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  “The grocers sell bad meat on purpose? Why would they do that?”

  “To make money, of course! They buy it in bulk for little to nothing and make a huge profit.”

  “Why doesn’t the Gov do something?”

  “They do. They encourage it.”

  He sat in stunned silence for a few minutes. “Are there others like you?”

  “Like me, the Freelancer?” I shrugged. “Some. The downtrodden? Far too many.” I paused. “But you mean what you saw tonight, when I got shot.”

  He nodded.

  “Not many, but yes.”

  “Guy?”

  “No.”

  “How? Were you born like that?”

  I looked at him sadly. “No, it was done without my permission and without my knowledge. Do you remember last year’s Palamara report? The one about genetic engineering?”

  “Yes, we talked about it at the club, remember? Genetic engineering and cloning, but I never saw the newsvid.” He hesitated. “That’s what happened to you? You’re a clone?”

  “No. Clones are more fragile than most. They rarely survive. But a doctor from Ramsey Corps gave me something. Look, I know exactly what some people are capable of. I’m well aware of the tests they do. The experiments they try.”

  “Worse than death?”

  “Much worse.”

  We were quiet for a few minutes before Brody spoke again. “Do you think someone else will try for the bounty?”

  “On you? Not after tomorrow.”

  “Why not? What’s happening tomorrow?”

  “Your would be assassin…I know where he gets his information, and although it’s been a while, I think the people there like me better than him. I’ll swing by and see what I can do.”

  -Keira-

  Canvas Skies

  Ominous grey clouds darkened the sky, and rain poured down. Thunder rumbling in the distance matched my mood, and the buildings across the street rippled like images in the painting I’d just hung. Behind me, footsteps sounded on the wooden floor. I turned.

  Aimee grinned. “It looks great!”

  The newest branch of Art Fantastique would be ready for the grand opening on

  Thursday. Aimee had been in contact with all sorts of artists, and she had plans to meet with three more this afternoon.

  “What’s wrong? You don’t like it?”

  I forced a smile. “I’m just tired.” I hesitated.

  “What is it?”

  I pointed to the painting in front of us. “What do you see? I mean, what do you like about it?”

  “About this painting in particular?”

  “Not exactly. About all of them. About art in general.”

  “Ah, I like the feeling that different pieces portray. It’s like each artist has left a portion of his soul embedded within the artwork. I like how color, lighting and design all come together to project a feeling, a mood.”

  “This one looks a lot like today.”

  She nodded, and together we turned to look out the window.

  A few hours later, the rain had faded to a drizzle though the sky remained dark. I pulled up the hood of my black raincoat to ward off the chill. Eberhardt just hunched his shoulders against the damp. Guy’s car would have stuck out in this neighborhood, so we walked at a quick pace, shoulder-to-shoulder.

  Candles in the windows welcomed cold and wet patrons to Tony’s. Eberhardt immediately took up position at the bar and became one with the crowd, while Tony, dressed all in black except for a white apron, hurried over to greet me. I removed my raincoat and threw it over my arm.

  “Keira, it’s been a while.” Tony’s dark eyes sparkled in the candlelight as he looked me up and down. “I like the new look.”

  “Thank you, Tony.” I leaned over and kissed him lightly on the cheek. “May I have a cup of vegetable soup and a cheese sandwich please?” I handed him 40 gats, more than enough for the meal I’d just ordered.

  “So polite!”

  I smiled. “I’m practicing a new role.”

  He gave a low whistle. “It works for you! I’m guessing you don’t want change for this?”

  “No. I’m looking for information, trying to find out who ordered a hit on Brody Delaney. Do you know anything about that?”

  “Be careful. They’re not after him.”

  They were after us. “Who’s looking?”

  “Jenna’s the one to ask.”

  “Jenna. I should have known.”

  He tilted his head toward the back. “I’ll bring your food to her table.”

  I turned around, leaned against the bar and surveyed the room. There she sat, at the large square corner booth, by herself for the moment but clearly set up for business. The tall wooden backs of the booths created an ideal “office” space for her business dealings.

  I walked over and sat across from her. Jenna smiled through her long brown bangs. I reached into my purse, withdrew my silver hair clip and handed it to her, opening negoti-ations.

  She accepted it, studied the intricately woven design and clipped back her hair. Now I could see her dark brown eyes. Jenna’s trade was the collection, concealment and dispersal of information.

  “Hello, Keira. So tell me, are you Elite now, or are you still one of us?”

  I shrugged. “Somewhere in the middle, I guess.”

  “There’s no such thing.”

  “Maybe there should be. You know why I’m here.”

  “And why is that?”

  “I want the bounty on Brody Delaney dropped.”

  “Really? That’s not what I was expecting. I would think you’d want the bounty on your head dropped.”

  “Let’s discuss Brody.”

  “Alright. I’ll cut you a deal.” A smile toyed at the corners of her mouth.

  I didn’t smile in return. “Name your price.”

  “Your friendship.”

  I shook my head in confusion. “You want to be my friend?”

  “No. You break off your friendship with him. No more Tuesday drinks, no more dancing, no more free passes through the airlines for you and your friends.”

  My heart sank. How did she even know about all that?

  “Who else knows?” I whispered.

  She didn’t answer.

  “What about the others? The people we’re helping?”

  “They and their escorts may continue through, only in the traditional way. Make Ricky earn her keep,” she said, referring to Raquelle’s technological expertise.

  “Why? Why is that your price?”

  “I’m not as cold hearted as you think.” She paused. “They want you, not Brody. If I can convince them that the link has been severed, they’ll stop pursuing him.”

  I nodded. They wanted me. No surprise there. “So I’ll need to publicly end the friendship.”

  “Nah, I’ll know when it’s done.”

  “Irene,” I whispered.

  Jenna’s smile grew. “Anything else?”

  “The bounty on me, is there a new one?”

  “No.” She leaned back against the booth. “They’re just going through other channels now. The posters weren’t having the effect they’d hoped for.”

  Had she recommended the high bounty? If so, she was playing an incredibly dangerous game. “What about Scott and April?”

  “Oh, they’d still like to get their hands on all three of you. You and Scott specifically.”

  I didn’t even bother to ask who “they” were. I knew Jenna never revealed sources.

  “Can you do anything to change that?”

  “It’d be a huge risk. I have the feeling that you may be more valuable to them than I am.” Then she whispered, “I know who you are.”

  “You know who I am?”

  She nodded. “Yes, I was hoping you’d join. I knew you’d be a tremendous asset to the cause.”

  The last time we’d spoken had been over a year ago when she’d told me that my target had another name, Guy Bensen. At the time, I hadn’t really un
derstood what she’d meant by that.

  “Then why are you trying to bring us down?”

  She shook her head. “I’m not. But if I don’t make it look like I am, they’ll have no use for me.”

  I looked around. “Do they keep a close eye on you?”

  “No. The minute they start listening in, I stop working for them, no matter the cost.

  They know that.”

  “What about him?” I indicated a man in an expensive business suit. He looked out of place in this establishment. Then again, I supposed I did too in this outfit.

  Jenna studied the man and said, “No, he’s too obvious.”

  I returned to our previous conversation and asked, “If I can explain why they want me so bad, will you divert their attention?”

  “Perhaps, if what you have to tell is worth knowing.”

  I looked toward the bar. The waitress noticed a break in our conversation and hurried over with my food. The waitstaff knew better than to disrupt Jenna’s transactions.

  “May I have an apple and a paring knife, please?”

  “Apples are expensive,” she said.

  I opened my purse. “I’m willing to pay.”

  “I’ll bring you apple slices, Miss.”

  “No, I’d rather cut it myself.”

  She nodded, hurried away and returned in under a minute. “Would you like anything else?”

  “No, thank you.”

  After she left, I turned so only Jenna could see what I was about to do. Before I had time to reconsider, I picked up the paring knife and sliced it across my palm. Blood gushed as I pressed a napkin to the wound. Less than a minute later, I wiped away all traces of blood and held out my hand. “They did this to me. They want me back so they can test my limits. Don’t let them!”

  I waited.

  Finally, she nodded. “I’ll see what I can do.” Then she leaned forward and shared something at no cost. “People are missing.”

  “What do you mean? What people?”

  “Just people. People whose disappearances haven’t attracted attention except…I notice everything.” She paused. “If they did this to you, what’s to stop them from doing it to others?”

  “Elaine Ramsey did this to me,” I clarified, “and we stopped Ramsey Corps.”

  “You also spread the word about what she’d done by broadcasting that vid. That was you and Guy, right?”

  I nodded.

  “I think others may have jumped on the bandwagon, and they’re more dangerous than Ramsey Corps because they hide behind policy.” She gathered her things. “Don’t come to me again. We shouldn’t be seen together.”

  After Jenna left, I shifted to her spot. From this vantage I could see the entire room.

  Eberhardt picked up his drink and joined me. “You done with business?”

  “Yes. What do you think of him?” I indicated the man in the business suit. He had short smooth black hair and a pale complexion. “He looks like he belongs in a conference room, not here. Don’t you think?”

  “He’s one of Guy’s clients.”

  We looked at each other, most certainly wondering the same thing.

  “Huh,” I said. “Today is full of surprises. Look who just walked in!”

  Guy surveyed the room. He hid it well, but he was just as surprised to see us as we were to see him. He greeted the man and motioned toward our booth. I slid over to make room. The stranger looked at me and then at Eberhardt. He chose the seat next to me.

  “Mr. Watanabe, these are my associates, Eberhardt and Kendra James. I hope you don’t mind them joining us today. I figured it’s about time you all met.”

  I smiled warmly. Guy certainly seemed to know what he was doing.

  “Hello.” Mr. Watanabe nodded at me and then at Eberhardt.

  “Eberhardt, Kendra, this is Hisoka Watanabe. He’s a lawmaker.”

  He’s Gov? I tensed. I hoped Mr. Watanabe hadn’t noticed. I took a couple of deep breaths and forced my muscles to relax. Then I picked up my cup of soup and took a sip.

  “How are you?” Guy stared at me.

  I stared back until I realized what he wanted. “Fine, thank you for asking,” I replied, as I reached for the bloody napkin and knife. I cleaned the blade and set it aside. Then I crumpled the napkin so my blood was no longer visible.

  Hisoka shifted away from me.

  “What do you have for us?” Guy turned his attention to Mr. Watanabe.

  Does Guy really have an insider? Can we trust him? I tuned in to hear his report.

  “Do you trust these people, Mr. Burke?” Mr. Watanabe asked.

  “With my life.”

  Hisoka Watanabe nodded, apparently satisfied. “Certain factions have grown stronger since our last meeting. They’re pushing for a decrease regarding genetics regulations.”

  I looked at my soup and asked quietly, “In what way?”

  “Pardon?”

  I took a breath and spoke a little louder. “In what way?” I looked up at him. “What exactly are they proposing?”

  He seemed taken aback by my question and looked to Guy for direction. When Guy nodded, he continued. “They want the law behind them when they begin cloning, starting with rats, pigs and rhesus monkeys.”

  “That all?” This time it was Eberhardt who voiced the question.

  “That’s all, officially speaking.”

  “But you don’t think they’ll stop there,” said Guy.

  “They won’t. They’ll just deny it or find a scapegoat if word leaks.”

  “Have they already started?” I asked.

  “What?” Again he looked at me, and again he seemed surprised that I was speaking to him.

  “Have they already begun testing?” Guy repeated.

  “Officially, no.”

  “But unofficially?”

  Mr. Watanabe took a deep breath. “Unofficially, yes. They’ve begun preliminary testing, starting with checking greater numbers of more varied populations for certain predis-positions.”

  That didn’t sound like rats, pigs, or monkeys. “And where are they getting their test subjects?” I asked.

  This time he responded immediately. “I’m not at liberty to say.” He shook his head.

  “And I’m afraid I’ve said too much already. Excuse me.”

  “I’m sorry,” I said, as we watched Mr. Watanabe walk out the door. “I didn’t mean to scare him off.”

  “It’s because you’re a woman. Remember what I taught you? Elite women don’t speak during business meetings.”

  “You’re sure it wasn’t because of the knife?”

  Guy stared again. “Maybe, but Mr. Watanabe is always on edge. He wants to be involved, but he’s worried he’ll be caught. You can’t really blame him. Look who he works for.”

  Eberhardt caught my eye. Was he thinking the same thing I was, that we could trust Hisoka’s information but not his actions? If anyone grew suspicious, it wouldn’t take much to crack him.

  “Why so many questions?” Guy reached across the table and gently squeezed my hand.

  “I think Working Class citizens are being abducted by the Gov.”

  -Guy-

  Abductions

  “Abducted? That’s not how they usually do things.” I kept a hold of Keira’s hand as I moved around to sit next to her. “You’re sure you’re feeling alright?”

  She nodded. “I’m fine, completely healed. Look, I don’t have proof, but a reliable source told me that a lot of people have gone missing lately. And what do you mean by, ‘It’s not how they usually do things?’ We both know the Gov can’t be trusted.”

  “I mean they create laws to make what was once illegal, legal. I don’t doubt they would take people but not by breaking their own laws. They’d find another way.”

  “Maybe you should do some more digging,” Eberhardt suggested.

  “Mr. Watanabe said they’ve already begun checking more varied populations,” Keira said.

  “And you think they’re taking Worki
ng Class citizens.”

  She nodded.

  “But why? They already have their pick. Harlow’s been in touch. About a dozen soldiers have gone missing, all from Special Ops.”

  Keira and Eberhardt silently watched me.

  “Alright. I’ll make some additional calls when I get back to the office and see what else I can learn.” My stomach grumbled. I looked at Keira’s empty plate and bowl. “Is the food here any good?”

  She raised her arm and waved in the direction of the bar. A man behind the counter, Tony perhaps, immediately sent a waitress. Keira placed an order for me without consulting a menu.

  “You’ve been here before.”

  She shrugged. “This is my part of town.”

  The man behind the bar continued to watch us. I scanned the room. A lean yet muscular fellow was looking at us too. When my gaze lingered on him, he turned away, back toward his drink. Apparently, Eberhardt wasn’t the only one watching out for Keira today. Although Tony’s was a seedy tavern, I sensed that Keira was safe here, with or without backup.

  “Who’s he?”

  Keira followed my gaze. “Oh, that’s Cole. Excuse me.”

  I stood and helped her from the booth. When I sat back down, I noticed Eberhardt was staring at me, but I couldn’t read his expression.

  “What is it? Do you know who he is?”

  He nodded. “He’s a drug dealer – has connections with the military and the Elite. At least, I assume it’s the same Cole. I didn’t realize Keira was involved in all that.”

  “She’s not.”

  We watched as Cole reached out and gave her a hug. Keira leaned in and returned his affections. Eberhardt looked like he wanted to say more, but I shook my head.

  Keira returned to our booth. “Something is definitely wrong. Cole knows a lot of important people. Some of his military contacts have stopped calling, not just from Special Ops either. And some of his friends and neighbors have disappeared too. It backs up what my other source said.”

  “What about his Elite customers?” Eberhardt asked.

  She raised her eyebrows. “You know Cole?”

  He nodded. “I know of him.”

  “No change there.”

  I threw out an idea. “Maybe they’re not being abducted. It’s possible they’re choosing to go in for testing.”

  “And why would they do that?” Keira asked.