My dearest Zella,

I must start by saying, I do sincerely hope that this letter finds you well and healthy.

For I do not like to play unfairly.

That being said, I am allowing you a two day preparation period where I will not yet begin my hunt. I hope, for your sake, that you find this letter by that time, for I am extremely eager to start this game with you and will not waste any time once this has begun. Naturally, there are several rules that we shall both play by:

1. I will not be using any sort of GeneCop, Repo Man or assassin to kill or bring you to me. That's simply just not as much fun.

2. You are not to leave this city. I will know.

3. You are not to get surgery to alter your look in any way. Again, I will know, and I want you exactly as you are. That is tto say, if you somehow did change your face in any way, I will still accept it.

4. In the event that I do not catch you within 6 months, you will be considered a free woman and I will end my search.

If any of these rules are broken, the consequences will be most severe. Far worse than when I find you, that I promise. These shouldn't be too difficult to follow though, no? Especially considering the circumstances, I could already have you by now.

I am looking forward very much to this. You are already my favorite pursuit, Zella. I have admired your face since your days as a GenTern, though I admittedly wasn't very interested in you at the time. How funny the world works, that you returned to me in this way. I never forget a face, bella.

Yours will be prized.

Buona fortuna!

-Paviche Largo

"Well, shit." I said and handed the letter to Graves who was eagerly awaiting his turn to read it with Shilo peering over his shoulder.

"His English is pretty impressive in writing. He must be faking the accent." Graverobber commented when he finished, "And when the fuck were you a GenTern?"
"Really? That's what you want to talk about right now?" I snapped at him, "My old job?"
"Just took me by surprise, I didn't think you were the type to do something like that… Bet you didn't look too bad in that little outfit though." He mused giving me a once over. I tore the letter from his hands and hit him with it.
"You're disgusting." I told him, "This is fucking scary. He's acting like my face is some sort of trophy!"
"Do you really think you can't leave the city?" Shilo asked me
"I wouldn't risk it if I were her. Z has GeneCo eyes, they could track her down very easily." Graverobber said standing up abruptly and grabbing his coat, "And, as much as I'd love to sit here and chat all night with you ladies, my costumers need me." He cracked his neck and swept right out the door with a casual "Don't wait up." as if we were all just hanging out, discussing our favorite bands. I resisted the urge to chase after him to slap him across his stupid face but instead opted to glare at the door as if he were still there.
"He's weird." Said Shilo quietly after a moment, moving so she was sitting across from me
"No kidding."
"He does care though. He has to."
"Sometimes I wonder." I said, glancing back to the letter, now sitting on the table. That stupid no-good piece of shit just read my death sentence and just leaves like it's-
"Do you love him?" Shilo asked suddenly
"Do I what?" I asked, not expecting that at all
"Love him. When you came here after that Pavi thing happened you two fought, but you made up and he still wanted to help you anyway, I could hear you in the other room." She admitted, "And today when he was pretending that you two were together, you were blushing. He looks at you a lot."
"And that's what love is to you?" I said, a bit too harshly, embarrassed she noticed my blushing earlier today. Shilo shrugged.
"Well," I said, making my tone friendlier, "I wouldn't consider what Graves and I have love. I don't that's something that interests him at all. He's just a good friend- some of the time, anyway."
"Have you ever been in love?" Shilo asked eagerly, looking very much like a child. Understandable, being so sheltered, I could relate to her desire to hear something lighthearted and romantic. I only wished I wasn't so disappointing.
"Not yet. Have you?"
"I think so. Well, I used to. Daddy told me that they were just characters on television and that they weren't real, but I'm pretty sure I loved them."
This was the first time she had mentioned her father and she did so very casually, though I saw the effort she put into that. The poor thing wanted so desperately to be a strong, independent adult, but was never given the chance to grow up until now, where she is being thrown into the horrifying real world with a drug dealer and an addict with a price on her head.
"Who were you in love with on TV?" I asked. Her eyes lit right up and we spent some time discussing our favorite celebrities and characters. An outsider would never know that she had just lost her father who tricked her into thinking she was sick her entire life or that I whored myself out for street Zydrate and one of the most powerful men in the world was out to take my face.
It only took about an hour before our fun had to come to an end. Shilo's breath was shortening and getting shallow.
"Are you okay?" I asked her, not knowing what to do.
"Fine." She said, nodding but holding on to her stomach, "It's been getting better, my body needs to adjust to the lack of medicine... I just need to lay down." She tried to stand, but stumbled over immediately, unable to walk without assistance. I put one arm around my shoulders and held on to her waist, half-carrying her to Graverobbers bedroom. She was coughing and struggling for breath, but assuring me that this was a big improvement from the first night she came here.
"Jesus, what happened the first night?" I had to ask as I helped her lay down in Graves large bed. I sat next to her.
"After Graverobber brought me here, I was throwing up and shaking and I could hardly breath at all. I fainted and he had to carry me into the room. But I've been doing better! I haven't fainted yet, I just get dizzy and I have to focus on my breathing. I'm feeling better already." She told me with a smile.
"I'd still get some rest, if I were you." I told her, "Can I get you some water or something?"
"Yes, please. But will you keep talking to me?"
"Only for a little while. I need some rest too." I said, getting up to go to the kitchen. It wasn't until I was holding the glass that I noticed my shaking hands. I had felt a little sick, and I knew where this was headed, but Shilo was my first priority. I was finding it much easier to worry about her than to think about my own problems.
She took the glass from my hands and almost finished it in one gulp.
"Are you sick too?" She asked me suddenly, "You shake a lot."
"Something like that, yeah." I answered, embarrassed.
"Is it because you need drugs?" Her sheltered life was to blame for her lack of social etiquette and invasive questioning, but the urge to slap her regardless was there. I took a breath,
"Yes. It's because I need drugs." Shilo seemed very satisfied with that answer, almost pleased with herself.
"So we're alike." She said fondly. My temper cooled at her words. Why she would want to be like me was beyond baffling, but simultaneously endearing.
"Yeah… I guess we kind of are." Shilo smiled at me and yawned, "I'll let you get some rest, Shilo. See you in the morning. Let me know if you need anything."
"I will. Goodnight, Z!"
I turned off the light and headed into the living room. The shaking had gotten worse and I was suddenly very cold. I really needed some fucking Z. I paced around the living room, holding the blanket I used from last night around my body. I was feeling too weak to move, but too anxious to sleep. Zydrate withdrawl symptoms were sporadic, random, and terrible, they last usually no more than a few very unforgiving hours, but it varies. I knew for a fact that Graverobber didn't keep any Z in his apartment, but I found myself searching through drawers and under cushions anyway. The more I looked, the more frantic I became and short of going out and getting my own Zydrate, there was not much that I was able to do. Graves cut me off, Tony's dead and frankly, I was afraid to leave the apartment anyway. I searched and searched, tearing the place apart and knowing nothing would come of it but a mess I was going to get yelled at for. I resumed my pacing until I ached too much to walk. I lay down on the couch, shivering, closing my eyes as tightly as I could, trying with all my might to go to sleep. I wanted to look just one more time to see if Graverobber had lied about not keeping any Z in here, but couldn't summon the strength. All I could do was lay there, sore and shaking feeling hopeless and disgusted with myself. Maybe I'll just die now and save Pavi some time. It wasn't too long before I heard the great and powerful dealer himself open the door to his newly torn-apart apartment.
"What the fuck? Z? Zella! Where are you?" Graves yelled, I could hear him stomping around the apartment desperately, while the couch I was on faced away from him, out of his immediate sight.
"Shut the hell up, you'll wake Shilo." I said. He came running over to the couch, where I was curled into a ball, still with the blanket clutched to me, shaking as badly as ever. Graves helped me up to a sitting position.
"Z- what the fuck happened here? Are you okay?"
"Oh, I'm fine. I was just… cooking."
"You're a shit liar-You were looking for Zydrate, weren't you?"
"I'unno. It's fucking cold in here though."
"It's July. And you know I don't keep my stash here." He put his frozen hand on my forehead, "Is there anything I can do to help?" he asked, though we both knew what I needed.
"Any extra Z?"
"Zella, I can't-"
"Please? I'll get the money somehow! I promise! Please… I hate feeling like this." Graverobber took a seat next to me, and pulled me next to him so we were laying side by side, his arm around my shoulder. Had I been in a healthy state of mind, I'd have been dumbfounded by all this tenderness, but all I cared about was convincing him to give me, even just a little bit of Zydrate, just to take this edge off.
"I cut you off for a reason." Graves said, "I don't want to see you destroy yourself… I wouldn't be able to live with the guilt if I lost you to something I started you on."
"I'm not asking for a lot, Graves, just enough to make me feel better. Wean me off if you have to, but just for right now, I really just need some-"
"No you don't. You're stressed out, and that's taking a toll on your immune system, but you will be fine. I've seen far worse cases than you recover."
"But-"
"You know, begging is very unattractive on you." Graves said to me, running his fingers through my hair, "You're much sexier when you fight for something or even bitch about it, but begging is pathetic. You'll feel better in the morning, I promise." I hit him in the chest weakly
"Don't call me pathetic, you dick." I told him, to which, he let out a soft laugh;
"That's what I mean. Much better. Now get some sleep."
"I can't."
"Yes you can. Just close your eyes and wait. I'll be right here with you. Since, you know, you let the kid take my bed."
I was tired, and Graverobbers body heat was enough to keep me warm and subside some of the shaking. I snuggled into him a bit more, vaguely aware of how strange it must be for him to be cuddling with someone. Nonetheless, he held me as I began to drift off to sleep. I thought back on what Shilo said about him caring, and, as poorly as he showed that most of the time, I knew she was right.
"Thank you." I said, "for everything."
"Shut up." He whispered and I felt him kiss the top of my head