Chapter Five – Dialogues

Future Gum crept down the prison corridor, keeping her back poker-straight. She'd seen the way the other guards walked. Head up. Feet firm. Glance at the prisoners as you pass. And always look like you know where you're going.

Even if you happen to be lost.

She'd get out of here sometime. As long as she looked unobtrusive.

Had she got that tag off her face? If she hadn't, she was doing the equivalent of walking along with a sign round her neck saying, 'Look at me, I'm a rudie.'

She touched her cheek, and groaned silently as her fingertips were blackened. How much of it was left?

Calm. Calm. You're not a rudie, you're a guard and you're going to walk out of here and everything will be all right.

Keep walking. The corridor suddenly seemed very long, and very big. She felt like an ant. An ant trying to pretend it was a wasp.

She glanced from side to side as the other guards did, but she didn't want to look too closely. Looking at the prisoners scared her. They were nearly all rudies, and she knew if this went wrong she'd be looking into her own future, dull-eyed, skinny, bitter, bruised…

Nearly at the end of the corridor.

A familiar face.

Gum froze as their eyes met.

Beat was lying slumped on his cell bed, and when he felt her gaze on him he looked up, with that sullen tough-guy look everyone seemed to wear here – and then he squinted – and then he recognised her.

Gum forced herself to saunter across to the cell, sort out the keys, slide the correct one into the lock. She wanted to rush it all. But she couldn't, that was dangerous.

Everything was dangerous here.

She opened her mouth to speak to him, and he put a finger to his lips, and said, loudly, "Oh, that's great. Gonna start beating on me with everyone listening?"

He emphasised the last two words. Gum nodded.

"Then where do you suggest this meeting should take place?" she said, trying to sound as haughty as possible.

He grinned slightly, and said, "Duh. At least use the proper interview rooms. If you wanna call it an interview, which I sure don't."

He got to his feet, leant close to her, whispered, "I'll tell you which way to go. Now put the cuffs on me and march me out."

"I can't –"

"It's not like it hasn't happened before. Make like you're in a movie or something."

Gum managed to get the handcuffs off her belt, her fingers so damp that she almost dropped them. Beat took her hand in his, and whispered, "Quick, or they'll start to notice something."

Hating herself, she slipped them on his wrists. It made it worse that he let her. Then she followed him out of the cell.

"Don't forget to lock the door," he mouthed.

She almost had, and she quickly slammed it shut, the clang making her jump. Then she put a hand on Beat's shoulder – she could feel the bone a lot more clearly than she'd expected, or so it seemed – and they began to walk.

Beat hissed directions to her, and at last they reached a corridor lined with doors. Gum managed to unlock the right one, and they both hurried inside.

"Lock it," Beat said. "And don't talk too loud, I don't know how much you can hear from outside these."

Gum pushed the door shut, and relocked it. The room was empty apart from a metal table and two chairs, all bolted to the floor. She sat down facing Beat, and suddenly didn't know what to say.

"You've changed," she stammered out at last.

"You think?"

They'd taken his goggles and headphones. He still wore the same clothes he had the night he'd disappeared, but they were torn and dirty. And obviously he was older, but that hardly mattered compared to everything else.

He looked like life had got too much for him.

"Don't stare at me like I'm a zombie," he said. "Come on, I'm fine. What are you doing in here, anyway? They caught you too?"

"Yeah." She explained what had happened.

"Is everyone still okay?" he asked. "All the GGs?"

She glanced down at the table. "I think everyone's still alive. But –"

"What?"

"There sort of isn't any GGs any more."

Beat's face whitened, and Gum gasped as the bruises on it became dark against his skin.

"What do you mean?" he asked. "They – they all got caught?"

"No. Mew did, I don't know what happened to her…"

"I haven't seen her. What about – what about the rest?"

Gum dragged her way through all the things that had happened to the GGs.

"I'm sorry," she said.

Beat grinned, a grin with no humour. "Well, Onishima's wasting his time with me. Haven't got a gang to betray any more, have I?"

"Don't," Gum said. "Look, it was because you vanished that it all started. We can get the others back…we have to try…"

"I'm still vanished, aren't I?"

"I'm gonna get you out of here," Gum said.

"Keep it down. You can't just walk out of the gates with me, only Onishima can authorise my freedom, which means I'm here for life. But I think, next week, I'm being transferred or something. I don't know the details, they never tell you that, it was just a remark Onishima made. That's the only time you can do it. If you want to try, of course."

"Why wouldn't we?" Gum said.

I'm hardly gonna be much help to you now. I've probably forgotten how to skate and all."

"We can teach you again. You are not gonna stay in here, and I mean that."

"That a promise?"

"You bet." Gum stared at him again, hardly able to believe she was seeing him, the real him, actually here. He'd been a memory for so long and now suddenly he was here. It was a shock.

There were faded smears of paint on his clothes, paint that had once formed Love Shocker and Noise Tank tags.

"How did you get caught?" she asked.

"Well, I went up Center Street and hung round there a bit. I heard you come after me, but I kept quiet because I was mad with everyone. I stayed out for most of the night…did some tagging…then I planned to head back to the garage in the morning."

"And?"

"I was in the bus terminal when the cops started arriving. What sort of concerned citizen makes a 911 call reporting reckless youth at six a.m? Anyway, I was tagging there, I guess I was trying to put off facing you guys. It was an X-tra large tag, and I wanted to finish it."

His eyes slid away from her now, stared at his hands.

"They ran towards me. I planned to start dashing. But what I didn't know was that the back of my skate had been cracked, sometime in the last month or something. The paint had got into it, and…I don't know, neutralised the netrium or something. So I couldn't dash."

Gum shivered.

"I ran anyway. Tried to get up onto one of the billboard platforms. I didn't have the speed and there was no way I could get it. They saw I was stuck, and they – uh – pounced. And now here I am."

"I'm sorry," Gum said. "I'm sorry…"

"Why are you apologising?"

"I should have come after you earlier! I took a shower, and I told Tab not to bother going after you. We could have avoided all this, we could have been a gang, you wouldn't have to be in here, looking like that…"

"Thanks."

"You know what I mean!" Gum felt tears rise up in her eyes. "Some friend I was, it's been driving me crazy what could be happening to you and it's all my fault…"

"Stop it," Beat said. "First of all, you have to keep your voice down. Second, I could've come back with you when you came to find me, and I didn't. That was just as dumb. Third, stop worrying about me, okay? I'm alive –"

"You're covered in bruises!" Gum forced her voice to remain quiet.

"Occupational hazard of rudie life, you may have noticed. Now listen. You get out of here, okay? Walk out as a guard – go back to the main police station bit and just stroll past the desk. If anyone asks, say you're going for a sandwich or something. Then tell the others I'm okay, because I am."

"We'll get you out."

"Okay." He didn't sound that enthusiastic.

She blinked. "Don't be happy or anything."

"I – sorry."

"You want to get out of here, right?"

Beat met her eyes and said, "I want it more than anything I've ever wanted before in my life."

Desperation in his face.

"But if I start hoping, and you fail, I may become suicidal. So it's easier to act like this."

What the hell have they done to you? Gum wanted to scream. Why have they hurt you, why have they made you so miserable?

But she kept her mouth shut.

"You'd better take me back," Beat said. "We've been too long already. Then – then just walk out."

"All right." Gum heard her voice grow husky.

"And don't cry, okay? I don't think you'll be able to convince the other guards you stubbed your toe."

Gum stood up, rubbed the tears off her face. "Okay. I'm not crying. I'm calm. Let's get moving. Um – can you tell me which way to go?"

With Beat hissing directions in her ear, they finally got back to the correct cell. She uncuffed him, unlocked the door, and watched him walk inside.

Why couldn't she just walk out with him? She didn't want him to be in here for another minute!

"Lock it," Beat hissed. "Come on…"

Gum heard footsteps, coming closer. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw two guards marching along the corridor.

Oh shit…

She couldn't find the right key. Her fingers were fumbling, not listening to her brain. Beat looked desperately at her for a moment, then as the guards drew nearer he slumped back down on the bed, putting the sullen face on over his features.

"Is there a problem?" one of the guards asked.

"No," Gum said. "No, thank you."

She glanced at both of them, trying to look competent, and then she realised. One of them was the one who'd brought her up to her cell.

Rats.

Maybe she wouldn't recognise her.

Maybe.

Which key? She'd tried this one, hadn't she? Or had she? Beat was watching her out of the corner of his eye, but she knew the guards were too close for him to risk trying to help her.

They were walking on…

Keep looking…

They'd stopped walking.

Gum felt sweat oozing over her skin, under the shirt.

Then suddenly Beat's voice shattered the air.

"Gum! Run!"

And automatically, she did so.

As she dashed down the corridor, she heard them start to give chase. Had to get down the stairs, had to get out, she hurried down the steps, trying not to trip – the shoes were too big, they flapped at the heels, she scrunched her toes up to try and keep them on, she'd got to the first floor, one more flight and she'd at least be at ground level, here it was, run, run –

– she missed a step –

And landed on the ground, sending jarring waves up her bones, but she tried to ignore that. Back in the police station now, that was good, but she could hear shouting behind her, they'd caught up, more voices, other people knew who she was…

They'd expect her to head for the exit.

She dashed down a corridor on her left, saw the main desk up ahead, that wouldn't work, there was a door next to her, she wrenched at it and charged inside. It was an office, and she ducked under the desk and tried to stop gasping for breath.

Footsteps outside the door.

The desk had a wooden panel across the front, to hide the legs of the person sitting at it. At the moment it was doing a pretty good job of hiding Gum. But if they looked…she'd be toast, she'd be cornered, she'd be a rat in a trap.

The footsteps passed the door. Gum slowly let out her breath. Okay. Now she just had to think of a way out of here that didn't involve going past any member of the police force.

She rose up from behind the desk, and glanced round the room. There was a window on the back wall. A possibility…kinda high though.

She glanced at the door. There was writing printed on the glass panel set in it:

amihsinO feihC eciloP

And then underneath:

ETAVIRP

Gum slowly reversed the letters in her brain, and gulped.

"Oh, shit. This is not a good place for a rudie to be."

***

Cube knelt on the floor, shivering. She knew she should get dressed, but she couldn't be bothered. It felt like her head had been filled with smoke.

Saburo had gone.

He'd kissed her on the forehead before he left, and said, "Don't tell Garam. There's no sense in breaking up the group."

No. If Garam found out he'd be furious.

Really furious.

Furious enough to hurt.

To do some talking to the cops.

To send her down.

"No," Cube said, hearing her voice echo in the empty HQ. "No, he won't. He won't."

Get dressed and then you won't have to find out, her mind snapped.

Quickly she grabbed her clothes, and shoved them on, her fingers catching on the folds in the cloth. Last of all was her black T-shirt with the skull on the front of it.

She stroked it, and remembered…

"Well done. You're in." Saburo looked round the room. There were bullet holes all over the wall.

"Really? I mean, cool." Cube flicked back her hair and tried not to look at what she'd just done.

"Here." He handed her a folded black garment. "This is your Skull shirt. Wear it all the time, but keep it hidden. Now we'd better get moving."

Cube took the shirt and followed Saburo to the door.

This was so sweet. They could never get Beat back, but this was a way of revenge. Stupid rudies? I don't think so. Cube smirked, suddenly feeling exhilaration break out all over her skin. I did it. I did it. I'm in the Skulls.

I love my life.

"What a dweeb you were," Cube said out loud. She stared down at the skull, which was blue-tinted in the darkness of the room. "Now you've fucked up your head and you've fucked up your relationship. Garam will kill you when he finds out."

She swallowed, and stood up.

"But he won't. I'll just keep it quiet. And he won't have to know, and he'll look after me, and everything will be okay."

She picked up her gun, and started dismantling it. That was a task she could do, a reassuring thing, click of the pieces as she found them where they were supposed to be.

"I wish Combo was here," she heard herself say.

"No, you do not!" she yelled. "He hates your guts. And you hate him. He hates you, do you hear me, he hates you."

"But he's nice to me."

Cube felt the view rock with rage. She grabbed a sharp edge from the pieces in front of her, and dug it into the fleshy part of her hand. The blood ran down her skin, shining beads of crimson, beautiful, and it hurt enough to stop her thinking about…well, about.

What if Mew told?

But Mew knew she was in the Skulls anyway.

But Mew was an actual witness to an actual attempted murder.

But she hadn't actually killed anyone.

Footsteps, and she turned. Saburo and Garam were coming towards her.

"Hey, guys," she managed to say.

Garam smiled, slightly. Saburo didn't.

"Right," he said. "Okay, the Miyamoto attack failed. They'll be warned now, they might leave the city, if they do we'll forget them. If they don't we'll go back and settle it later. But this girl you saw, Cube…"

"What about her?"

"She wasn't a member of the family, was she?"

"No."

"So it's highly unlikely she'll leave if they do. We may have to put her out of the picture."

Cube dropped the piece of metal she was holding. "Saburo, I can't."

"I'll do it, don't worry." He glared at her, and Cube felt like crying and then felt like slapping herself. What was wrong with her? Why was she going to pieces like this?

"We'll just keep an eye on her, all right? Her and the Miyamoto boy. See what happens."

Garam nodded.

"How did yours go?" Saburo asked.

Garam shrugged. "Fine."

I used to be happy to hear that, Cube thought. I used to be proud of him. Now I'm not anything.

What's happening to me?

As Saburo strolled over to the other side of the room, Garam crept over to Cube. "I'm sorry, okay?"

"About what?"

"About getting mad with you. This was our choice, and it ain't fair of me to beat on you for it."

"Thanks," Cube said. Garam hugged her, kissed her. It felt, dimly, quite nice. But nothing more.

Saburo hadn't felt nice. Saburo had felt rushed, pushy, like he was making her give him something that wasn't ready – that she hadn't prepared – something she wanted to be nice that wasn't.

Garam was still kissing her, and she felt his hands reach up under her shirt.

"Stop it," she said.

"Cube?"

He looked so hurt.

"I don't feel like it today," she said. "Sorry. I'm kinda stressed. I think I've got PMT."

Garam sighed. "Okay, then, honey. You want to…well, just hang out?"

That sounded nice.

Bullet holes…

Mew…

Skulls…

Saburo…

"No thanks. I'm feeling…kinda bad. You go out for a bit. I'll sleep."

"You sure you don't want me to stay with you?"

Cube shook her head. "I'd just like to sleep."

Garam shrugged, sauntered over to his bunk, and picked up a black jacket. He slipped it on, zipping it up so it hid the skull on his chest, and said, "I'll see you later, then. I hope you feel better."

Cube nodded, and watched him walk out.

The door shut.

"PMT? Nice one, Cube."

Saburo.

She shrugged, and then jumped as his fingers brushed her shoulder blades.

"You've got a lovely bone structure. Did anyone ever tell you that?"

Cube laughed, feeling the sound stick in her mouth. "Appropriate for a Skull."

"He'll be out some time," Saburo said, his voice lower.

"Yes."

"You may as well. Where's the harm?"

"Now?"

"It's good exercise. Keeps you in trim. That's important, for a Skull."

But it's cheating.

You shoot people's kneecaps off and you're worried about cheating on your boyfriend?

Oh, what's right any more?

Cube lay down on the bunk. "Fine."

Maybe this time it'll feel like it's the best thing to do.

***

Mew watched Mrs Miyamoto. The colour was running out of her face like rain.

"A Skull came here," she said. "A Skull came here and tried to shoot you?"

"She didn't, though, Mum," Isas said. "Look, I'm fine, Me – Miyako's fine, you're fine, Dad's fine."

"I'm not staying here another minute," Mrs Miyamoto said. "They know where we live."

"Mum, stop worrying…"

"Do you remember the Toriyamas?"

"Didn't we go to their house once? Their son let me play on his Dreamcast…"

"Yes, that's it. Now they are dead, Isas. All of them. Someone broke in and shot them. Your father worked with Mr Toriyama. We are getting out of this city."

She dashed out of the kitchen, and Mew heard her running upstairs.

"You're moving out?" she said.

"I guess we're gonna have to."

"I'll miss you." Mew stared at a pool of pineapple juice on the floor.

"Thanks. I'll miss you."

Footsteps, coming downstairs now, and Isas's mother dashed back in, accompanied by her husband, who was wearing pyjamas, dressing gown, and an expression of fury.

"Isas," he said. "Did you see anything?"

"What do you mean?"

"The Skull. What did she look like?"

Mew swallowed as Isas began to describe Cube. Shut up, she wanted to say. That's my friend you're talking about, you're not turning her in.

"And Miyako knew her –" Isas stopped.

Mew swallowed as Mr Miyamoto turned to look at her.

I don't know you, she thought. Maybe you fired tear gas at me from behind riot gear, maybe you tried to crack my skull with your truncheon. Maybe you saw me crying.

"How did you know her?" he asked. "Do you know who she is?"

"Isas is wrong," Mew said. "I don't know her."

"But, Mew –"

"I said I don't know her."

"Right." Mr Miyamoto breathed a deep sigh. "Okay. We're out of here."

Isas's parents walked out of the room.

"Mew, how could you do that?" Isas yelled as the door shut.

"She's a rudie and I don't turn in rudies."

"She tried to kill us both."

I know, Mew thought. If she hadn't recognised me she'd have shot us. You think I don't find that hard enough to take in?

"Listen," she snapped. "I'm a rudie. And rudies don't turn in their friends, and rudies don't help cops."

"Then rudies are stupid."

"What would you know about it, schoolboy?"

"At least I don't think dropping out of school is intelligent!"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Isas's eyes narrowed. "Suki's right. You lot think you're all so great, just because you break rules. Well, I've got news for you, Mew. You're not great. You're a bunch of idiots who let themselves get upset over every little thing."

Mew felt very cold. Her brain seemed emptied of thought, except for those words, scrawled across her mind's eye.

"Fuck you, Miyamoto Isas!" she screamed. "You and your sad little posters of tags you can't paint, drawn by people who are worth a million of you! You're nothing but a Keisatsu's child and that's all you'll ever be!"

And then she ran, out of the warm yellow house, slamming the door behind her, and down the Kogane street, the dust staining her shoes.