2. Past Lovers
Moonlight showered the city with a brilliant glow that night. There were still several hours until dawn, and Laurus had made his way across town to the one place in which he could safely let his guard down. A block of flats where Sonnie lived.
The lights were off when Laurus stepped into the fourteenth floor apartment. The air was cold too. Sonnie must have left the doors to the balcony open, allowing the curtains to gently roll back and forth. He quietly closed the door and looked around for his old friend. The apartment was deathly still. He took several cautious steps towards the bedroom, where he guessed Sonnie might be. She always did like her early nights.
A hiss of air made him stop in his tracks - the sound had come from the balcony outside. He slowly approached the drifting curtains and looked out at the female figure beyond, silhouetted by the brilliant moonlight.
Sonnie.
Laurus recognised the familiar contours of the woman's body as she gracefully arched her limbs in co-ordinated patterns. Her hands slowly teased a sword across her skin with skill and precision. She was practising her techniques again - one of the few vices she insisted on maintaining from her childhood years.
Laurus stood there and watched her elegantly perform movements that he'd never dare attempt himself. Sonnie always seemed so strong and supple. Observing her from the shadows was stirring dark thoughts in his mind. He slowly pushed the curtains aside and silently stepped out onto the balcony.
In an instant, Sonnie's arm had darted round to place the edge of her sword against his neck. He froze for a moment, waiting for her to recognise her old comrade-in-arms. "Nice of you to stop."
"Laurus?" She lowered her blade and looked at him in disbelief. The prominent features of her face were illuminated by the moon, bathing her body in pale light. She was dressed in a simple blouse with tight tracksuit bottoms.
"I came to see you. You're looking well."
In a moment, Sonnie had regained her composure and turned to face the city's skyline. "I wish I could say the same for you. You look like hell."
Laurus scrubbed a hand over his unshaven chin. "I was in a night club," he replied, as if it explained his shabby appearance.
"You didn't kill anyone did you?"
"That's not funny."
She turned to face him again, leaning against the balcony. "I don't see you for months - no calls, no messages - and now you show up looking like a blood bank reject. I thought you were dead. Where have you been for the last three months?"
Laurus took a step towards her. "I wanted to contact you, believe me. But I had no choice. Some people were after me for unpaid loans and I needed to lay low for a while."
Sonnie's tone grew icy. "You mean other dealers..."
"Yes."
"I knew you'd get yourself into trouble once you stopped dealing plasma. I warned you, didn't I?"
"I didn't want that life anymore. It was destroying too many people."
"And what about now? Why show yourself now?"
"I've taken care of my creditors. They won't hound anyone for money ever again."
Sonnie folded her arms as a gesture of annoyance. "You killed them? God, Laurus, what if someone finds their bodies?"
"I used silver."
She sighed and faced away from him again. "Crazy idiot. You could have gotten hurt."
He came up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. "I was careful. Besides, I didn't think you cared anymore."
"I don't," she replied, still keeping her back to him and staring out at the city.
Laurus smelled her hair, tasting the familiar scent he remembered from long ago when the two of them had first met. "I have an offer for you."
"Thanks, but I don't believe in marriage."
"I'm doing a job the night after tomorrow. I could use someone who's good with a sword."
"I'm sure you could, but its not going to be me. I'm still mad at you for disappearing without telling me."
He slowly moved his hands down her arms to clasp her waist. "The payout would be generous, enough to see us through for a very long time."
"I'm not interested."
"It's a robbery - and we'll have help from an insider to get us past security. It should be an easy ride."
"Then you won't need me."
"I work on the side of caution. You know that." His hands gently slid up the front of her body until they rested on her breasts, giving them a gentle squeeze.
"Stop that," she whispered.
"Five Hundred Thousand dollars, split four ways. That's $125k each Sonnie."
"God, Laurus. $125,000? What are you robbing, a dozen blood banks?"
"I thought you weren't interested."
"I'm not. I just don't want to see you killed on some foolish bank job. Now stop touching me, you lost that right three months ago."
His fingers found the collar of her blouse and began unbuttoning her. "I don't intend to die on some foolish bank job, but if you're really worried about me then maybe you should come with me. Make sure I don't do anything stupid."
"I have better things to do than babysit you. Steal the money yourself."
"I'd prefer it if I had some help. Someone I can really trust."
Sonnie grunted. "And you think you can trust me? I'm likely to kill you for making me think you were dead."
The blouse came off, and moonlight fell on her exposed shoulders. Laurus planted a small kiss on her smooth skin, then began work on her bra. "If anyone's going to kill me, I'd want it to be you."
"Is that what you want? I'm still holding my sword."
"What I want is for you to say you'll help me pull off this job the night after tomorrow." He dropped the bra over the balcony, letting it fall fourteen floors to the ground below.
"And if I say yes, I get $125,000?"
"Every cent."
"And you really have inside information on the bank we're robbing?"
"Its not a bank, it's a night club." He cupped her breasts again and began kissing the skin of her neck. "And yes, I'll have inside information."
She closed her eyes, letting the sensations of his caresses soften her mind. "You're hitting a night club?"
"Trust me. They'll be plenty of money to steal."
"What about the other two people?"
"What other two people?"
"You said we'd split the money four ways. So who are the other two?"
"One is my friend - he's the insider. A man called Erigeron. I was hoping you could help me out with the fourth person."
He continued his caresses across her bare skin, tasting and squeezing her unique body as moonlight bathed the two of them. Sonnie elicited a quiet groan, feeling her muscles relax under Laurus's hands.
"I might know someone," she eventually conceeded. "But he's more of a mercenary. He prefers jobs with a body count included."
"If we run into any security guards, they're all his." He briefly ceased his lovings upon her body. "Just as long as you can trust him. We're talking about a lot of money here."
"I've known him almost as long as I've known you. I trust him."
"Does that mean you'll do this with me?"
There was a moment of pause, though secretly Sonnie had already made her decision. She took his hand and guided it beneath the fabric of her tracksuit bottoms. "What do you think?"
Laurus slid his hand between her legs, provoking another small groan from her lips. The sword dropped beside their feet with a clatter, and she pulled the remainder of her clothes down her legs. A stiff breeze blew against the two of them.
"Its cold out here," he said. "Do you want to go inside?"
"I like the cold," she told him.
He nodded, and bent her over the balcony.
Moonlight showered the city with a brilliant glow that night. There were still several hours until dawn, and Laurus had made his way across town to the one place in which he could safely let his guard down. A block of flats where Sonnie lived.
The lights were off when Laurus stepped into the fourteenth floor apartment. The air was cold too. Sonnie must have left the doors to the balcony open, allowing the curtains to gently roll back and forth. He quietly closed the door and looked around for his old friend. The apartment was deathly still. He took several cautious steps towards the bedroom, where he guessed Sonnie might be. She always did like her early nights.
A hiss of air made him stop in his tracks - the sound had come from the balcony outside. He slowly approached the drifting curtains and looked out at the female figure beyond, silhouetted by the brilliant moonlight.
Sonnie.
Laurus recognised the familiar contours of the woman's body as she gracefully arched her limbs in co-ordinated patterns. Her hands slowly teased a sword across her skin with skill and precision. She was practising her techniques again - one of the few vices she insisted on maintaining from her childhood years.
Laurus stood there and watched her elegantly perform movements that he'd never dare attempt himself. Sonnie always seemed so strong and supple. Observing her from the shadows was stirring dark thoughts in his mind. He slowly pushed the curtains aside and silently stepped out onto the balcony.
In an instant, Sonnie's arm had darted round to place the edge of her sword against his neck. He froze for a moment, waiting for her to recognise her old comrade-in-arms. "Nice of you to stop."
"Laurus?" She lowered her blade and looked at him in disbelief. The prominent features of her face were illuminated by the moon, bathing her body in pale light. She was dressed in a simple blouse with tight tracksuit bottoms.
"I came to see you. You're looking well."
In a moment, Sonnie had regained her composure and turned to face the city's skyline. "I wish I could say the same for you. You look like hell."
Laurus scrubbed a hand over his unshaven chin. "I was in a night club," he replied, as if it explained his shabby appearance.
"You didn't kill anyone did you?"
"That's not funny."
She turned to face him again, leaning against the balcony. "I don't see you for months - no calls, no messages - and now you show up looking like a blood bank reject. I thought you were dead. Where have you been for the last three months?"
Laurus took a step towards her. "I wanted to contact you, believe me. But I had no choice. Some people were after me for unpaid loans and I needed to lay low for a while."
Sonnie's tone grew icy. "You mean other dealers..."
"Yes."
"I knew you'd get yourself into trouble once you stopped dealing plasma. I warned you, didn't I?"
"I didn't want that life anymore. It was destroying too many people."
"And what about now? Why show yourself now?"
"I've taken care of my creditors. They won't hound anyone for money ever again."
Sonnie folded her arms as a gesture of annoyance. "You killed them? God, Laurus, what if someone finds their bodies?"
"I used silver."
She sighed and faced away from him again. "Crazy idiot. You could have gotten hurt."
He came up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. "I was careful. Besides, I didn't think you cared anymore."
"I don't," she replied, still keeping her back to him and staring out at the city.
Laurus smelled her hair, tasting the familiar scent he remembered from long ago when the two of them had first met. "I have an offer for you."
"Thanks, but I don't believe in marriage."
"I'm doing a job the night after tomorrow. I could use someone who's good with a sword."
"I'm sure you could, but its not going to be me. I'm still mad at you for disappearing without telling me."
He slowly moved his hands down her arms to clasp her waist. "The payout would be generous, enough to see us through for a very long time."
"I'm not interested."
"It's a robbery - and we'll have help from an insider to get us past security. It should be an easy ride."
"Then you won't need me."
"I work on the side of caution. You know that." His hands gently slid up the front of her body until they rested on her breasts, giving them a gentle squeeze.
"Stop that," she whispered.
"Five Hundred Thousand dollars, split four ways. That's $125k each Sonnie."
"God, Laurus. $125,000? What are you robbing, a dozen blood banks?"
"I thought you weren't interested."
"I'm not. I just don't want to see you killed on some foolish bank job. Now stop touching me, you lost that right three months ago."
His fingers found the collar of her blouse and began unbuttoning her. "I don't intend to die on some foolish bank job, but if you're really worried about me then maybe you should come with me. Make sure I don't do anything stupid."
"I have better things to do than babysit you. Steal the money yourself."
"I'd prefer it if I had some help. Someone I can really trust."
Sonnie grunted. "And you think you can trust me? I'm likely to kill you for making me think you were dead."
The blouse came off, and moonlight fell on her exposed shoulders. Laurus planted a small kiss on her smooth skin, then began work on her bra. "If anyone's going to kill me, I'd want it to be you."
"Is that what you want? I'm still holding my sword."
"What I want is for you to say you'll help me pull off this job the night after tomorrow." He dropped the bra over the balcony, letting it fall fourteen floors to the ground below.
"And if I say yes, I get $125,000?"
"Every cent."
"And you really have inside information on the bank we're robbing?"
"Its not a bank, it's a night club." He cupped her breasts again and began kissing the skin of her neck. "And yes, I'll have inside information."
She closed her eyes, letting the sensations of his caresses soften her mind. "You're hitting a night club?"
"Trust me. They'll be plenty of money to steal."
"What about the other two people?"
"What other two people?"
"You said we'd split the money four ways. So who are the other two?"
"One is my friend - he's the insider. A man called Erigeron. I was hoping you could help me out with the fourth person."
He continued his caresses across her bare skin, tasting and squeezing her unique body as moonlight bathed the two of them. Sonnie elicited a quiet groan, feeling her muscles relax under Laurus's hands.
"I might know someone," she eventually conceeded. "But he's more of a mercenary. He prefers jobs with a body count included."
"If we run into any security guards, they're all his." He briefly ceased his lovings upon her body. "Just as long as you can trust him. We're talking about a lot of money here."
"I've known him almost as long as I've known you. I trust him."
"Does that mean you'll do this with me?"
There was a moment of pause, though secretly Sonnie had already made her decision. She took his hand and guided it beneath the fabric of her tracksuit bottoms. "What do you think?"
Laurus slid his hand between her legs, provoking another small groan from her lips. The sword dropped beside their feet with a clatter, and she pulled the remainder of her clothes down her legs. A stiff breeze blew against the two of them.
"Its cold out here," he said. "Do you want to go inside?"
"I like the cold," she told him.
He nodded, and bent her over the balcony.