Love, Lies & Lizard Babies by PoorQueequeg
Chapter Two
Outside, they walked across the cracked tarmac yard and down an alleyway between two shabby buildings until they reached a sagging chain fence. Jason stopped as they approached their exit and pulled at the wire where it came loose from a crooked concrete post.
"Ladies first," he said with a smirk and a bow. Helen scowled at him before she stooped to step through the overgrown weeds and onto the pavement on the other side. A couple of hundred yards later they emerged onto a street bustling with people and the honking of traffic. Jason smacked his lips together, his mouth woolly from thirst but he said nothing as Helen turned and gave him a look.
"So where first?" he asked her with a shrug as they meandered down the street.
"You said you'd checked with almost everyone. Who did you miss?" Jason worried his lower lip.
"There's a place he'd go, a dive bar on the other side of town. I always hated it but Chrissy liked it, said he felt at ease there."
"The Beer Engine?" Helen asked. Jason stopped jerked his head back.
"You know it? I got the impression you weren't from around here."
"I know enough," she replied continuing down the side walk. "I was told about it but haven't had the chance to get to that side of the city yet. I got somewhat sidelined," she told him icily. He narrowed his eyes at her. She sniffed and carried on down the street. Stopping outside the subway station, Helen turned to face him.
"It's hot and I'm thirsty," she confessed and he nodded in agreement. It was hard work stalking a beautiful woman. "Shall we get something to drink?" Helen raised that brow again and he found it impossible to say no.
They took the train across town, their bodies pressing together in the packed car as it bumped along. The wheels screeched against the rails and Jason stared down at her face to find himself hypnotised by her wide, blue eyes and the loud click clack of the train in the darkened tunnel. Helen stared back, cocooned by his broad chest and toned arms, her eyes flicking from his face to the corded muscles of his neck and biceps. At their stop she gripped his forearm tightly, her nails digging into his flesh and the hairs on his skin tickling her palm as they squeezed through the crowded platform towards the exit.
He squinted at the bright sunlight as they emerged onto the street and turned to see the enigmatic doctor slide a pair of Raybans from her pocket and onto her face. He felt unbearably shabby beside her, despite the fact that she had spent as much time rolling in the dust as he had. She had money, of that he had no doubt. Some ladeedah British lady with stacks of cash – he couldn't help but wonder what someone like her was doing trawling through the seedy underbelly of the city looking for her brother of all people. Who was she and what did she really want from Chris? The questions swirled in his mind and made his head spin under the hot sun.
They reached The Beer Engine after what seemed like forever. It was dark and dank inside the bar and it was utter bliss to be out of the sun. The barman, Joe, nodded in his direction and Helen tilted her head at him questioningly. "I been here a few times," he explained. "It was really Chrissy's place though." She nodded and ran her eyes around the room taking in the shabby leather clad biker in the corner and the pierced couple with dyed hair locked in a clinch against the wall before slipping elegantly onto a stool at the bar.
Joe the barman approached. "What can I do you for?"
"Water with ice," Helen said in a commanding tone. "And a beer." Jason raised his eyebrows before nodding at Joe and raising two fingers. Helen swivelled her seat to watch the other customers as he sat down beside her. When Joe returned with their drinks she immediately picked up the cold beer and took a few long gulps as Jason stared.
"What?" she demanded as he watched. He shrugged.
"I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you drink beer but it doesn't seem to fit somehow."
"I see," she replied staring forward and picking up the bottle again. "You presume I'd rather be drinking tea?"
Jason snorted into his beer as he drank. "Something like that." Helen rolled her eyes.
"Believe me, there is nothing I would rather be doing on a day like this than to be sitting in my garden drinking a tall glass of Pimms but when in Rome..." He gave her a smile and she returned it with a slight quirk of her lips, staring at his rugged face and his bald pate. They locked gazes for a moment before she coughed and dropped her eyes to the bottle in her hand. Jason turned to the bar, swallowing hard and called Joe back.
"What's up?" he asked in a neutral tone.
"You know my brother?" Jason asked. Joe nodded. "You seen him about?" Joe tipped his head to the side and licked his lips. Helen picked up her water and began to crunch loudly on a piece of ice. Jason turned to look at her for a moment and Joe's eyes flicked over her face before moving back to Joe as he began to speak in a low voice.
"Yeah I seen him. Two days ago. He was talking to that guy over there...don't look!" Jason pursed his lips as Helen slowly swivelled her chair around again and leant her elbows against the bar. His eyes were drawn down her body as she slouched back in the chair, her long legs crossing over one another. She crunched on more ice and idly shook her foot, projecting an aura of boredom.
"Tattoos?" Jason asked under his breath, reaching into his pocket to draw out some money.
"Yeah," Joe muttered taking the bill and turning away. Jason scraped his teeth over his lips and ran his fingers down the side of the beer bottle in his hand.
"Abnormal," Helen muttered and Jason looked her with a quizzical expression. She turned her face to him and slipped her shades down her nose with one finger. "Our friend." Jason furrowed his brow and looked over Helen's shoulder at the tattooed man. "Not sure of the species but he's definitely our guy."
"Abnormal?" he asked confused.
Helen licked her lips and turned around in her seat. "These people that I help, who are different." Jason straightened up.
"You're saying my brother is some kind of freak?" he asked defensively. "He's not. He's special but he's not...abnormal," he spat the word. Helen twisted her face away from him.
"It's just a label, it's not meant to be a judgement," she explained.
"Yeah well it's offensive," Jason complained angrily, his voice rising.
"Don't raise your voice," Helen retorted in hushed tones. "I didn't mean to upset you. It's just a word we use in my line of work."
"Your line of work? What is it exactly that you do and don't tell me you 'help' people. I want the truth!"
Helen let out an exasperated sigh. "I'm a doctor, a scientist. I run a facility that assists.. abnormals..."
"Don't say that!" Jason hissed, twisting his neck around and rolling his eyes.
"...come to terms with their...unique attributes," she finished, clunking her glass down heavily on the bar. Jason turned and looked at her, her big eyes just visible through the dark lenses covering her face.
"Could you be any more cryptic?" Jason exclaimed loudly. In the mirror that lined the back of the bar Helen saw Tattoos raise his head in the space between two bottles. She dipped her head to one side.
"It's not easy to explain and it's certainly not a subject we should discuss in a place like this," she replied through clenched teeth, pulling her shades off and glaring at him.
"Well what exactly would you like to talk about then?" Jay sneered, leaning his face close to hers. "The weather?" Helen ran her tongue over her teeth and cursed inwardly for letting herself get involved with this man. He was clearly an obstinate fool and was no doubt going to get the both of them killed.
She sat upright abruptly and turned in her chair, throwing her arms about his shoulders. "Oh gee honey, I'm sorey," she drawled in a loud American accent. "I don't wanna fight no moah." Jason stared at her agog.
"Funny," he said after a moment and reached up to gently extricate himself from her grip. She leant back in her chair and smirked at him victoriously, tilting the bottle in her hand to her lips.
Out of the corner of his eye, Jason noticed a movement and his gaze flicked over her shoulder. Tattoos stood and staggered towards the back of the bar, disappearing around the corner. Jason set his drink down and began to follow. He entered the men's restroom, wrinkling his nose at the stench as he bent down to check the stalls. Finding them empty he hurried out only to bump into Helen hurrying down the corridor.
"He slipped out the back!" she yelled and Jason spun on his heels to follow her as she dashed past.
They made their way through the alley at the back of the building, trailing past dumpsters full of reeking garbage. In the distance Tattoos appeared from around a corner, cellphone pressed against his ear. He turned and locked eyes with Jason for a moment before turning tail and running down the alleyway. He was fast but Jason was faster and Helen watched impressed as his back disappeared behind some crates. She heard the loud crash of metal hitting concrete and dodged the lid of a trash can as it rolled across her path. Gripping the wall she swung herself around the corner to find her companion in a tussle with their new friend, Jay's hand around his throat. Tattoos was wielding a knife which was pressed against Jason's free hand, the blade digging into the side of his wrist and vivid red trail running down his arm.
"Drop it!" she yelled, pulling her gun and pointing it at them as they scuffled. Tattoos' eyes flicked in her direction and back to Jason, his breath coming out in strangled gasps. The knife slipped from his hand and skittered across the ground. Jason yanked him forward by the neck and spun him around, slamming him hard into the opposite wall.
"What do you know about my brother?" he growled, pressing his uninjured forearm across Tattoos' throat.
"I...I...don't know anything, I swear..." he rasped before letting out a pathetic cough. Helen stepped closer and Jason relaxed his grip somewhat, allowing Tattoos to slide down the wall onto his feet. He hunched forward to take several deep breaths.
"What are you?" Helen asked as he straightened up, her gaze falling on his scaled hands. He turned to her, his eyelids flickering sideways across his face. Jason curled his lip in surprise and took a step back.
"Who wants to know?" Tattoos asked, his voice still rasping but this time not from lack of air.
"Answer the question!" Jason barked. Tattoos looked between them nervously.
"Reptilian," Helen muttered . "Varanid? That's why you've got so many tattoos, to obscure the scales on your body." Tattoos turned sharply, glaring at her hatefully.
"What's it to you, Simian?" Helen merely raised her eyebrows and stepped closer.
"We're looking for a friend, name's Christopher. You know him?" Tattoos regarded her suspiciously, breathing hard.
"Maybe."
"He's my brother, asshole," Jason snapped, angrily shoving Tattoos by the shoulder. He staggered back against the wall and flinched as Jason towered over him with a menacing glare.
"Yeah I seen him, th'other day. He was scared man, he was running."
"Why?" Jason pressed, his eyes never leaving the other man's face. Tattoos eyeballs darted about madly.
"The mob, man," he squealed.
"I want a name," said Jason clenching his fists. Helen's eyes flicked down briefly to watch the drips of blood that fell from his wrist to pool on the ground below. She raised her head as Tattoos spoke.
"He'll kill me man," he whined, his face screwing up with fear.
"And if you don't help us, they'll kill my brother. You call yourself a friend, you tell us what we need to know," Jason explained through gritted teeth. Tattoos took a few deep, shaky breaths, swallowing loudly before he spoke.
"Danny O'Shea, man. He hangs out on the Northside. I swear man, if he finds out you heard this from me, I'm dead. Please..." he babbled.
Jason looked at Helen and she crossed her arms, nodding. Jason turned back to Tattoos.
"If I found out you lied to me..." he threatened. Tattoos nodded furiously.
"I swear man, I swear..."
Jason took a step back and Tattoos began to slide away down the alley, his back pressed firmly against the wall. He watched them for a few moments before turning and sprinting away. Jason began to walk briskly in the opposite direction.
"Oi!" Helen shouted, jogging to catch up with him. "Where are you going?"
"To find that scumbag O'Shea and kick the shit out of him," Jason replied staring ahead.
"On your own, with a buggered wrist? Don't be ridiculous!" Helen exclaimed, reaching out to grab Jason's shoulder and yanking him around to face her. Jason clenched his teeth, breathing heavily.
"Well what do you suggest?" he snapped at her. "You think I'm going to sit around while..."
"I'm suggesting we take a minute to make a proper plan. We can't just march in there." She reached for his hand, twisting it around to look at the cut on his wrist.
"It's just a scratch," he uttered, pulling his arm away.
"No it isn't. I am a doctor," she replied. Jason dropped his eyes and looked at the blood drying down his arm. It had smeared onto his t-shirt and jeans and he sighed loudly, his shoulders sagging. Helen reached into her pocket and pulled out a white handkerchief, pressing it firmly against the wound. "Before we do anything we need to dress this and you need to tell me what you know about this O'Shea character." Jason looked her in the eye and nodded slowly.
"Okay, okay."
"Where do you live?" she asked, her fingers coiling around his wrist and squeezing against the makeshift bandage. Jason grimaced ever so slightly at the sting.
"A ways, I dunno...an hour on foot."
"Huh," Helen uttered. "My hotel is closer." Jason tipped his head to the side and quirked a brow. Helen shook her head with an exasperated sigh and began to walk away. "Are you coming?" she yelled over her shoulder. Jason clicked his tongue inside his cheek and followed.