Note: Still no working internet (turns out the local demolition site cut through our cable), so I'm back at the public library. I am posting two chapters today, because I may not get access online again for the early part of this week. I hope you enjoy...
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Chapter 13 – The Losing Streak
She liked Myrtle's. It was a good club with present but unobtrusive security, and very good music.
She had expected it to be bigger, but then it was always smart to have a smaller club rather than one that packed in customers but limited your ability to monitor and secure any problems. Myrtle's had two sections to it, the first just inside the well stationed entrance, with a small dancefloor and a raised platform, which was presumably the stage for live music, and the bar was off to the right. Off to the left, mezzanine levels looked down over the stage, and you could walk under them through a darker area full of comfortable looking booths, and then out into the far larger dancefloor beyond. Tables lined the outside of that dancefloor, which was long and narrow and was looked over by yet more mezzanine levels on both side above.
With so many levels above, Seeal guessed that there were security eyes on each, and that there were likely a few hidden doors behind the darkly coloured walls of the club. The atmosphere was very relaxed and almost cheerful though, which was only added to by the music playing out through small speakers set up overhead. Seeal suspected that the music was clearly specifically chosen for its uplifting beat and regular rhythm to which anyone could dance along. This wasn't the type of place that played angry Satedan crescendo music.
Heading under the mezzanine levels and back out across the small dance floor, Seeal had to admire the place. In charge of the next round of drinks - which were half price for Elite staff – she and Toj were headed back to the bar. As they moved around the smaller dancefloor, Seeal locked eyes with a security woman stood to one side, quietly watching everyone enjoying their evening.
It had been pretty clear to Seeal that she had been identified by security within seconds of joining the queue to enter Myrtle's. Every customer entering Myrtle's had to have a face-to-face moment with the security guard on the door, who looked everyone in the eye and reminded them quickly of the club's policy of no weapons and no trouble. Customers then stepped through a sensor embedded doorway and into the club. When Seeal had stepped forward for her turn with the security guard, he had taken a little longer in his direct stare, making it clear that they all knew who she was. He then repeated his same spiel, but had put emphasis on certain words just for her. She had happily agreed, rather approving of the security.
It felt kind of ironic and amusing to think that the Security Lead here probably had stationed extra eyes on her tonight. They had nothing to worry about from her though; she was here to enjoy herself. Presumably this was somewhere where she could actually relax and not have to worry about causing any 'trouble'.
As she walked with Toj, she considered the other customers around her. Being a mostly Military clientele didn't mean they were unlikely to make trouble in her experience, if anything it was perhaps more likely. There was plenty of tough looking types, all muscle and short haircuts, but she couldn't even hear a raised voice over the music. Normally, even with average and normal well-behaved people, adding alcohol, lowered inhibitions, and provocatively dressed people together usually you got some trouble. Instead, Seeal suspected that Myrtle's was considered a place to be 'seen', having an exclusivity that meant that you felt more important if you came here, which might explain the military uniforms for a night out.
As she and Toj navigated the edge of the dancefloor, moving close to the entrance, she could see the part-Satedan checking out a group of females just entering. It was likely that she would be the one ordering the drinks for the others, because Toj had a tendency to get distracted, either by females or by spotting someone he knew in a club. For now though, he kept on leading the way to the bar.
The long dark wooden bar top stretched a good length along the club wall, but it was still already lined with waiting customers. Seeal leant one elbow on the bar and considered Myrtle's.
"Good place," she summarised loudly to Toj over the music.
Toj, leaning next to her, grinned proudly. "Only the best come here," he declared.
"Then why are we here?" She joked.
Toj frowned. "Because we work for the Elite," he seemed to think she needed reminding. He wasn't always good with understanding sarcasm, but then Satedans could be that way. Literal people. Apparently that part of the Satedan genetics was part of Toj's quarter dose.
"Oh yes, I forgot," she replied sarcastically, and probably not loud enough for him to hear in here. He was distracted again anyway, looking off to his left.
Seeal glanced in that direction to see that the group of females that just arrived were moving further into the club, all decked out in revealing outfits that showed off their military toned abs, arms, and narrow waists. Toj grinned at them with clear anticipation.
Seeal suspected he had already forgotten that she existed. He was still sporting two slightly bruised eyes, but they just made him look more Satedan. According to Toj, that fact alone was a "winner every time".
Seeal turned away from the overt mating behaviour, struggling not to roll her eyes, and focused her own attention on trying to attract the closest barman's attention. He was busy filling three trays worth of drinks for a large group taking up most of the bar's space.
Seeal sighed – she had a long wait, especially as the toned-abs brigade had all leant against the other end of the bar. Toj was already heading in their direction.
"Nice seeing you," Seeal called at his retreating back.
At least she had some good music to move to while she waited for the barman. She mentally ran through the drinks everyone wanted.
A new barman slid in behind the bar, another sign of a good Lead watching everything and sending in staff when needed on the busy bar. The new barman set about serving two buxom females practically bent over the bar to flirt with him.
A large shoulder slid into Seeal's view and a large, slimy smiling face followed it.
"Hello there," the man grinned at her, presumably thinking that he was looking flirtatious. He was very wrong.
"Hello," she replied politely.
"So, you're Elite crew, are you?" He said next, the cadence of his words seeming seductive, but his overt up and down study of her was just plain gross. She wished she hadn't worn quite such a low cut top this evening.
"No," she replied honestly.
His leering froze. "I thought I saw you come in with some of the Sythus crew?" He asked, as if he was trying to prove her wrong.
"I came with them, but I'm not from the Sythus," she informed him.
"You from the Hastos Son then?" He asked next, naming the other Elite battleship.
"Nope," she responded with a smile.
"Oh," he frowned, clearly disappointed and consequently no longer interested in her.
She waited for him to leave.
He glanced aside, uncomfortable.
"You can go now," Seeal told him.
He looked relieved and moved away.
Male brains.
She turned fully towards the bar, leaning both her forearms on it, and found her own reflection looking back at her. A mirrored back to a bar was always wise in these places – it helped security see what people were doing when their backs were turned while stood at the bar. Plus, it also added light into the often dark corners where bars were placed away from dancefloors and meeting areas.
She realised how low her top really was when she leant forward. She stood upright a bit more and quickly tugged up the front of the top. She didn't want everyone to see everything. She wasn't overly used to showing so much skin. Not that it wasn't a good idea in these warm clubs.
The new barman had moved onto someone else along the bar, and the first one was still working on the big group's multitude of drinks. That he was laughing and joking with the group wasn't going to speed up his work.
Seeal looked the other way to see how Toj was doing with his latest conquest. Only, her eyes fell on the man leaning on the bar just down from her.
She looked away and sighed.
She didn't need this.
Her gaze was already moving to the reflection of the man in the mirror opposite, assessing more closely what she'd seen in her brief glance.
Whoever he was, he had some bad fashion sense considering whatever he was up to. A bright yellow jacket was never a good look if you were trying to avoid attention. His hair was tidy though, and he was clean-shaven. His body language was mainly controlled, but, to her, the nervousness just blared out from every pore far louder than the music.
She glanced back towards him along the bar and reached out to pull out one of the many paper napkins available in large stacks along the bar. The move allowed her to shift slightly closer to Yellow Jacket. He glanced at her movement and then away uninterested. It had been a sharp quick nervous reaction though.
She leant both elbows back on the bar and pretended to wipe her nose with the napkin, and glanced at him again out the corner of her eyes.
He had both his hands on the bar and was tapping them nervously against the wooden surface. Just on the inside of one of his fingers was a crudely drawn flower.
Seeal looked away and let out a loud annoyed breath.
She scrunched up the napkin and dumped it onto the bar top.
She was starting to think perhaps she was cursed.
A night out with no problems was all she had wanted, but no, life just kept throwing these things at her.
She looked over her shoulder back towards the main security presence at the entrance to the club. No one seemed to be actively watching the bar, which she thought was unwise. Or maybe one of the barmen was actually a security member, either way, no one seemed to be paying Yellow Jacket any obvious attention.
She looked back to her reflection and considered Yellow Jacket again. He was glancing around, doing it carefully in a way that was reasonably subtle for someone stood at a bar who could be bored waiting. In a busy place like this, with so many people, he probably didn't look all that much like trouble.
The flower on the inside of his finger said differently. He was a Quantum dealer.
She had thought Khor had killed off all of the petal clan distributors, but clearly not. She had heard they worked inside the Alliance, so probably that part of the clan was still functional.
She looked back towards the club's door and played through the best thing to do.
She had approved of the club's security until now. There should be a proper presence at the bar, or at least nearer to it. Of course, there was security at the door, then stationed at places further into the club, so it wasn't that anyone could get out unstopped, but clearly Yellow Jacket was expecting to meet with someone. He wasn't here just to have a dance and put his former wayward years of drug distribution behind him.
Decision made, Seeal pushed away from the bar and headed towards the closest security guard.
The dark skinned seriously intense looking female clocked Seeal's approach. The club's entrance to one side and the main staircase up to the mezzanine levels on her other side, the woman had a good station.
Seeal smiled politely as she approached the woman, who watched her intently.
"Hi, you may want to keep an eye on the guy in the yellow jacket at the bar," Seeal told her.
"Up the stairs," the woman told Seeal.
Seeal frowned. "Sorry?"
"Our Lead is up the stairs," the woman pointed one long finger to the staircase. "You've got anything to say, it goes to him."
Okay.
Well, she'd started this, so she might as well see it through; besides, she was more than a little curious to meet the Security Lead of this place. As she climbed the stairs, she noticed that Madesh had appeared by the small dancefloor, clearly having been on his way to join her and Toj at the bar. He had seen her though and was looking up at her with a worried look. She smiled down at him, hopefully looking relaxed and encouraging. She gestured to him to say that she would be back soon. His worried look continued though as she reached the first mezzanine level.
The music was far quieter up here, and a security guard stood just to the side. He pointed off into the tabled area. Seeal obediently did as she was told and headed along the railing past several empty tables.
She spotted the Security Lead instantly. He was clearly ex-military and was stood at the railing with the best view out from the mezzanine level to the dancefloor and entrance below. As Seeal approached him, he turned and faced her, arms crossed.
She stopped a polite distance from him. "I'm getting that you know who I am."
"I know exactly who you are," he confirmed without any emotional at all.
"Then you know that when I tell you that you need to keep an eye on the guy in the yellow jacket down at the bar, then that opinion comes with some weight," she stated.
"Someone you know?" He asked.
"No," Seeal shook her head. "But he's clearly here for something he's hiding, plus he's wearing the petal clan sign, so probably here to meet a customer or another dealer."
The Lead considered her for a second. Seeal understood the look; she'd used it plenty.
"Understood," he replied.
Silence followed.
"O-kay," Seeal had expected a little more resistance than that.
"Thank you for the information," he said and gestured back the way she had come.
It wasn't the reaction she had expected, but she took the dismissal, turning away without looking back at the Lead. "Glad to help," she muttered as she moved away. She hadn't even gotten his name, but she'd done her duty. She'd reported someone untrustworthy and it wasn't her responsibility to do anything else.
This was a good thing – no brawls involved.
She glanced back as she reached the staircase. The Lead was still watching her.
She made her way back down the stairs to where Madesh was anxiously waiting for her.
"What happened?" He demanded as soon as she reached him.
"Nothing," she reassured him as they moved back across the club, Madesh clearly leading them away from the dancefloor and the bar. "We still need drinks," she pointed out.
"What happened?" Madesh asked her, his hand a warm touch on her arm guiding her away from the bar's direction, to one side near a booth.
"I just reported a suspicious person to security," she informed him.
"Who?" Madesh asked as he looked around.
"Don't go making a scene," Seeal was the one to pull at his arm now to stop him glaring round at everyone. "I'm guessing he's just a small time dealer looking for a sale."
"Security here will deal with it," Madesh told her the obvious.
"I'm sure they can," Seeal agreed. She noticed that the intense security woman from before was watching them. "Maybe we should go back to the others."
"Good idea," Madesh readily agreed.
Seeal led the way back through the booths to the larger dancefloor beyond to where the rest of their group had claimed several tables for the night.
Fleta and Numfar were still dancing with some new 'friends', while Naevaeh and Ru were talking at the table. Seeal reached them and sat down, annoyed that Madesh seemed to wait for her to sit first, like she might run off or something.
"What happened to the drinks?" Naevah asked loudly over the music.
"It's too busy up there," Seeal quickly made the excuse. "Toj is still there."
"We'll never get drinks if he's in charge of getting them," Nevaeh grinned, but she didn't look too upset.
Madesh leant closer. "Do you think we should leave?"
Seeal frowned at him. "Why? I did nothing wrong."
"Uh oh," Nevaeh grinned. "What happened?"
"Nothing," Seeal insisted. "Though Toj looks like he's found some military females to talk to."
"Typical," Nevaeh nodded as she grinned off towards where Numfar was working a crazy set of dance moves.
Madesh and Ru were talking, their conversation inaudible to her over the music.
Seeal leant towards Nevaeh. "Do you believe someone can be cursed?" She asked idly.
Nevaeh considered the question with some seriousness. "I believe in winning streaks, so presumably there's an opposite."
"A losing streak?" Seeal asked and Nevaeh shrugged.
Seeal wasn't certain about that – in her experience, if someone was having a losing streak it was because the gambling house was controlling the game.
"Uh oh," Nevaeh said, pointing off to the right behind Seeal's back.
Seeal looked round to see one of the club's security looking at her from a metre or so away. Having Seeal's attention, the man pointed up the closest staircase that went up to the mezzanine levels overlooking this side of the club.
"What's going on?" Ru asked loudly and worriedly across the table.
"Nothing important," Seeal reassured them as she stood up. "I just pointed out someone to security. They probably want to ask me something about it."
All three faces at the table looked less than convinced.
"It's nothing," Seeal smiled at them and headed towards the indicated flight of stairs, hoping that she was right.
What more could they want? She'd pointed out Yellow Jacket. If the Security Lead had wanted more then why hadn't he asked when she had met with him? Or maybe they had grabbed Yellow Jacket already and wanted her to make a statement?
These stairs were far narrower up to the first level this side of the club, and there were far more tables. Another security member was stationed at the top of the stairs, but he pointed up to the next level, so Seeal obediently climbed another set of stairs, only for the guard on that level to tell her to go up another two flights of stairs.
The staircases grew narrower and the levels quieter the higher she went, and, finally, she arrived on the top mezzanine, four levels up. The level was completely empty. There were only a few tables up here, so she suspected this top level was for only the most privileged.
Or perhaps where they roughed up troublesome people before throwing them out?
There was a single guard up here, and he simply pointed to the middle table set well back from the railing. Seeal headed to the empty table. The seats were far larger and more comfortable up here, and she settled herself as casually as she could at the table by herself. As she sat, she gently tested the table and, sure enough, it was not bolted down. They were bolted to the floor downstairs, but up here they could be moved around. Or be free to be turned over to provide cover in a fire-fight maybe? There was no mezzanine level on the other side of the gulf that looked down over the dancefloor, so nowhere to escape that way.
The walls were painted in a deep dark red and the small lights set around the level were surrounded by elaborate glass shapes that gave the lighting a soft glow. The carpet felt thick under her boots as well. Maybe it made it easier to soak up the blood?
A door opened at the far end of the empty level, confirming her prediction that there were hidden doors. The door had been well concealed, painted to simply be part of the walls. She wondered how much more there was of the club that the public never saw. Most likely a Security monitoring station at least.
She couldn't see anything like that beyond the door as it opened though, and only one man stepped through.
Seeal had never been overly taken with physical beauty, but the man who emerged, and was now walking towards her, was probably the most handsome man she had ever seen.
He was of an average height, with dark short spiky hair, an excessively well proportioned square face, and a strong jawline lightly darkened with well groomed stubble. He wore a bright crisp white shirt with buttons down the front, though most of them were undone revealing his tanned toned chest and a triangle of dark chest hair. The bottom of the shirt was tucked into dark grey trousers that tightly hugged his well shaped hips and thighs. Seeal pulled her eyes from the movement of his thighs obvious through the trousers and lifted her eyes up to his bright dark eyes and the full lipped handsome smile.
"Seeal," the man's smile widened as he approached, and her name had never sounded so attractive to her own ears. "I am very pleased to see you," he all but purred as he arrived at the table and sat down directly across from her.
Wow, he smelt good too. It was clearly an artificial scent, but it was still very good.
Seeal frowned at the stunningly handsome man. "Do I know you?" She asked, though she knew without a doubt that she had never met this man before. His presence was a memorable shock to the system and she felt warm in places she really shouldn't.
Clearly he was something very dangerous.
He lifted his sculpted dark eyebrows and smiled at her again. "I'm Myrtle," he announced.
She blinked. "As in the owner of this place?"
He nodded, his eyes moving over her openly.
"The ex-Elite warrior Myrtle?" She checked again.
"That's me," he smiled again, his eyes full of the clear awareness of his effect on women. Probably on men too.
Seeal leant back slightly in her seat, the tiny extra distance somehow helpful against this bizarre man. "You were an Elite warrior?"
"Would this help?" He asked, his voice rich and deep, as he loosened the ends of his white crisp sleeves and began rolling the fabric back. The movements revealed long twisting black tattoos, as worn by Elite. So, he wasn't just Elite trained, he had been in action long enough to gain markings.
He took his time rolling up his sleeves, revealing more of his nicely shaped forearms with each movement.
"I have heard a lot about you, Seeal," he told her in that deep voice. But, it wasn't just the depth of the timbre that caught at her attention, but the sexual way he said it.
"I've heard nothing about you," she countered. "Except what you were," she gestured to his forearm tattoos that were now fully revealed, though she noted that one tattoo appeared to continue up around his elbow out of view, but she didn't need to see anymore.
If only.
She blinked at the stupid hormonal reaction.
"Myrtle is a rather feminine name," she found herself provoking him.
"It's my second name, and I prefer to use it rather than Tow," he smiled.
"Tow Myrtle?" She put his name together.
"More masculine for you?"
She pretended to consider it. "Nice club you have here."
"You approve?"
"Security could do with a few changes," Seeal considered.
Myrtle rested his perfectly shaped hands on the table. "Do you miss Dreamstation, Seeal?"
"Sometimes," she answered quickly, recognising the question had been designed to throw her and provoke a reaction.
"Is it the violence you miss?" He asked.
She frowned at that. "Hardly."
"I only ask because of your history as a pit fighter."
She held still at that and reconsidered him.
Myrtle saw the change in her and his eyebrows lifted in a silent question.
"Interesting," she pondered out loud.
"Thank you," Myrtle smiled, purposefully misunderstanding her.
She looked at his forearms again, assessing the tattoos. There had to be a good few markings mixed together there, which meant several Queens had fallen at his hands. She had to wonder how many Queens were left out there thanks to the Elite's successful years. How fast could the Wraith replace Queens?
"You're supposed to be a retired Elite," she told him.
"I am," he answered, but some of his playfulness dimmed. He didn't like that he had had to retire. She imagined most Elite would hate to retreat from their war.
"You're very young to retire, and you don't seem to be physically disabled in anyway," Seeal considered him out loud.
"I am very able," Myrtle informed her suggestively.
"You don't appear to be missing any limbs," she leant to one side to look under the table towards his lower legs below those shapely thighs, but it was difficult to tell if one was a prosthetic replacement.
"All present and accounted for," he told her.
"So, you must have retired for some other reason," she considered his complexion. "You look healthy."
"It's nice of you to notice."
"And you don't appear to show any other obvious indications of trauma," she kept up her verbal assessment and he shook his head. "So, either you were injured in some other way or it's a disease of some sort that stopped you."
He did look the picture of good health and he had walked in here without any appearance of pain or any other indication of something wrong with him. "Obviously something chronic or you would have returned to duty," she surmised.
He sat back in his chair. "Keep going."
"A genetic condition?" She guessed.
"No," he shook his head.
She frowned at him, trying to put together enough pieces.
He grinned at her.
She watched him and took a breath to answer. His eyes lowered to her lips and she realised she had already noticed a clue.
"You're deaf," she deduced. He had looked at her mouth a lot, but she'd thought it part of his seductive routine.
"Well done," he smiled. "I'm mostly deaf," he corrected. "I was on a Fleet ship that exploded in space, permanently damaged my ears."
"How did you survive a ship blowing up in space?" She asked incredulous.
"How did you not fall through the blown apart side of the Sythus?" He countered.
"See, there you go making me question things again," she told him. "How would you know about that if you're a retired Elite?"
"I have many friends who are still Elite," Myrtle answered her. "Many of them come here and I've heard stories about you."
Seeal shook her head. "I don't think that's right. And I don't think Elite who retire leave the military fold and set up a club."
Myrtle pulled a hurt expression, but it was followed by with another sparkling grin. "Ex-Elite are not allowed to start a business?"
"From what I've seen in the Facility, most retired warriors work for the Elite still, even with severe injuries. Yet, you're here...in a place where the most prestigious and famous come to relax and talk with each other." She let the obvious point hang in the air.
Myrtle didn't answer that.
"I think this is the kind of place where people can talk and there's that warning over the entrance about surveillance recording in the club," she considered.
"I don't spy on people," Myrtle told her.
"But you probably find out things, notice who spends time with whom, and pass those observations along to the Elite. Perhaps even work as a quiet associate between parties."
Myrtle smiled at her.
"I think you still work for the Elite," she told him, "or at least part of the time while you run your business. And that's why you know about me – you read all the Elite reports. Probably also because you miss the action. Tell me, do you miss the violence?"
Myrtle scratched at his stubbled jaw and looked away, and then returned his sultry smile to her like a weight. "I can see that everything I've heard, and read, about you is absolutely accurate."
She smiled back, pleased that he had confirmed her theory.
"What I don't understand is why you're working for us," Myrtle asked. "With your skills, you could work anywhere. You could start up your own club, your own security business even. Why are you in the Facility?"
"Because of the project," she answered. "Once that job is over, I don't know what I'll do next. Maybe I will start up a club; it seems to do good business for you."
He considered her for a quiet moment, his dark seductive eyes moving over her in ways that made those certain places feel warm again.
Myrtle leant forward. "As someone who is now a serious fan of yours," he paused to smile. There was a little dimple in one of his cheeks. She made sure not to look at that again.
"Might I offer some advice," he continued. "A lot of females have been lured in by the fierce and heartbroken warrior that is our Oneakka."
Seeal felt her entire attitude cool instantly at the abruptly challenging subject.
"But he isn't what he appears to be," Myrtle added.
She had already leant that lesson. Oneakka might be a difficult, stubborn, and deadly warrior, but he was also an academic and clearly played into his appearance of being just single-minded and aggressive.
"They are only ever disappointed and hurt by his disinterest," Myrtle concluded.
She schooled her features and body language as she fixed her gaze on Myrtle.
"From my experience," she told him sternly, "no Elite is what they appear to be, you being a good example. I have no interest in being lured anywhere, by anyone," she made sure to stress that to include Myrtle's seductive behaviour as well as to his less than subtle reference to Oneakka.
Myrtle's expression shifted to show that he had understood.
"If there are females out there who think they can heal broken hearts," she continued, "then that's their own stupid business. I prefer to live in reality."
"I see," Myrtle replied as he sat back in his seat. "Then I apologise for the misunderstanding."
"I imagine it's difficult for you to comprehend, but not everything people do relates to sex," Seeal told him.
"It can if you would like it to," he suggested with what was a very flirtatious lifting of his wide lips and darkened eyes.
Seeal felt oddly thrown by the unabashed offer even though everything he had said so far had already been an obvious attempt to seduce.
His eyes moved over her face and dipped down to her low cut top. She held still under his approving assessment, and, for just a tiny moment, considered taking up his offer.
Why not? She was a free woman and she could enjoy a male without any constriction. He was an Elite warrior too. Well, a partially retired one. And he was unbelievably handsome...
"I'll consider it," she told him, but already knew the decision had been made.
She saw that Myrtle did too.
A line had been drawn back in the Facility, but, she realised with a sudden drop of her heart, she wasn't ready to step away from that line just yet. There was no future prospect with Oneakka, but still...it didn't feel right to sleep with one of his fellow Elite.
"Keep me on your list," Myrtle broke into her inner realisations, his smile relaxed and unaffected by her turning him down. "And for the tip you provided to my security today, you and your friends can have free entrance and drinks for your next visit."
She smiled at that.
"And you should do that more," Myrtle added.
"Report criminals?" She asked, because it felt like that was all she had been doing for months now.
"Show an honest smile," Myrtle replied as he stood up from his chair. "It suits you."
No one had ever complimented her on her smile before. She'd frightened plenty of scum with it before, but not been complimented on it.
"Enjoy the rest of your evening, Seeal," Myrtle offered as he moved away. "I look forward to your next visit," he winked at her over his shoulder.
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TBC