. "I need you to do something."
Vila already knew what was coming. "You want me to go warn Anna? Did I mention there are still Federation patrols out looking for you?"
"I…can't do it myself." The man let go of his arm.
"But there are still patrols out there looking for the two of you. What if they get me? I mean, saving you is one thing. Sticking my neck out against Federation patrols…"
The next words seemed to be ripped from the man's lips in a reluctant but beseeching whisper. He had a funny flat quality to his voice. "Please. There is no one else."
Vila almost couldn't believe his ears. An Alpha putting aside his pride to ask, nearly beg, him, a Delta, for help. That must have been even worse than losing his life. The man must have it bad for Anna. Vila was curious to see what this woman looked like to be able inspire this kind of love. "I really wished you hadn't said that."
"You'll do it then?"
Vila said, "I know I'm going to regret this."
The man's eyes had lost a little bit of its suspicion. He said, "Thank you, Vila."
"Yeah, well call it my good deed for this day."
The man gave Vila directions on how to find Anna. "Be careful." There was a flash of quickly suppressed pain in the man's eyes that didn't come from his injuries. "They may have already arrested her. It might be a trap for me."
"Don't worry; I plan to be very, very careful." Careful was his middle name. Vila was about to turn to go when he said, "You know, I don't even know your name."
The man said, "A…it's Adrian."
The man made for a very bad liar. It was obviously not his name. He was probably trying to keep a low profile. "All right, Adrian. I'll be back."
**********
Vila screwed up his face in disgust as he stepped into something he would prefer not to know the origins of. He scraped the sticky brown and black material off on the post of a nearby railing. This was all he needed today.
A fugitive in his flat, Federation patrols lurking around every corner and he had bad news. It was really shaping up to be a very bad week, just as bad as that time he had been caught and sent to the Juvenile Rehab Colony.
A Central Security vehicle sped past, nearly side swiping him. He barely had time to be nervous and scared that they might be looking for him. The car's siren sounded like someone screeching in pain; which was very appropriate since a CS presence in a Delta grid was never a good sign.
He reached his building and waited forever for one of the lifts. Vila paused outside his door, dreading his task. The man was already frantic when he thought that he couldn't get to Anna. How was he going to react to this?
Vila plucked up his courage and went inside.
'Adrian' was sitting up on his bed, his back propped against a pillow. He was working on something on his lap when he looked up. The dark eyes held a faint hope that was quickly blanked. Vila wondered why he did that.
Vila said, "I'm sorry. No one was there. I looked around and waited but…"
The blank look became pained. There was a lost look in the man's eyes as he whispered an anguished, "No!" He put a hand over his chest wound, as if it was bothering him. His voice became an obsessive, "I have to look for her. I have to find her." His head bent down to look at the object in his lap.
Vila recognized with shock that… "Hey, what are you doing with my portable computer?"
'Adrian' said distractedly, without looking up, "I had to borrow it." He turned the screen towards Vila to let him see what was on the monitor.
"That's…"
"It's the street outside here."
Vila was amazed as he saw one of his elderly neighbours entering the building. "How'd you do that?"
"I patched into the security feeds of one of the shops across the street and repositioned its cameras."
Vila grinned. "I should have known. Of course you could do that."
The man's eyes narrowed in suspicion again and his defensive walls went back up again to its previous level. "Why, of course?"
"Well, you're Kerr Avon, aren't you?"
The man became very still, though his chest began moving faster in time with his increased breath. He had suddenly become a dark and dangerous figure. One of the man's hands gripped the edge of the computer tightly. "Who's that?"
"You don't have to pretend with me. I'm not going to turn you in. If I was, I'd have done it while you were still out."
Avon's hand loosened its grip on the computer but his guard was still firmly up. "How did you find out?"
"I hear things. I was trying to find out what happened to Anna so I went to a buddy of mine to see if he knew anything. He keeps himself informed, if you know what I mean. He can get into computers, like you. He said that there were rumours that they were looking for you. That you'd almost pulled off stealing five hundred million credits from the Federation Banking System."
There was a slight grimace on Avon's face. "Almost."
Vila asked, "What happened?"
Avon's voice had become flat again, "I relied on other people. Why all the questions? Or is this merely a thirst for knowledge?"
Vila said with a hint of awe in his voice, "I'd always wanted to meet you. You're something of a legend in computing circles, especially the hacking community."
"And you would know something about that, would you?" Avon's eyes took on a faintly irritated look. He hated the type of fawning that seemed to accompany becoming the best at anything and he was exceptional in more than one area. It was amusing at times but more times than not, it was a great annoyance. People always seemed to expect you to do things, like some kind of trained circus animal that he had heard about in ancient texts. The kind required to do tricks to entertain the barely-educated masses.
Vila hated the kind of arrogance that usually came with an Alpha. They always assumed that you couldn't know anything of consequence just because you were in a lower grade. "You'd be surprised." His respect for this man warred with his normal instincts to treat this Alpha as an enemy, someone not to be fraternized with. He was glad none of his Delta friends knew. "I'm a thief by trade."
"Are you really?" The man's was lacking in any normal tones that could tell Vila if he was being sarcastic, doubtful, interested or a combination of two or three.
"I can get into any lock or safe and I can break security systems. So I know a bit about computers. Not much but enough to circumvent some of the less complex ones. That's why I've heard of you."
"How enterprising of you."
Vila's eyes caught something on the computer that was still facing him. "Uh, Avon. I think we'd better get out of here."
The alarm in Vila's voice caused Avon to quickly turn the monitor around in time to see Federation Central Security forces pouring into the building. "You, fool! You brought them here! They followed you!"
Vila's voice was pitched higher in fear. "I didn't! It couldn't be. I was very careful."
"Then what do you call that! Something must have brought them here."
The two men stared at each other, the antagonism, accusation and fear etched on their faces. They both knew that things were about to get much worse.
Part 03
Central Security troops were in the building. Looking for them. Vila was frozen in fear as he stared at Avon. The man could barely get out of bed. Vila was tempted to just leave him there and run. Alone he might have a chance. Besides they were after Avon, they weren't interested in him. He was nothing to them.
Avon's face was tight with concentration. Vila could almost see the wheel's turning in Avon's head as he tried to find a way out of this mess. Vila knew he couldn't leave him. Avon didn't stand a chance on his own.
Why did it have to be him making this decision? Why couldn't he have just walked past the noises in the alley?
Avon began to work furiously on the computer; his fingers dancing over the controls. He said absently, "You should leave. I've disabled the lifts so it'll take them awhile to reach this floor. I estimate twenty-two minutes."
That made Vila feel guilty. He looked at the door and then at Avon. "You're…not coming?"
Avon paused in what he was doing and looked up at him, "Did I say I wasn't? You stand a much better chance on your own."
Vila was angry that Avon would assume that he would just leave him there. Not that he wasn't thinking about it just for a second, but that wasn't the point. "And you won't stand a chance without me. How far do you think you'd get?"
"Don't be a fool. They're not interested in you. You should save yourself."
Vila said stubbornly, "I must be crazy but I'm not leaving you."
"Sentiment is a weakness. It'll only to get you killed."
Vila asked, "Is that why you risked your life to get to Anna? Even though you knew you didn't stand a chance?"
Avon's lips pulled back, baring his teeth. "That's different."
"Look, Avon. Does it matter why? I'm not leaving and there's nothing you can do about it. Security people are on their way up. Do we really have time to argue about this? Shouldn't we figure a way to get out of here?"
The way Avon stared at him, just stared without saying anything, reminded Vila of a cat, his eyes dark and mysterious and behind them deep hidden thoughts that no one could guess at.
Avon said, "They'll be coming up the emergency access ways. Is there any other way out of this building?"
"Well, we're not like your Alpha-type buildings. Or even the Beta ones. There are no handy automated disposal systems we could go down."
"Then how…never mind. You must have maintenance shafts."
"We do, but I don't think you'll be able to manage them. You'd have to climb it. We're stuck, aren't we?"
Avon said a determined, "Not yet." He paused to think.
Vila pointed out, "We can't take the lifts. And the only other way is full of Security people."
Avon's eyes widened as an idea came to him. "Not full."
"What do you mean?"
A touch of a grin lifted the corners of Avon's lips and his eyes seemed to brighten with mischief. "What if we fill them?"
"I don't get it. With what?"
Avon's fingers started dancing on the computer's controls again. "People, Vila. An entire building full of people."
At that moment, a loud, blazing claxon sounded and an urgent male voice announced, "There is a fire in the building. Proceed in an orderly fashion to the nearest emergency access way. This is not a drill. I repeat, this is not a drill." The message repeated again.
Vila asked, "So we go down with everyone else?"
"That's the idea. It's still a risk. They'll try to check everyone but in the confusion and the mass of people…"
"Hopefully they'll miss us? But what if they don't?"
"It's the only chance we have unless you a better idea." Avon closed up the lid of portable computer and got out of bed slowly. Vila helped him stand up.
Vila asked, "Are you sure you can make it? There's a lot of flights going down."
"I have no choice."
Avon made his slow way to the door while Vila grabbed a few essential items and stuffed them into a shoulder bag. He picked up his jacket and was about to put it on when he fingered the material for a moment. "Avon?"
Avon turned back towards him. "What is it?"
"They're looking for us, right? Or at least, you."
Avon's eyes contained a question. "What are you thinking?"
"What if we don't look like us?"
"You mean a disguise of some kind?"
"Yeah. They'd never look for two women, would they?"
The way Avon looked at him, Vila wasn't sure if the man thought he had just escaped from a mental institution for making such a suggestion.
"You have women's clothing here?"
"Well, not here. Someone must though. With everyone going down, most of the units should be empty. We can break in."
"Alright. We'll have to make it quick." He handed the portable computer to Vila, who put it into the shoulder bag.
**********
Out in the corridor, there was chaos as people rushed around and bunched at the emergency access ways with their few precious personal possessions clutched in tight hands. Vila could barely hear himself think over the continuing claxon and the voices of the crowds. There was mass confusion and lots of pushing as people tried to rush those ahead of them. It was going to take time just to get people off this floor.
As he set to work on a door panel with his burglary tools, Vila glanced worriedly at Avon. Even with his best effort, the man wasn't moving very quickly. Avon was resting tiredly against the wall, his face pale. How were they going to make it all the way down?
There was a barely audible click and the door slid open. Vila smiled. "Nothing to it."
Avon said, "You really are a thief."
"I told you I was."
As they both quickly slipped inside and let the door close behind them, Avon said, "I don't believe anything until I see it."
"You don't trust anyone, do you?"
"I find you live longer that way. Now what?"
Vila put his shoulder bag down on a dresser and moved towards a cabinet. "Clothes cupboard. Avon, look for some makeup."
Avon didn't move for several seconds as he contemplated the use Vila was going to make of these items. With a displeased look on his face, he went to look for the necessary paraphernalia.
Vila began pulling clothes out of the cupboard and holding them up to determine if they would fit. He had known the resident of this flat was a large woman, that's why he'd chosen this one. Vila settled on a long brightly coloured baggy dress, in pink and with lots of lace at the collar and a red coat. For himself, he picked out a tasteful orange and yellow skirt with matching blouse and jacket.
He threw the clothes on the bed and went over to the dresser where Avon was. The other man had the computer out of Vila's shoulder bag again and was doing something.
Vila asked, "Where's the makeup?"
Avon pointed distractedly at a drawer beside him, "In there."
Vila saw that the drawer was partially open and slid it the rest of the way. There was a dizzying array of colours and items available. Vila wasn't sure what all of them were but he picked out a couple he was almost sure he knew the purposes of. "What are you doing?" He opened up a container, picked up a brush and dabbed it in.
Avon said, "We're going to use the lifts."
"But there's a fire alarm. Won't they all be going to ground level?" Vila pointed out as he reached towards Avon's face with the brush. Avon still had his head focused on the computer but at the approach of something from his peripheral vision, he automatically put his hand up to block Vila's hand.
Vila explained to the defensive man, "It's for your face."
Avon put his hand down and turned to the computer again. Vila took that as permission to continue and began painting Avon's face.
Avon said, "I still control the lifts with this. I locked them down after they went to ground. Now I'm going to bring them back up here. We'll get in one of them."
Avon turned his face towards Vila to give him better access. He could barely contain a snarl at the strange feeling of having something being applied to his lips.
Vila asked, "But what if they're looking for us to do that? They have to know you can." Next, he picked up some false eyelashes. They were long and curly.
"They'll be looking. But they won't know where we'll be."
As Vila brought the false lashes up to Avon's face, Avon asked with a scowl, "Is this really necessary?"
"You still look too much like you. These'll help."
Avon was clearly not thrilled but he let Vila put on the lashes.
As he was doing this, Vila said, "I don't get it. All they have to do is wait until the lifts open on the ground. We're bound to be in one of them."
Avon said, "That's why none of them are going to ground after we get in. I've timed them so that they'll each open up at a different floor. We'll join the crowds on one of the floors."
"That's brilliant! You know, Avon. We might just get out of this." Vila finished with Avon and started on his own makeup.
"It would be a waste of effort if we don't."
"Not to mention fatal."
After he was done his own face, Vila handed Avon's dress and coat to him. Avon took them reluctantly.
Trying to sound sincere and not laugh at the same time, Vila said, "It's the only thing in your size. Honest." He just managed a barely hidden smirk. Avon looked as if he would rather swallow the clothes whole than wear them.
Avon's stare had become more of a glare that almost shouted, "I don't believe you."
For a moment, Vila wondered if Avon would put them on as he took off his own shirt. Avon seemed to sigh, or it could have been a growl low in his throat, before he began taking his own clothes off.
After they were properly, or improperly dressed, Vila turned around and looked at himself in the mirror. "What do you think?" It seemed to bunch in all the wrong places and it felt uncomfortable.
"You look ridiculous."
Vila stifled a giggle at the contrast between the dark morose frown on Avon's face and the bright pink dress with the lace collar. "Well, you're no beauty yourself."
"It's missing something." Avon crossed over to the clothes cupboard and rummaged through it.
Apprehensively, Vila tried to peek over his shoulders to see what he was doing. After a few moments, Avon seemed to find what he was looking for. He turned around and slapped something on Vila's head before he could react.
"What's this?"
"I believe they call it a hat," Avon said with a deadpan face.
Vila looked at himself in the mirror. "This is not a hat. It's...it's fruit!"
Avon's face was still completely humourless as he clarified helpfully, "It's a fruit hat."
"You don't wear fruit! You eat it!"
"Obviously, some women think otherwise." There was just a hint of a smirk on Avon's face as he put on his own headgear. A much more dignified and understated number. "Now we're ready."
"That's not fair. Why do you get that one?"
As if it made perfect sense, Avon said, "You picked the dress. It has lace. And it's pink." In the face of that impeccable logic, Vila was speechless. "Let's go."
**********
The two 'women' walked towards the lifts. Vila had to resort to a long coat as well because none of the footwear fit either one of them. They hoped that the Security people didn't look too far down and noticed that one of them was wearing boots and the other a comfortable pair of loafers. Considering their appearance, Vila doubted if anyone would spare more than a glance at them. He wouldn't be surprised if some ran the other way.
They got into the lift undisturbed. Avon sent all the lifts downwards.
They both stared in front of them at the steadily decreasing numbers. Vila was nervous and his stomach didn't feel right. He really wished the numbers wouldn't go down like that. It felt like a countdown to something sinister.
Glancing over at Avon, he wondered if he felt the same fears that Vila did. It was hard to tell, Avon's face never seemed to show much emotion. Only when he was worried about Anna or there was danger of some kind. Or when he was amused about something. Vila would've figured that they were in enough danger now that he'd show something. Instead, Avon was stony-faced, his eyes a deep and unreadable riddle. Even in the dress, he still looked dignified and unassailable. Vila wondered what he was thinking.
He doubted if Avon felt as ridiculous as he was feeling at the moment in his skirt. His face felt like he was wearing a mask. He wondered how women could stand wearing it or if he had overdone it with the makeup. Vila just hoped the troopers wouldn't be too suspicious.
Avon said, "Do you know a place where we can hide for a few days?"
Vila was startled out of his thoughts. "Maybe."
"I'd like something a little more certain."
"Maybe's the best that I can do. People aren't exactly eager to stick their necks out when CS is involved. You're likely to get it chopped off."
"You did."
Vila turned his head to look at Avon. Avon was still staring in front of him, his head seemingly stuck in place. "You're not going to call me a fool again, are you?"
After several moments of silence, Vila wondered if he was going to get an answer, or if that was the answer.
"When I find Anna, we will both thank you."
The lift slowed and they readied themselves. When the door slid open, an empty corridor greeted them.
"Quickly," said Avon.
**********
The crowds pushed and strained as everyone tried to stay upright against the pressures of the people behind them. Crying babies and shouts of anger echoed in the stairwell. By the time Avon and Vila made it to the ground floor, Avon's face was ashen and he was sweating profusely. Vila was glad that he had applied a thick coat of makeup to his face or it might have given it away.
As the crowd pushed them towards the exit door, they saw Federation guards pull people to the side to stare into their faces. Avon's faintly nervous eyes met Vila's. There was nothing else they could do now except hope that the disguises worked.
Avon pulled his coat closer together and fastened the top buttons. Before they closed, Vila saw an alarming red stain. Avon's wound had opened up again and he was bleeding.
Vila measured the distance between them and the troopers. Even if they could make a break for it, they'd never be able to run far. Especially not Avon.
Five metres. Four. Three. Two…
"What are you staring at?" a Federation trooper said harshly to him. The black-clad messenger of menace roughly shoved him out the door and closer to freedom.
He glanced back and his heart almost stopped. One of the guards had pulled Avon aside. Vila had a horrible feeling.
Two of the troopers peered intently into Avon's face while Avon kept his eyes down and mumbled something incoherent.
One of the troopers shoved Avon. "Get out of here." Avon, weakened by his injury and their escape down the stairs, stumbled and fell. Vila rushed over and helped him up. He pitched his voice higher and said, "Are you alright, Wilhelmina? Did they hurt you?"
The troopers didn't seem to notice. They were already harassing some other poor resident of the building.
Avon held onto Vila's arm as they made their way away from the building and the watchful eyes of the Security people.
Avon whispered, "Wilhelmina?"
"Well, its better than Adrian. Did anyone tell you that's a terrible alias? It sounds too much like Avon."
"I'll remember that next time."
As they passed one of the Security vans, Vila glanced inside. He nearly stopped in shocked recognition but managed to keep walking ahead.
Avon whispered, "What's wrong?"
"It's the Doc. It looks like he was beaten up."
Avon said, "That's how they found us."
Vila said, "I hope they didn't hurt him too much."
"He betrayed us, Vila."
"I suppose. But…"
They ducked into an alley. Avon leaned tiredly against the wall as Vila peeked around the corner to see if anyone had followed them.
Vila breathed a sigh of relief when he didn't see anyone. It looked like they were going to get away after all. He heard the sound of something heavy falling behind him and whirled around. "Avon!"
Avon had collapsed to the ground. He was clearly unconscious. With trembling fingers, Vila opened up the coat buttons. He grimaced. The red stain had become a large patch covering Avon's chest. As he looked around helplessly, it almost felt as if they were back where they had started.
Part 04
Nervous thoughts raced through Vila's brain as he stared at Avon's unconscious and bleeding form. There were Federation Security troops a couple of blocks away, probably trashing his place. If he really tried hard, he might be able to imagine them not making a line straight for their hiding place.
They had to get out of here. Preferably, before anyone saw them. And he needed help. There was no way he was going to carry Avon out by himself without looking a bit suspicious. Or ridiculous for that matter. They were both still wearing feminine attire and Vila was trying to ignore the uncomfortable feeling that there was a draft in places where there normally shouldn't be. He wondered how women could wear something so…well...he didn't really want to think about that now either. He had more important matters to worry about.
A pale-faced Avon groaned and shifted on the ground. His eyes popped open. For a moment he seemed disoriented and then there was recognition in his eyes as they rested on Vila. His voice was weak and thready, "What happened?"
Vila bent down quickly. "Shhh. There are troops nearby. You fainted. Must be my knock out personality." It sounded lame, even to him but fear wasn't a great comic inspiration.
Avon stared at him for a moment, probably hoping he wasn't going to be stuck with this comedy act for too long, and then he looked toward the entranceway leading out of the alley. He whispered, "Is there a way out of here?"
"It's a dead end."
"Wonderful."
He tried to get up, grimaced at the pain and lay back down. His hand went to the collar of the coat he was wearing, scowling when his fingers felt the lace and he registered that he was currently wearing a dress. He opened up the coat. There was a large, slowly spreading red stain over his wound.
Vila said helpfully, "You're bleeding."
Avon looked up at him, wondering if Deltas really found it necessary to state the obvious. "I can see that," he said irritably. When Vila didn't appear to be making any moves to give him any assistance, he said, "Well? Are you going to help me up or should I bleed a little more before you decide what to do?"
"Well, that's gratitude for you," grumbled Vila as he gave Avon a hand. "I could have just left you there. I didn't have to stay, you know."
There was a grimace in Avon's eyes. Vila wasn't sure if it was from the pain of trying to get up or if the other man felt guilty.
When Avon was finally standing, Vila had to keep his arm around him for support. It was clear they weren't going to get very far.
Avon looked intently at him. Or he could have been thinking and just happened to be looking in Vila's direction. It was hard to tell. After a few seconds, Avon looked away and his eyes swept the alley. He said, "You should leave."
It was Vila's turn to stare at him. "What? Are you trying to get rid of me?" Anger crept into his voice, "I really should just leave you! You wouldn't stand two minutes without me and you know it! You…"
Avon glanced at him and then he looked at the alley again. Vila stopped his tirade. From the look in the other man's eyes, he realized Avon knew that he didn't stand a chance without him. Now he felt bad. "Look, Avon. Maybe we just rub each other the wrong way. Or it's some Alpha-Delta rivalry. Or we're just two bastards. But I'm not going to leave you, alright? I know what you're trying to do but we're in this together. We're both going to find Anna."
Avon's jaw tightened slightly and he was very still for a moment. Then he asked, "Can you get us into that building?" He pointed to a door not far down the alley.
Vila hesitated for a second before going to look at the lock. He really wished the man would stop changing the topic without warning. "Yeah, it's easy. Standard Plinkton double-slotted. Nothing to it. I could open it with my eyes shut and one hand tied behind my back."
Avon stared at him again, causing Vila to say, "Oh. Right." He opened up his shoulder bag, take out his toolkit and start work on the lock. "What's this going to do? You know they're going to search all the buildings around here. They're going to find us." There was a slight click and Vila opened the door. Grinning with pride, he said, "Didn't I say there was nothing to it?"
"So you did. Let's get out of the alley."
Vila helped Avon into the building.
**********
The building was dark on the inside, with only faint illumination from the few windows. They both coughed at the dust raised by their feet. Crowded boxes and unidentified objects greeted them at every turn. There was hardly any moving room. Vila had to push some things out of the way so that Avon could sit on a crate of some sort. The man was sweating from the effort of trying to walk and he looked as if he'd just run a long distance race. He leaned back heavily against the wall while Vila checked out their temporary location.
"What do you think this place is?" Vila opened up a few drawers. Trays full of ancient data chips, half of them broken by the looks of it. A few had replicas of extinct animals, not in very good condition.
Avon had been looking around curiously from where he was sitting. "A repository of some kind I imagine. For unwanted items."
"I wish we were unwanted," said Vila as he checked out a few more useless items.
"Give me your portable computer," said Avon. He had his coat open again and this time the dress had been unbuttoned to reveal the source of the bleeding. Hunting around, Avon found a clean enough cloth and pressed it against the wound. "It's not too bad. It looks worse than it is. Just have to stop the bleeding."
"I suppose it could be worse." Vila put his shoulder bag down and pulled the computer unit out. When he put it next to Avon, the other man's eyes were closed and he appeared to be resting. Or sleeping. Avon's hand fell limply away from the cloth he had been pressing against his wound. Definitely sleeping.
Unfortunately now was not the time for slumber. Every minute they were here was dangerous. He shook the man gently. Avon jerked awake and brought his hand up to defend himself but stopped when he saw Vila. The man certainly was jumpy. Vila wondered what had happened to him that made him so defensive the moment he woke up. "It's alright, you fell asleep."
Avon shook his head. His mind felt sluggish and he was feeling very warm. It was not a good sign. He checked the wound. It was tender when he pressed on it. The bleeding seemed to have stopped but it looked like he might be suffering from an infection. He needed a way to clean the wound and some medication would be needed.
Unfortunately, their present problems made this a lesser priority. First things first. With his free hand, he pulled over the portable computer, balanced it on his lap and turned it on. The screen lit instantly and showed a strong signal to the nearby network. At least that was working. He pressed a few keys. There was a grim look on his face as the view from the front of Vila's building was displayed. It appeared that the CS troops were still occupied harassing helpless and variedly protesting tenants.
"Well, that's good," said Vila as he looked over Avon's shoulder. "I mean, not good for them but good for us. At least we can see when they're done."
Avon pressed a few more keys and the building view disappeared. Screens of informational pages began appearing on the screen.
Vila said, "Hey, how are we going to keep an eye on them if you do that? How are we going to know when they come looking for us?"
Avon kept working and answered him distractedly, "They're not."
"What do you mean, they're not?"
"Because they've already found us."
Vila looked around wildly in alarm, his hands up to ward off any threats. "Where? Where?" Nothing jumped at them from the shadows.
Avon glanced at his actions with amusement and said dryly, "Not here."
Vila put his hands down in relief and consternation, "Well, you could have told me that. Nearly gave me a heart attack." Avon seemed to like making dramatic statements and then clarifying them after they produced the normal panic. Vila wondered if this was a normal Alpha thing. He always thought they were a bunch of show-offs who liked to show how clever they were to the 'lesser grades'.
A smile touched Avon's lips as he looked down at the computer again and continued working. This time Vila could see an ominous seal splashed across the screen.
Vila exclaimed in alarm, "You're breaking into the Central Security network? Are you crazy?"
"Not the entire network. Just the call logs. Those are relatively unprotected. Level One security only. I just need…" Avon was looking at a list that appeared on his screen and then other screens full of information replaced each other in rapid succession. "…to emulate the call signature and security handle." His fingers seemed to be racing each other over the controls.
Vila was watching without comprehending what he was trying to do. The streams of data made no sense to him. Most of it wasn't even in Federation Standard. It seemed to be some language only machines could possibly understand. "How's this going to help? They're still going to come here eventually. Then we're done for."
Avon's fingers slowed down as he finished what he was doing. "Not if they think they've already found us."
"How?"
A wolfish grin appeared on Avon's face. "I told them they have." The screen changed back to the view in front of Vila's building again. They could both see the Security people rushing to their vehicles. Avon entered a few commands. "I've sent them…here." The scene changed and they could see another building.
Vila said with shock, "You really are crazy! That's on this street! We have to get out of here!" He looked ready to bolt.
Avon's face was inexpressive but there was an expectant eagerness in his eyes. He said, "Wait."
Vila was caught between wanting to run and not leaving this lunatic who insisted on getting himself killed. That indecision allowed enough time for the Security vehicles to arrive at the scene of the building on their street. They could hear the claxons and then muffled noises from outside. Vila rushed to the window and flattening himself against the edge, peeked out. Sure enough, the Security troops were already pouring into the building several doors down.
It was too late now. "Well, I guess it's been nice knowing you, Avon," said Vila. They were words he wasn't sure he really felt it.
Part 05
Avon stared at Vila and then looked down at the computer. He seemed to be waiting for something.
Vila looked out of the window again and wondered why he couldn't have found someone who didn't seem to think saying more than a few words was a luxury he couldn't afford. He was surprised when some of the Security people came back out.
They couldn't have searched the entire building already. Could they have? Or...Vila had a sickening feeling that was churning his stomach. Maybe they already knew where they were hiding and were coming here. How far apart were the two buildings? It seemed shorter by the minute.
The Security people seemed to be acting strangely. As if they weren't sure about something. "Avon, something's happening."
A hint of a smile brightened Avon's eyes and touched the corner's of his lips; there was an aggressive quality to it.
Vila looked out of the window again. He stared open-mouthed when barely clad women and men came streaming out of the building, escorted by more nervous Security people. The troopers seemed to be unsure of what was going on.
He looked hard at some of the outfits on the people coming out. Some of them appeared to be wearing… Vila's face turned several shades of red. He'd heard of such places but… How could he live several streets down and never suspected that…? He turned back to the man who was watching all of this on his computer. "Avon, do you know what this place is?"
Without looking up, Avon said offhandedly, "Of course. Don't you?" His faced was focused and he appeared to be doing something on the computer again. He absently tried to adjust some of the lace around his neck. His lips twisted in irritation at the stubborn material. More streams of data replaced the view of the building currently being raided.
Vila was still stunned as he continued observing the commotions outside. "I knew it was one of those places. But…not one of these places. "I mean…look at them." Some of the women were gorgeous and some of the men too. Their outfits didn't leave a lot to the imagination. Or rather, some outfits left a lot of material for imagination.
Vila noticed some other people too. Ones that seemed almost violently shy about covering themselves up. Several were clearly angry and arguing with the Security people. Vila guessed they were the customers. It was strange. They didn't seem like your average lower-grades. They wore lower-grade clothing. Well, for some of them, it must have been their version of what they thought the lower grades wore. It made them look like the performers who appeared on some of the vid-shows Vila watched. He knew that some of the higher grades like slumming it occasionally; visiting places where they could do things that they couldn't find in the Alpha sectors.
One person, a beautifully intimidating woman in black leather came out of the building and was hitting a harassed Security officer over the head with a… Vila could have sworn it was a whip.
The poor man was a Captain by his shoulder markings. He had his hands up to try to defend himself. He didn't even try reaching for the pistol that was handily by his side. The woman was angry. Or she seemed to be enjoying what she was doing. Or both. Vila really didn't want to know. The woman leaned forward suddenly and whispered something in the Captain's ear. The man turned a shade of pale that Vila had never seen before. The Captain gulped and nodded. He said a few words. The woman said a few words.
The Captain began issuing orders.
Vila said behind him, "Uh, Avon, something else is happening."
"Good."
Vila turned around, "What do you mean good? Do you know what's going on?"
"I imagine that the Security people are about to leave?"
Vila turned to look out the window again. Sure enough, the black clad troopers were starting to pile back into their vehicles. Some of them seemed to be gripping too hard on their weapons, as if in desperate defence against something they had never encountered before and never hoped to again. It was hard to tell with their faceplates down. "How'd you know?"
Avon chuckled. "It's not just one of those places."
"Then what is it?" asked Vila irritated. He really wished this man wouldn't be so cryptic with his answers. Did he think it was clever? Did he like keeping people guessing?
"This place belongs to Central Security."
"What?!" Vila backed away from the window, wondering how many levels of craziness that this man could exhibit in one day. Maybe he did get knocked on the head. And very hard.
"It's one of their most secure facilities for extracting information. Among other things. Not many people know of it. Even in their own service. It was very clever of you to pick this street."
Vila wasn't feeling very clever. More sick to his stomach.
Avon seemed to be finished with whatever it was he was doing and turned his head towards him. He took in the look on Vila's face and said, "You can relax. For now. They're going to be preoccupied for awhile."
"How do you figure that?"
Avon chuckled again. "The existence of this location is highly classified and it has just been part of a very public raid by their own people. Did you recognize some of the people who came out of the building?"
Vila was very interested in this. "You do?" He wondered how Avon knew of this place. He was an Alpha. Vila wondered if...
"I recognized at least one member of the High Council and a high ranking official from Space Command."
"Oh." It wasn't what he thought. He said sarcastically, "Well, I don't travel in such exalted circles as you do. I'm only a Delta."
Avon looked hard at him. "I presume you're not a blind Delta. Don't you watch the news services?"
"I never pay much attention to politics. It never did us any good."
Avon wondered if this self-pitying attitude was common amongst the lower grades. He didn't have much respect for people who wallowed in it and didn't do anything to improve their own situation. Everyone had a chance if they didn't sit back and feel sorry for themselves. Being in a lower grade was no excuse. Even if you were a Delta.
It was odd though. Vila had risked his neck to help him. He wouldn't have thought it likely. Avon wondered if it was a case of irrational sentiment. No matter what he thought of it, at least it was benefiting him, and hopefully Anna too.
At the thought of Anna, there was a twinge of stress in his lower back. He grimaced and looked down at the computer again. He hadn't been able to find her. None of his cleverness with the Security computers had told him the one thing he wanted to know. There was not even a record of Security finding Anna at their hiding place. It was as if she never existed.
Avon said, "Tell me when they're all gone. I'm going to send them somewhere else." His fingers worked on the computer again.
Vila looked out of the window again. He muttered, "You could have told me about the brothel."
"You didn't ask," said Avon.
Vila turned to look at him. "You mean, you would have told me if I asked you?"
"That's generally the way it works. You ask a question. I answer it."
"You mean, like a computer?"
Avon stared at him. Vila thought that he saw a brief flash of pain in the other man's eyes but he told himself that he imagined it because Avon's eyes became icy cold. "I am not a computer."
Vila wondered why he was getting so defensive again. The man did seem to be defensive about so many things. "I'm not saying you're a computer. You know...people might like to know things without having to ask for it. What if we don't know what to ask?"
"Then I suggest you learn."
There was a sound outside the door. Someone was about to come in. Avon and Vila's eyes widened in shock.
TO BE CONTINUED...