The other side of the bridge was friendly territory, it was
home. Once he touched down he coasted to a stop and kicked his board up. It was
long past sun down and the second shift workers were well into their evening’s entertainment. Foster was still miles from Safe Port, the bar where he was to
deliver his package but on this side of the bridge he was already among family.
He dropped his board to the street and made his way into the
district, families had come out of their homes and every street he passed down there
was another feast, another pick up band filling the alleys with ancient music that bound the souls of all who danced to the past, stronger than any blood ever could. This was the music that made
their blood flow, He set his audio filter so he could hear the music as he
rolled through the streets. He smiled and acknowledged those who raised their
glasses to him as he passed. Among friends, he found himself in no hurry.
Safe Port was open but you’d never know it from the outside.
Foster kicked his board up and it magnetized to his leg as he thumbed the
button to split the board in half at his knee. He walked around the corner of
the building and stepped into what was both the back alley of the bar and also
the front entrance. The back alley was filled with a small army of questionable
characters. Two tired looking men in torn gray plants and faded purple tunics were
sitting on boxes, one of them was dealing hands from a sun worn deck of cards.
Leaning on the alley wall opposite them was another fellow in gray and purple
with a plain black eye patch over his right eye, his left eye was closed and he
was strumming out a lazy tune on an electric guitar. At the far end of the
alley, Daniel was perched against the wall, His electric purple cavalier hat
angled low to cover his face, and the neon purple feather pinned to the right
side pulsed through patterns of purple and black. The smoke from Daniel’s
Cigarette curled up slowly around the brim. He wore a galleon coat that had
been stitched with fiber optic thread, purple lines of electricity crawled the
crisscrossing patterns they had been stitched into from ankle to shoulder.
Foster made his way down the alley, bobbing and weaving around the
guardians of the club. Daniel did not look up when he spoke. “How did it go?”
He asked, letting more smoke slowly dance its way into the sky.
Foster shrugged. “Oh you know, same shit, different day.” He
tried to play it off as he pulled the package out of his jacket and handed it
over to Daniel.
Daniel checked the contents of the package and saw the bloody hole in Fosters jacket. “That good huh?” He nodded to the wound as he pocketed the package in one of his own inner pockets.
Foster nodded. “Nothing I couldn’t handle, but unless you need anything else, I’m going to head home.” He said turning toward the opening of the alley just in time to see the woman from the club and a ten guard’s roll up behind her. He cursed under his breath as she locked eyes with him.
Daniel didn’t move off the wall. “Something we can help you
with, Veronica?” There was disdain in her name.
She pointed a black opal fingernail at Foster. “He broke the
rules, my master demands retribution.” She spat.
Daniel tossed the butt of his cigarette and lit another, the
glow of his lighter revealing the left half of his face. “If he so desires then
let him come and take it.” The light
died and smoke crawled out of the darkness.
Veronica clenched her fists and postured in fury toward the
alley but did not enter it. “I HAVE KILLED MEN FOR LESSER INSULTS!” She growled.
Daniel shook his head calmly. “I think you see insult where
none exists.” He replied with an even tone.
For a second everyone seemed to freeze. Daniel calmly tossed
his half smoked cigarette across the alley way and lifted his head for the
first time. The lamp light from above revealing a deep scar on the right side
of his face. Veronica took a half step back in surprise. “You!” Her men got
nervous. “They said you were dead!” She uttered in disbelief.
Daniel reached in the darkness of his jacket and pulled a
mini gun out from under the long body of his jacket. It was hanging from a
strap around his shoulder the head of the six barrel rotator pointed at
Veronica and her men. The other men in the alley way all stood and revealed the
guns and knives they were carrying as well.
Veronica held her hands up in surrender. “It doesn’t have to
go down like this.” She said
Daniel squinted. “We are men of action, lies do not become
us.” The mini Gun roared to life and Veronica and her guards shot into the air
bouncing off the walls and launched themselves at the men in the alleyway.
Foster pulled his sword out of his jacket but was stopped
from entering the fray by Daniel. He handed him the package. “Go home kid, keep
this safe, I’ll drop by in the morning to pick it up.” He turned his attention
to the fight and caught a guard lunging at him with a quick burst of fire that
dropped him to the ground.
