Scarlet Angel (14 page)

“
Look, I know you are upset with
me, but you have to understand... Life is life and the job is the
job. You are part of a world that does not allow for misgivings or
second thoughts. Never let your emotions get in the
way.”

Scarlett stared into her bowl. She could not let
Neil know what she really was thinking. He’d already shown her a
side of himself that was devoid of emotion and pity. Now she just
needed to know whether he was ambivalent or evil.

“
Oh, no. It’s good. I get it.
Really. I just... I wasn’t feeling good.” That last part was true.
She had felt sick to her stomach, but the reason was not
physical.

“
Okay, as long as we are good, and
you understand.”

“
We’re good.”

She glanced up to see him watching her. Bite after
bite, she grew more and more conscious of his eyes on her.

When she was done eating, she disappeared back into
her room only to emerge a few minutes later. Wearing a fitted black
button-up shirt and slacks, she headed for the elevator.

“
Hey, where are you
going?”

She forced her feet to keep moving. “Other than our
playtime at the arena, it’s been months since I’ve been outside.
I’m going for a walk.”

“
Oh really? I think I might have
something to say about
that.
”

Scarlett reached the elevator. She spun around and
stared at him through the metal safety gate, a forced but playful
smile on her lips. “Oh really? I think I might have something to
say about that.”

“
Wait.” Neil’s chair grated
against the floor as he stood. He walked over to the weapons
cabinet and opened the double doors. From inside, he pulled out a
pistol. He checked the magazine and held it out to her.

“
Take this.”

She opened the gate and took the weapon. It was
bulkier than most pistols she’d seen, even more than a plasma
weapon.

“
It’s dual shot. This switch here
makes sure it fires standard bullets. Flip it like this... and now
it will shoot plasma slugs.”

“
But... how?”

“
I had it made for you. This way,
you can still use it if you need and not be completely out of
place. But if you need more stopping power, or whatever, you can
switch to plasma. It’s bulkier than I wanted, but I think the next
version will be slimmer.”

A lump formed in Scarlett’s throat. “Neil, I...”

“
Just stay safe and try
not
to use it.” Neil closed the elevator door.

She nodded and flipped the lightswitch.
Okay, I
thought I was starting to figure him out.

Her breath came in labored gasps as she forced her
feet to keep moving forward. She walked out of the small office
building into the warehouse expecting Neil to come after her. He
didn’t.

She strolled the streets in the cold morning air for
a while.
It’s just nice to be outside.
Eventually, the chill
crept through her thick coat. She looked at the cloud of her own
hot breath disappear.
Oh god… coffee. A real, honest to God
coffee.

It only took a quick glance around to realize she
would not find a coffee shop in this part of town. She headed for
the nearest transit station and made a quick stop off at the market
where she had purchased her hair color.

The tiny bell rang as she pushed the door open.

“
Oh. See?” The Asian woman’s thick
accent was somehow easier to understand than before. “I say dat
color good f’you. You listen to Ling. I know what I
say.”

Scarlett turned and smiled at the old woman behind
the counter. “You were right. It works.”

She strolled down one of the aisles, aimlessly
browsing. After a long pause the woman spoke.

“
Why you change color? You hiding
from someone?”

Scarlett stopped dead at the woman’s sudden and
blunt question. “What?”

“
Cannot hide f’ever. He find you,
eventually.”

Her mind raced.
How the hell does this old lady
know?
Her hand crept toward the weapon in her waistband. “Who
will find me?”

“
Whoever you run’n
from.”

“
And who is that?” Scarlett’s
voice took on an edge. Her muscles tensed and her senses became
hyperaware of her surroundings.

Ling laughed. “Well, how I know dat? I just a old
lady. You da one on da run.”

“
What makes you think I’m
running?”

“
You come in here, covered, only
can see your eyes. Now, you change hair and you no hiding. Is it
bad husband, like Sleeping with the Enemy? My mama show me dat. I
love Julia Roberts. She was so good.”

Scarlett couldn’t help but laugh. She smiled and
forced herself to calm down. “No, it’s nothing like that. I just
wanted a change and I was having a really bad hair day.”

Ling’s brow wrinkled. “Aw... dat boring. Oh well,
good for you, no have husband who try to kill you. But dat’s
Hollywood.”

The two women continued to make idle chit-chat while
Scarlett finished her shopping. She ended up buying a prepaid
commpad and a pack of gum.

“
Thank you so much,
Ling.”

The old woman smiled. “Oh, it my pleasure. You come
back and we talk more.”

“
I’d love to.”

Ling put Scarlett’s purchases into a paper bag and
handed them over the counter. Scarlett picked up the bag and shoved
her eCash card into her pocket.

A ring from the door caught her attention.

Through the doorway strolled three young men, barely
more than boys by Scarlett’s guess. The front one wore torn jeans
and an oversized puffy coat. Two gold rings glittered on his left
hand. A small tattoo of a Chinese dragon on his right cheek
accentuated his Asian heritage.

The other two young men wore similar clothes, though
they had no jewelry. One wore a Celtic cross tattoo on the pale
skin of his right cheek while the other had a scorpion drawn on his
light brown complexion.

Ling’s eyes went wide. She looked up to Scarlett and
whispered. “You go now. Leave.”

But instead of leaving, she just watched the boys
wander the store. Finally, they came up to the counter, their hands
still empty.

The lead boy looked up at Scarlett with a sneer.
“What are you looking at, bitch?”

Chapter 21
An Angel

Ahh... Children.

* * *

“
Nothing.” Scarlett stepped aside.
She turned from the young man to the old woman behind the counter.
“Actually, if you don’t mind, I’m gonna warm up a bit more before I
head back outside.”

Ling ignored her. The woman’s wide eyes stayed
locked on the lead thug.

Scarlett turned back to the newcomers. “So, what’s
your name?”

The young man with the dragon tattoo turned and
glared at her. “Huh? You gots a nose problem? ‘Cause you stickin’
it where it ain’t belongin’. Shut yer skanky mouth.”

Scarlett shrugged. “No problem. Just making
conversation.”

The boy with the cross tattoo spoke up and poked his
finger over the other’s shoulder at her. “Hey! Bobby said tuh shut
up!”

She raised her arms in surrender and took another
half-step back.

“
Shane, why don’t you shut yer
face and let me handle the bitch.”

Shane took a step back. “Okay, okay... You got
dis.”

Bobby turned back to Ling and slapped the
counter.

The old woman jumped.

The thug moved his hand, revealing a battered eCash
card. “You know why we’s here. It’s time for your monthly fee. Now
pay up.”

Ling reached out with a shaky hand and picked up the
eCash card. She reached over and tapped on her register’s screen a
few times and swiped the card.

Bobby took the card back and keyed in his approval
code to accept the transaction. The tiny display showed the amount
transferred. “Old lady, what the hell is this? You know the fee is
a hundred-fifty. You only gave me a hundred. That’s just not gonna
cut it.”

“
That’s all there is. Business is
slow. I don’t have any more.” Ling’s head shook back and forth. Her
voice cracked and she was near shrieking.

The young man reached into his coat pocket and
pulled out a rusty flip-out knife. Ling stepped back.

“
Well maybe I jes’ need to cut
’chu up a bit, huh? Give you a lesson in sellin’ shit.”

“
Do you really think that will
help?” Scarlett’s voice caught everyone off guard.

Bobby turned to her, knife pointed at her nose. “I
thought I told you to shut up.”

“
I’m just saying. If you injure
her, she’ll have to pay medical bills and take time off. That’ll
probably mean closing the store for a while. And
that
means
no income for her or for you.”

The third young man with the scorpion tattoo leaned
over Bobby’s shoulder. “Hey, man. She makes a good point. Let’s
just take what we got. We can collect extra next time.”

Bobby spun around and grabbed the other boy’s coat.
“You becomin’ a little Chihuahua on me? A little bitch dog,
Mondo?”

“
N’... No, man. I ain’t wussin’
out.”

Bobby turned and glared at Scarlett, then Ling.
“Maybe. Maybe I give you a break. But you pay extra next month,
like Mondo said. You got that?”

Ling nodded.

“
Good. Let’s go boys.”

The three thugs headed for the door. Bobby pulled on
the handle and the bell chimed.

Dammit.
Scarlett closed her eyes for a moment
and sighed. “Hey, Bobby.”

The boys stopped in the doorway.

Ling shushed Scarlett.

She continued, ignoring the older woman. “So, I’m
curious... What kind of services do you provide?”

“
What?”

“
Well, I mean what is it you do
for the people around here? Maybe I’d like to hire you.”

Bobby shoved the other two out of his way. He
stepped up and put his face only inches from Scarlett’s. “What, you
some kind of funny-lady? You a comedian?”

She raised her eyebrows in feigned innocence. “No.
Not at all. Look, you must have a really great service or do
something really important. Ms. Ling here just handed over a
hundred bucks, all while you gave her the shittiest customer
service I’ve ever seen.”

All three boys reached into their pockets. Bobby
eyed her up and down and smiled. “I’ll show you some customer
service.”

Bobby’s hand came out of his coat, holding his
knife. He brought the blade up to Scarlett’s face. “You want some
of this, bitch?”

She remained still.

He held the point less than a foot from Scarlett’s
nose and drew a smile in the air with the tip.

Scarlett glanced down at the blade. She relaxed her
eyelids and put on her best bored face. “No. I just think for that
kind of abuse, you’re either Superman, or a real piece of
shit.”

Bobby froze for a few seconds. His stunned silence
gave Scarlett the opportunity she was waiting for. The moment his
expression shifted from shock to anger, she moved.

Scarlett thrust her hands up at the knife. With one
hand she ripped the weapon away. She wrenched Bobby’s wrist hard,
forcing him to bend over and scream in agony.

A yank on the Asian boy’s arm pulled her forward.
She brought her left leg up and slammed the top of her foot into
Shane’s head. He collided with Mondo and crumpled to the floor,
unconscious.

She shifted her grip on the knife. Scarlett thrust
the knife at the recovering Mondo. Before he could react, the blade
tore through the sleeve of his coat and pinned him to the wall.

Bobby bent his arm and moved in closer to Scarlett.
He brought his fist up into her kidney.

Scarlett gasped from the impact and let the boy
go.

“
Alright bitch. That was some
freaky moves. But now I’m gonna kick your ass.” He took a fighting
stance. His fists framed his face as he bounced on bent
knees.

Scarlett stretched her back and rubbed where he hit
her.
Dammit. That’s gonna bruise.
She stood up straight and
let her arms fall to her sides. “Bobby, give Ms. Ling back the card
and you can walk out of here.”

Bobby laughed. “You a crazy bitch.”

“
You really love that word, don’t
you? Do you have mommy issues?”

The boy’s eyes widened with rage. He moved in and
swung wide.

Scarlett lifted her arm and stepped closer. Bobby’s
forearm thudded into her side. She brought her arm down and wrapped
it around his. A quick heel-punch to his midsection drove the wind
from his lungs.

Motion behind her caught Scarlett’s attention. She
swung around, bringing a breathless Bobby with her. She let him go,
catapulting him into Mondo.

Bobby slammed into the Hispanic boy and jerked
upright. Mondo froze, a look of pure shock on his face. After a
moment, Mondo stepped back. In his hand he held a short-bladed
knife covered in blood. “Oh shit! Oh shitohshitohshit! Bobby, dude!
Ohmygod!”

Scarlett stepped back.

Bobby turned around to look at his friend, revealing
his wound. Blood soaked the jacket. The puffy garment made it hard
for Scarlett to tell exactly where the gash was.

Bobby dropped to his knees.

“
Ling, call an ambulance. Tell
them a white woman is injured.” Scarlett stepped up to Bobby.
“Mondo.”

Mondo turned to Scarlett. “What the fuck do you
want, lady? You made me stab him. He’s gonna die.
Ohshitohshit!”

“
Mondo, listen. Help me get his
jacket off.”

“
What?”

“
Help me get his jacket off. I
need to see how bad it is.”