I cocked my elbow and punched him hard in the nose, breaking it. The oaf roared, covering his face as blood spurted. I barreled past him and slammed into the you boy, who was gaping, bug-eyed. The other two bodyguards swiped at me with clumsy hands. I leaped out of the way, but not before one of them managed to grab my mask, pulling it off so it hung at my neck.
No matter. Grinning at him, I smashed the vial I held to the ground. Noxious smoke billowed around us. The bodyguards and boy dropped like sacks of rice within five seconds. Bet that you boy would regret taking off his helmet tomorrow morning. The petite girl screamed shrilly beside me as passersby shouted, but everyone steered clear of the fumes.
I lunged for the tall girl, pulling her tight to my chest, and plunged the syringe into her hand, the only exposed part of her body. The needle hissed as it dispensed the sleep-spell drug. She sank against me and I hefted her over my shoulder, dashing into the dark alley behind us, finally allowing myself to take a breath when I cleared the smoke. She wasn’t heavy, but all cumbersome limbs.
“Eh, you!” a man shouted, his running footsteps echoing behind me.
I cursed and spun around the corner into a black alley. My pursuer followed immediately. I stuck out my foot, and he tripped over it, thumping hard onto the uneven pavement.
I ran without looking back, gripping the girl tightly by her legs, the streets’ layout etched in my mind. The distant din of the night market reached me, accompanied by the shriek of police sirens as they inched their way through the crowds. No one followed. I burst onto the main street at the far end of the market, hailing a taxi. It screeched to a stop, spewing foul exhaust. I slipped my mask back on before yanking open the door. “Take me to the end of the bus line,” I said.
The driver nodded, raising an eyebrow as I gently lay my hostage on the backseat. “She drank too much,” I muttered. “I tried to warn her.”
He flicked a cigarette butt out the window before merging back into traffic. “Those you girls have everything, but they always want more.”
I stared out the open window as the driver zipped through the streets with expertise, honking at pedestrians and mopeds alike. “You her bodyguard?” he asked, catching my eye in the rearview mirror.
I shook my head.
“Ah, her boy toy, then.” He grinned. “Whatever pays the bills, right?”
Right. My friends and I had decided the best way to gain info on Jin Corp was to get suited, infiltrating the yous by becoming one of them. Victor was perfect for the task—with his charm and good looks, he’d fit right in. But we needed funding. And who better to fund us than those who had a few hundred million to spare?
Neon signs flickered in a kaleidoscope of colors, washing my vision in reds and blues, oranges and greens. I kept a hand on the you girl’s arm, so she wouldn’t tumble over with the taxi driver’s sudden braking. Her glass helmet reflected the lights around us, and I couldn’t make out her features. I swallowed, suddenly afraid. There was no going back now. I jerked my face away, loosening my grip when I realized I was squeezing her arm.
She was unresponsive, her chest barely rising with each breath. She’d be out until tomorrow morning at least.
The taxi slammed to a stop, and I threw my arms around the girl to keep her from falling onto the floor.
“Here we are, end of the line,” the driver said.
I handed him the cashcard tied to a fake identity and bank account Lingyi had set up. “Thanks,” I said. “Add five for tip.”
He smiled, the corners of his eyes creasing with deep lines, and saluted me. He couldn’t have been more than twenty-five.
I got out and lifted the girl from the seat, kicking the door shut with my foot. The driver blared his horn twice before tearing off. It was almost midnight, and I needed to be within Yangmingshan as soon as possible. The end of the bus line was near the mountain’s base. I shifted the girl so her head rested against my shoulder, her helmet smooth and cold against my cheek, and started my long climb home.
The half-moon was wan, obscured by clouds and pollution. The Vox on my wrist provided scant light, but I navigated the muddied roads without trouble, stopping twice to catch my breath. Each time I laid my captive down, setting her head on my thigh, not knowing how else to place her. She seemed inhuman encased in her glass helmet. Alien. The neon pink lines of her suit glowed in the dark, and her exposed, soft hands lay limp at her sides.
How had we drifted so far from what it meant to be human? I could remove her helmet, but it seemed too much of a violation. I smiled sardonically at the irony.
I rose, throwing the girl over my shoulder. She no longer felt light—it was like hauling an elephant, and my arms were dead weights. Finally, I spotted the outcropping of jagged stones marking where I should turn off the path. Darkness enveloped me as I picked my way between thick brush and massive trees. Three years ago, mudslides after a bad typhoon season were followed immediately by a massive earthquake that swallowed teahouses, roads, and homes alike. Half of Yangmingshan went up in flames. Survivors fled, and due to the economic depression and rumors of the mountain being cursed, no investors ever bothered to rebuild.
Now the once-scenic getaway was deserted, lush, and wild, its only occupants the dead in overturned graves. And me. If anyone else lived on Yangmingshan, our paths never crossed.
I counted my steps, legs trembling with the effort. Near my four hundredth, I spotted the first garden light, glowing like a flower spirit. I had planted them for the last fifty steps leading home. Each light was solar-powered. Sweat stung my eyes, but I was too close to stop. The heavy wooden door to the laboratory clicked open by my voice command, and I stumbled inside, laying the girl on the cot in the small office that served as my bedroom.
I slumped to the floor, arms draped over raised knees, and sat there until I caught my breath.
Leaving her, I stripped and washed myself in the makeshift shower, wishing I had cold water instead of the lukewarm spray that pattered over me. Every muscle shook as I soaped myself, before drying off and pulling on some shorts. The front door could be activated by my voice alone, but I took no chances and rummaged through the green metal desk, finding the key that I needed. I locked us in, then slipped the key on a string and tied it around my neck.
I didn’t even look in on the you girl again before crashing onto the worn sofa in the main room, falling immediately into an exhausted sleep.
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