Preying
07 Aug 2021Prochaska
Deafening music, the smell of sweat and alcohol. The Cipher Club, a run-down scene, in a settlement whose future had probably never been rosy, even in its best days. Zoe hadn't been to places like this in years; the surroundings triggered a series of memories. The life experience of a perpetual limbo, of not belonging anywhere, and always having to run away. Things she wanted to leave behind, but that still had an eerie pull on her.Julie had obviously tried to prevent Zoe from following her lead. But OSA's radio reconnaissance had been able to trace the origin of Julie's message back here, to Brorsen Landing. Zoe pushed her way through the throng. A fat drunk suddenly grabbed her as she passed. He put his arms tightly around Zoe and she had his foul breath in her nose. Disgust and distress ran through her. After what felt like an eternity, she finally managed to wrench her right arm free from his grip and hit him on the solar plexus with her elbow, and thereafter he was busy with himself. When she reached the bar, she leaned back against it and looked around the room. The fat chop-face with the stomach ache was throwing up in a corner of the room. A slight smirk showed on Zoe's lips when she saw it, but it also worried her, since she knew the guy was still one of the more harmless things hanging around. This was no place for second chances after mistakes. Zoe had caused enough of a stir by asking around in the hours before to get noticed by the right people. Someone was looking for a certain woman who was supposed to have been seen here a few days ago. And it didn't take fifteen minutes for a black-haired guy to approach her, either. He stood next to Zoe and nodded at her. Would she be the one looking for the blonde who showed up here a few weeks ago, he wanted to know, and Zoe nodded. At that, she eyed him up and down, he was maybe in his mid-30s, his outfit was one unskilled attempt to impress. A small fry who had never made it far in the hierarchy of his organization. Inwardly Zoe took a deep breath, she was underestimated, that was good. Then he resumed speaking, he wanted to talk to her further away from the bar. Zoe hunched her shoulders briefly and nodded, then pushed her way behind him through the crowd, towards the back exit. He held the door open for her, and let her go ahead. Once she was outside, the guy grabbed her from behind, and a crony had been waiting next to the door and was now building up in front of her. The guy behind her had his arm around her neck, she could barely breathe. "Bad idea to stick your little nose in our business," he hissed in her ear as she finally got her hand on his balls; a shrill scream, and his grip went limp. She held onto his arm, pushed herself off the ground with one foot, and then kicked the heavy space boot at the head of the surprised guy in front of her. At the impact of the boot, the guy in front of her was thrown backwards away, and the guy behind her was thrown against the back wall. Zoe got free and ran as fast as she could. Her head start was enough to reach the elevator to her ship. She sank exhausted into the pilot's chair, her hands shaking. That had been a damn close call. "I can't pull this shit off by myself," she thought, and caught up with the launch clearance.